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
beleeving is that in our power is it not the gift of God is it not above the reach of humane reason and understanding is it a worke of nature or grace To this I answer Answer and acknowledge that Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 But take this with it this God is a God of free grace which giveth Salvation to his people and the hand of faith to lay hold on his salvation all in his owne grace and therefore I tell my owne soule and others of beleeving in God because he is a God of free grace I know faith is the worke of Divine power it is not of our selves therefore I say againe God is a God of free grace stay not in selfe lye at the throne of grace as that poore man in the Gospell Lord I beleeve helpe thou my unbeliefe Me-thinkes he speakes thus Lord I beleeve that thou canst helpe me against my unbeliefe that thou canst destroy the unbeliefe that is in me and make me to beleeve upon thee to establishment and I thinke this is the language of the Objection which saith Faith is the gift of God is it not the same with this Lord thou canst make me beleeve in thee it is thy worke to destroy my unbeliefe and to helpe my soule against it This is all I say God is a God of free grace and faith is the gift of his grace he waites to be gracious to give his free grace and all the gifts of it freely to those that need it nothing in creature but want makes it an object for Gods grace for he gives all freely without price and without money Now if faith be the gift of God as thou doest acknowledge then lye at the throne of his grace if thou wantest know all he hath is for those that want waite on him and tell him he can helpe thee against thy unbeliefe But you demand whether faith were not above the reach of humane reason and understanding I acknowledge Yes when it is under its naturall darknesse so that the soule it lives in nothing but nature as it fell from the first Adam So The naturall Man descernes not the things of God neither can be because they are spiritually discerned But when God comes to worke the worke of his grace in any soule he doth not destroy his owne first and pure worke of nature in the man the fall from grace corrupted the reason and understanding of man as it did the whole man so the restoration to grace doth restore the first image of God in the reason and understanding of men though faith as it leads to God and pitcheth the soule upon God be above the light or reach of reason in it selfe yet when God workes faith in the soule and so takes the soule up to himselfe to live in him and to rest on him God doth not thereby destroy reason and understanding in the man that were to make him a Beast No God doth inlighten and convince the soul in its reason and judgement though when it was in its corrupted nature it could not discerne the things of God nor understand the worke of his salvation of free grace in Christ through beleeving so as to choose God for a portion and to rest on the salvation of his free grace yet when God shall inlighten the reason and judgement of a man by his owne spirit so that now it is spirituall reason and judgement then by the spirit of God in it it comes to apprehend and to close with the salvation of Gods free grace in Christ through beleeving it is now reason and judgement sanctified and made light in the Lord so that now it seeth a beauty in the grace of God and Christ the gift of his grace now it is no more its owne under its corruption but Gods in his renuing grace by which in Christ he hath redeemed it out of the power of Satan and the region of darknesse into his owne marvelous light though â—t first it may onely fee men walke as trees yet God will not leave it till he makes it see plainely God is light and in him is no darknesse at all So that as God commeth into the reason and judgements of his people they have light in the Lord the worke is neverthelesse but the more a worke of grace in God that he doth thus sanctifie and inlighten the reason and judgements of his people carrying on the worke of his salvation in the soule God is not bound to worke thus for the whole worke of his salvation is free but that hee chooseth to worke thus I thinke is the experience of all Saints that ever had reason and judgement in which Saints have much joy and by which doubtlesse the glory of Gods free grace is much manifested and declared and therefore I shall in the next place hold forth some grounds and reasons to the sanctified reason and judgements of Saints why to beleeve in God why to take his word and to rest upon the salvation of his free grace Grounds for faith from reason First Because there is truth in none but God and his Word by God here I meane Father Sonne and Spirit all truth is in this Fountaine and what ever truth is in the creature it is a streame from this fountaine so much of truth so much a beama of God in any soule It is one of Gods Attributes which we have mentioned to be a God of truth which is the true God I shall adde little to the proofe of it only a Scripture or two Psal 18.30 As for God Psalm 18.30 his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tryed be is a buckler to all those that trust in him As if the Prophet had said I have tryed God by trusting him and I find him true and perfect in all his words and wayes his word is perfectly true if her say he will be a buckler to you you may trust him he is a tryed God of truth he never deceived any foule that trusted in him his truth reacheth to the clouds Psalm 57.10 sayes the Prophet Psalm 57.10 It is boundlesse truth it is the truth of God whom is all truth So Psalm 117.2 The truth of the Lord endureth for ever That is God is for ever a God of truth hee is nothing but truth not doth he speake any thing but truth not any soule can be decalved by believing what he sayes he meanes what hee sayes for he is the God of truth Now I would argue with reason and aske it whether it would choose truth or untruth to believe in Doubtlesse this will be the answer of a rationall man I doe choose truth for this it my misery I know not what to believe there is so much untruth is the world nor can I finde any man or sort of men to trust all men are so false If mens words promises or engagements were any safety wee have had enough of them but men forget their words
damne without unbeliefe John 3.15 Whosoever beleeveth in him which is Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Observe the Text and you shall finde this in it that nothing but unbeliefe can hinder the soule of eternall life for whosoever the greatest and vilest of sinners that shall beleeve in Christ shall certainely be saved whosoever sinnes and beleeves not in Christ hath damnation in every sinne and his unbeliefe is the seale of his damnation but whosoever beleeveth in Christ though the greatest of sinners shall not perish but have everlasting life damnation is sealed in unbeliefe and unbeliefe seales up damnation the Devill delights in all sinne but he lives in no sinne so contented and secure as in unbeliefe it is the great seale of his Kingdome that which holds fast all his interest in the soule unbeliefe it maintaines the Devils interest most of all sinnes in the soule therefore his indeavour most of all is to maintaine unbeliefe in the soule it was want of faith in the Apostles when at they could not cast out Devils Satan is never deposed of his interest in any soule or body but by faith if he maintaines unbeliefe he maintaines his interest the seale of his Kingdome of darknesse A fifth evill of unbeliefe is this It makes men vile in secret though openly they make a profession of godlinesse he that professeth holinesse with his outside and indeavours onely to keep that faire which comes to the view of the World but imbraceth secret opportunities to be evill and to doe evill must needs doe it from a principle of unbeliefe for did they beleeve the al-seeing eye of God and see God with an eye of faith they would be more carefull of committing evill in his sight then in the sight of men an unbelieving soule may upon some considerations of repute and esteeme with the World endeavour to avoide open sinnes which makes open scandall and so brings open shame but for secret sinnes it is ready to serve Satan when he pleaseth because it seeth not God nor doth indeed beleeve that God seeth him and therefore Satan doth never disturb nor discourage that outward profession of holinesse which giveth obedience to his commands in secret he is content the outside should seeme to be Gods so that the inside be his his chiefe businesse and endeavour is to hinder true faith in the soul he cares not let profession be at what height it will if he can but keep a foot unbeliefe in the soule he knowes in secret that soule will obey him what ever profession it makes of God and godlinesse to the World the Devill loves to be in Gods room in the heart and if he can but by unbeliefe maintaine his interest there he hath his ends and a profession of holinesse in hypocrisie makes the soule seven times more his then before and this advantage he makes to himselfe and his Kingdome by keeping unbeliefe alive in the heart for thereby he keeps the heart intire to himselfe and can make such a soule sinne in secret at his pleasure Sixtly Men will through unbeliefe be false to their vowes promises and ingagements both to God and his people when as their corrupted reason telleth them that they may be gainers by it or their carnall hearts conceive a necessity of it Such as live not truely on God by faith they never ingage to God or his people but for their owne ends it is selfe-love that ingageth them they neither love nor would they trust either God or his people could they effect their owne ends but many times God casteth them into such streights that their fleshly reason teleth them there is no way out but by the assistance of Gods people at such a time these unbelieving hearts will not stick at the making of any vow to God or promises to his people but if once they come as it were to see shoare againe or but to have one foote upon the Land that the danger and bitternesse of dâ—th is over then they thinke there is no such need of the assistance either of God or his people and then all former vowes and promises are forgotten and it may be in this very nicke of time fleshly powers presse upon them to be faithlesse to God and his people declaring themselves to be enemies to all that shall be friends to God and his people Now the unbelieving soule calls this a necessity to him of being false to God and his people in all its former vowes and promises such soules will argue thus what should we doe the multitude call vpon us and are restlesse with us so that they will give us no rest till we satisfie them in that which makes us false to God and man in our former vowes and promises If we were not so pressed we should not doe as we doe we should in some measure make good what wee have formerly said This answer is made upon a mistake It is not the pressing of the multitude but the unbeliefe of the heart that makes such prove false in their engagements and promises to God and his people were there faith to trust God that would keep the soul close to God believing soules make God their refuge in all streights and counteth nothing to be so great an evill as to be false to God or to distrust his faithfulnesse but unbelieving souls they owne and deny God they promise and prove false to God as their fleshly reason presents God to them and their owne advantage in what they doe this pretending to truth and reality in falsenesse is the naturall proceed of unbeliefe in the heart Gen. 40.23 We may read a discovery of this in Gen. 40.23 The chiefe Butler forgot both Joseph and his promises to him in the prison when as himselfe was in those enjoyments that his heart thirsted after when soules live upon God by faith such faith maketh them faithfull to God and his people but where selfe is the highest life there it is the highest end and thus it is with unbelieving soules they prize nothing above selfe therefore can be false to all when as their fleshly reason telleth them that thereby they may preserve and advance selfe This is another great and certain evill of unbeliefe Seventhly Unbeliefe it damps the glory of God and lessens the grace of God to the soule A distrust of the truth and reality of any thing takes away from such an eye all the beauty and glory of it so puts a damp both upon the beauty of the thing and the affection of the soule If a man be shewed a rich Diamond and he believeth it to be but some piece of glasse or at best but a crystall this his beliefe doth to himselfe much take off the beauty and value of the Diamond so that the affections are little or nothing answerable to the esteeme and this ariseth from his unbeliefe So is it with the unbelieving soule say what you can of the riches the glory
and excellency of Gods free grace of Jesus Christ and the redemption of his grace yet he believeth not any thing If this unbelieving soule should heare the Spouse in the Canticles say that Jesus Christ her Beloved is fairer and fuller of beauty then all the beloveds in the world Hee would not believe but thinke that the world is a more beautifull Beloved then Jesus Christ and upon this consideration unbelievers choose the world for their Beloved as by faith soules close with and center in Christ so by unbeliefe soules leave Christ to embrace this present evill World The reason is this faith sees the beauty and believes the reality of Christ and the free grace of God so rests and centers there but unbeliefe that sayes there is no such grace in God nor any such riches of glory in grace no such beauty in Christ nor such necessity of being saved onely through his blood and therefore rests and centers their eternall soules in something below God and Christ this is another true property and perfect evill of unbelife in the soule Another evill of unbeliefe in the soule is this It makes men inordinate in their pursuites after the World and so likewise in their sorrow upon their disappointments or losses of the World it makes men seeke their heaven here and looke upon nothing in God as enough to repaire the losse of the World An unbelieving soule cannot live upon God day by day for its daily bread if the barns be not full it believeth it shall starve the fulnesse of God cannot satisfie it If the heart be empty of faith the hand must be full of the World or there will be no quiet in the bosome and therefore unbelieving soules will in their inordinate pursuite after the World venture soule and all upon this foundation of unbeliefe men create their owne happinesse in themselves and shape their owne felicity in their owne braines and pursue their owne fancies with a violent zeale of spirit Now if God disappoint them if hee cracke their foundation throw downe that building which they have raised in their owne fancies as a habitation for themselves to rest in then they are as inordinate in their griefe as they were before in their pursuite and both these the fruit of unbeliefe unbeliefe makes them seek felicity out of God and the same frame of spirit makes them to be as men without hope when as the world proves empty though God be everlasting fulnesse Unbelieving soules have no eye to see that more exceeding and eternall weight of glory which is in God in Christ in heaven for Saints and therefore they so eagerly pursue a dying glory and are such livelesse hopelesse undone soules when that sailes them If there be no heaven in the world such soules thinks there is no heaven at all if their owne heaven faile them then there is not heaven enough in God to satisfie them It is worthy the observing how unbeliefe in Job did make him break out into passion upon this very consideration Job 3. beg Job 6.8 How he quarrels with the day of his birth and makes it his request to God that he would cut him off What is the matter with Job now this language had not hee heard to fall from his lips formerly why now Job is stripped of the worlds riches hee would be cut off from the world if the comforts of the world dyes then he would have no longer being in the world If it be thus with Job when the sunne of unbeliefe which is dying in him doth but appeare how is it then with those that live in unbeliefe and have no acquaintance with God at all their disappointments is their hell and they say of God as those evill spirits did of Christ That he is come to torment them before their time Thus we see that unbeliefe is so potent an evill in the soule that it unjoynts the whole frame of the soule leaves it so loose that every blast shakes it and overturnes all the joyes and comforts of it that which is not fixed in God is apt to change with all that is changeable and living only in changeable vanity is alwayes in a troubled sea where it can finde no place to cast the anchor of hope on because it sees not God This is another certain evill of unbeliefe The last evill which I shall mention of unbeliefe is this It is a sinne which hath all other sinnes in it and keepes the soul in a readinesse to answer all the temptations of Satan with obedience It was unbeliefe that made the children of Israel to murmure against Moses and to doubt of Gods making good his word to them Exod. 14.10 11. And they said unto Moses Exod. 16.2 Exod. 17.2 because there were not graves in Aegypt hast thou taken us away to dye in the Wildernesse They distrusted God as well as Moses and therefore they murmure at the worke of God by Moses It is unbeliefe makes the anger so that it is a teeming sinne it brings forth more sinnes then it selfe and keeps the soule in a readinesse to entertaine all sinne the unbelieving heart it is a treasury of obedience to the Devill hee is sure never to faile of service from that soule which doth not believe in God nay the Davill can have no service from any soule 1 Chron. 21. beg but so far as unbeliefe lives in the soule Had not the Devill found unbeliefe in David he had never prevailed with him to number the People when his heart began to doubt the strength of God then was a time for the Devill to tempt him to try his owne therefore sayes he number the people Know how strong the arme of flesh is that thou maist have something to trust too this is as true a touch-stone of unbeliefe in the heart as any liveth when the soule by faith sees enough in God it is not solicitous to have an account of the fulnesse of flesh but distrust in the former puts the soule upon enquiry after the latter for satisfaction and thus unbeliefe keeps open house for Satan at all times it is the chiefe engine by which he upholds his kingdome and his credite no sinne so neare and deare to him as this it is his second selfe where ever it beares sway it maintaines his lawes and his Image See an emminent example of this in Judas Matth. 27. Matth. 27.4 5. Who when he had betrayed his Master went and hanged himselfe Satan by his Engine of unbeliefe drew him through the one sin to the other he did not believe in Christ therefore he betrayed him nor did he believe there was grace enough in God to pardon the worst of sinners therefore hangs himselfe So the Devill first perswaded Eve in Gen. 3.4 Gen. 3.4 5. 5. Not to believe what God had said and then he knew hee was able to effect his owne ends to make her disobey God and obey him in eating the forbidden fruit
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
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
that it is the mind and wil of God he should so serve and worship him for uncertainty of Gods minde will make unsetlednesse in mans worship hee that believeth not that God is pleased with what he doth cannot be steady in that service to God He that worships an unknown God that is God in such a way as hee knoweth not whether God will approve of or not will not bee long known by that worship If faith cleares not up the will of God to the soule in its way of worship and serving God the soule walkes in the darke and hath trembling in it suitable to darknesse and trembling joynts cannot be steady in the way they walke the uncertaine soule will goe with every one that pretends to set it right but when faith hath cleared up Gode will to the soule then it moves steadily Faith is a steady eye and it makes God its object so that where faith lives the soule is steady in its motion and though it may as God comes nearer to it goe from lower to higher former yet in all it goes nearer to God and is more and more clear in the mind and will of God more steady and spirituall in its worship and service of God that is worships God more purely more out of the flesh and more in the Spirit according to that Gospel-worship our Saviour speaks of in John 4.24 God is a Spirit John 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth In spirit because he is a Spirit in truth because he is the true God Now none but the believing soule can worship God either in spirit or truth for he that believeth not his worship to be according to God cannot worship in truth because he knows not the mind of God who is the God of truth nor can it be in the spirit for the Spirit is light and makes knowledge of God therefore it is only the believing soul that can worship God in spirit and truth and no other souls can worship God truly or be true to the worship and service of God which it doth professe It was faith made the three Children and the Prophet Daniel in the Booke of Daniel so emminently steady in their worship and service of God and truly it is want of faith that makes the unsettlement of souls in this thing and such as are so zealous to have multitudes to worship God whether they know and believe it to be Gods minde or not may bring many pretenders to God but not any whit more of worship and service to him Faith makes men true to the worship and service of God and force makes men true to the wil-worship of man for as hee that believeth will not swerve from what God hath revealed to him so such as worship onely by the rule of mans will and power is always ready to worship in what manner soever man will have him and this makes him as uncertain in his worship as man is who is his rule for worship but the soul advantaged to worship serve God in spirit and truth is the believing soule for what faith fixes of God in the soule that the soule is steady to God in and alwayes ready to worship and serve God with it therefore concerns such as would be steady in their worship and service of God to doe nothing in his worship and service but what they can doe from a principle of faith believing it to be the mind and will of God concerning their souls in their worship and service of him and in this faith the soule will be steady to God and it may say as the Prophet David O Lord my heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise My heart is fixed on thee my joy is continually in thee and my praise and worship shall be alwayes to thee according as thou hast by faith sixed my heart on thee so shalt thou have fixed worship and service from me Soules thus fixed are rarely found nor are they ever found but where faith liveth and as faith growes so the soule fixes This is a benefit and advantage fixed to saith in the soule for they alwayes goe together and the want of either is the want of both but sure I am where both are they may truely be called benefits and advantages to the soule for that soul is advantaged above all the unsteady soules in the World whatever they pretend to besides A seventh benefit of Faith in the soule is this Faith it makes a ready submission in the soule to the will of God that soul which believeth in God and liveth upon God for alit hath or hopeth for doth not quarrel with or dispute against the will of God nay though Gods will be never so opposite against the will in man yet where faith liveth and bareth sway in the soule there the soule layes downe its owne will and readily submits to the will of God this was Josephs case in Matth. Mat. 1.24.25 1.24 25. there God bids him to take unto him his wise though she were with childe Now in the 19. verse his minde was to put her away privily because he would not make her a publique example but when God by the Angell had revealed his will to him he forsakes his former resolutions and doth as the Angell of the Lord had bidden him Now observe it was faith in Joseph made him thus to submit to Gods will for had not he beleeved the Angell of the Lord when he told him in the 20. verse That which was conceived in her was of the holy Ghost doubtlesse he would have keps to his former resolutions to put her away privily but believing that the thing was of God and of it was the will of God he said Take unto him Mary his Wise he through faith makes ready submission to the will of God And in the 2. Matth. 14. there by saith he readily obeyed God Mat. 2.14 In taking the young Childe and his Mother by night and departing into Aegypt which in the 13. verse was the command of God to him by the Angell the second time because Hered sought the Childes life thus Joseph believing God is ready to submit to all the will of God It was thus also with Peter and Andrew in Mat. 4.19 20 Mat. 4.19 20. when Christ called them to follow him he promising to make them fishers of men the Text sayes They streighway lift their Nets add followed him Had not they beleeved in Christ they would never have followed him but they did it streightway Faith it made them readily willing to obey the call of Christ saith it is the day of Gods power in the souls and it makes his people â—â—iling people unto his will This made Joshua readily obey all the commands of God in his besieging of Jericho as appeares at large in the fixt of Joshua he beleeved the word of God in the 2 verse That God had given Jericho into
his hands therefore waites on God for his directions and acts accordingly it is faith makes the soule wiling to the will and worke of God So sayes the Author to the Hebrewes Heb. 11.7 8.9 in Heb. 11.7 8 9. By faith Noah being warned of God prepared an Arke to the saving of his house And By faith Abraham when hee was called to goe out unto a place which bee should after receive for an Inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither hee went and so on The holy Ghost makes this expresse that it was faith in the soules of these faithfull ones that made them ready to all the will of God what ever flesh might have to object yet faith bearing sway the soule obeys where faith lives there the will of God lives and there Gods will is readily obeyed this is no small advantage to soules in their Wildernesse journey to be bound up in the will of God to have that live in them by which they live in God have Gods will for theirs and their will for God this is true faith in the soule it keeps the soule in a ready posture to say Amen to all the revealed will of God and to doe in Gods strength all that he requirs such soules and bodies to doe this ready frame of soule to all the revealed will of God is that which Saints doe breath after at the throne of grace therefore cannot but be welcome and highly prized by such soules that which is worth the seeking is a benefit to injoy but ready submission to the will of God is that which Saints do earnestly seek therefore this effect of faith in the soule must needes be a very great benefit and advantage to the soule The eight benefit of faith in the soule is this Faith makes the soule waite patiently upon God for his deliverance out of all its streights though with a single eye of hamane reason it can see no way of escape this is the language of faith in the soule disquiet not thy selfe by making conclusions according to thy darke apprehensions stand still and see the salvation of God salvation and deliverance is Gods not thine be quiet and still and thou shalt see the salvation of God faith speakes and workes thus in the soule that feareth the Lord That when it walketh in darknesse and hath no light then to trust in the name of the Lord and to stay himselfe upon his God Isa 5.10 Isa 5.10 Not to give up all hopes and to cast off all attendance upon God when it cannot see a way of deliverance by its Naturall reason but is wholly in the darke in that point Nay I thinke the Scripture goes higher when as faith cannot see what God meanes whether he will deliver or no yet then to trust in God and to waite upon him for the manifestation of his will though faith cannot make out what God will doe yet faith keeps the soule waiting upon God and that in a still frame of spirit to see his salvation Hee that beleeves sayes the Text makes not hast he goes not before God for faith keeps the soule in a waiting posture upon God in all conditions The believing soule makes not hast through impatience to cast off any burthen before Gods time nor doth it make haste through inordinate affections to enjoy what it delights in and desires before Gods time faith in the soule esteemes of things in season as in their full beauty Like apples of Golde in pictures of Silver and to this soule Gods time is the season for all things Gods time is the most beautifull season to lay downe a burthen in and to take up an injoyment in to a believing soule therefore it makes not haste but waites upon God for his season lyes patiently at the poole side till the Angell of the Covenant come and trouble the waters this was Davids frame of spirit in Psalm 13.5 But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation Observe he had put his trust in God and therefore rejoyces in his salvation the Psalme is a prayer for salvation it being in faith the Prophet joyes in the salvation of God as though he were in present possession of the thing he prayed for doubtlesse he waited joyfully when as he joyed in the salvation to come as if it were present the same frame of spirit we shall finde in the righteous Psal 33.20 21. Our soules waiteth for the Lord Psal 33.20 21 he is our helpe and our shield For our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy Name Marke it here is a waiting upon God and that with joy and this the fruit of faith Because men have trusted in his boly Name Faith in God makes the soule waite on God with joy So the Prophet David in Psal 37.7 giveth this counsell as the effect of faith in his owne soule Rest in the Lord and waite patiently for him free not thy selfe because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to passe As if he had said thou poore heart weake in faith thou frettest thy selfe because the wicked prosper in their wayes wert thou strong in faith thou wouldst not minde them so as to disquiet thy selfe but rest in the Lord and waite patiently on him their prospering hinders not Gods designe therefore waite on God and be at rest this is the effect of faith in my soule sayes the Prophet and I recommend to thee beleeve in God so wilt thou be at rest and in that rest waite patiently on God for the manifestation of his will So in Psal 40.1 their waiting patiently on God is expressed to be an effect of faith and confidence in God And in Psal 62.1 2. Truely my soule waites upon God he is my Rocke my salvation my defence and so forth His soule by faith trusts in God he had made God his Rock what is the effect of this faith therefore truely sayes he my soule waites upon thee faith makes the soule truely to waite upon God Lamen 3.26 Lament 3.26 It is good obat a man should both hope and quietly waite for the salvation of the Lord This is the voice of faith in the soule when the soul asket faith what is good faith gives it this answer It is good to waite patiently on the Lord Vers 1. though thou art the man that hath seen al afflictions yet it is good for thee to waite patiently on the Lord this is both the counsell and practice of faith where it liveth in any soule and doublesse to have the soule in a quiet sweet frame of spirit waiting and depending on God is no small benefit faith leades the soule to God and acquaints the soule with Gods fulnesse so that thereby the soul is brought into a quiet waiting upon God this blessed benefit neither is nor can be any where but in beleeving soule therefore men fret themselves and
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
where faith liveth Faith in God assures the soule that all the Nations of the Earth are but as the drop of a bucket compared 〈◊〉 God and therefore where faith lives the soule cannot feare the stroak of all the empty powers of the world to be against it when as God is for it Psal 91.1 2 3. and it hath put its trust in God Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of his wings Whom ever lives in the bosome of God by faith knowes it selfe to be safe in the protection of God and so is above feare as it is in God God is the refuge fortresse and deliverer of such as trust in him therefore as he is all this and my God in him will I put my trust and surely he will deliver me sayes the believing soule therefore whom should I feare and of whom should I be affraid By faith soules live satisfied in God and above feare though all creatures faile as the Prophet Zephaniab in Chap. 3. vers last Though the Fig-tree and all other creatures and fruits of the earth should fail yet sayes he I will rejoyce in God joy in the God of my salvation for the Lord he is my strength Here is living upon God above and without the creatures and this life is a life of joy which must needs be above feare Faith is a life in God as a God of salvation so a life of joy and this purely in God not because of any creature enjoyment that might goe along with God but in God when all these faile and yet this a life of joy a life above feare this is the life of faith in the soule and the benefit of such a life So the Church of God in Psalm 46. liveth by faith above feare as it liveth in God this is the Churches faith God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Now the next verse telleth us what is the effects of this faith in them 〈…〉 Therefore will not we feare though the earth he removed and so forth This is the benefit of faith in God it quenches and destroyes fleshly and carnall feare iâ— empties the soule of all but God so as it makes God all to the soule and to live only upon what God is Faith in its growth destroyes feare in its very being for as faith growes higher and higher so is the soule carryed more and more into God by which it liveth more on God and God in the sould destroyes that fleshly carnall feare that is the seed of nature in all flesh Faith at this pitch in the soule is an exceeding great advantage in times of tryall for where fleshly feare liveth as supreame there fleshly power commands the whole Now in times of tryall such soules will sayle amisse that have this power at the sterne If in stormes faith be not the Pilot soules will split on rockes but never arrive at God nay every calme will endanger the soule if faith guide it not to God so that as faith doth destroy carnall feare and keepe the soule close to God so it is a very great benefit and advantage in the soules of beleevers Againe Faith in GOD doth advantage the Soule in this Faith makes soules faithfull true to their trust and promises trusting in the true God to protect and carry them through all difficulties It was thus with Queene Esther Est 6.16 Shee promises Mordeeai and the Jewes that shee would first seek God to goe with her and then she would go in to the King the story telleth us that there was great difficulties in the way yet this beleeving soule was true and faithfull to her engagements and the trust that was reposed in her She sought God to goe with her and in God doth faithfully discharge her duty and trust though death and danger was in every step of the way Faith iâ— a vigorous grace in the soule it filleth with spirits and carryes soules in the wayes of the faithfull God though Lyons and Beareâ— lye in the way Thus faith wrought in this Heroick piece of the wâ—â—ker Sex depths of dangers could not make her unfaithfull to her God and Nation Faithfull Joseph is another proofe to this truth in Gen. 39. Gen. 39. his lew'd Mistresses temptations could not make him false to his Master and he giveth this for his reason hee could not be false to that trust his Master had committed to him nor durst he some against God faith kept him true both to God and man and that is the true nature of faith to be faithfull therefore faith James in his Epistle shew me thy faith by thy workes If thou hast faith it will keepe thee faithfull both to God and man what ever soule is false to God and man in that trust which God man hath committed to it I dare affirm it is the effects of unbeliefe men in trust prove false to trust as they thinke for fleshly advantages or upon some outward necessity but the true cause is unbeliefe for had they faith in God they would be faithfull to God and the trust committed to them Did they believe in God to owne them they would in that faith keepe true to God and owne him did they beleeve God to be the owner the author and preserver of all truth and faithfulnesse they would in this beliefe be faithfull to God true to their trust and trust the God of truth to preserve them for this is the effect of faith in the soule and I know no truer a demonstration of an unbelieving soule then to be false to God and man in the trust that is committed to it upon any pretended grounds whatsoever nor is any thing a truer effect of faith nor a clearer image of God in the soule then faithfulnesse to God and man In trust committed and in engagements given forth this effect of faith I confesse doth declare the present generation to be exceeding faithlesse but yet let God be true though all men be lyers for such a soule as lives by faith lives in God so in truth and cannot be false to God or his people to trust or their owne promises This is a precious benefit of faith it is not only a benefit to such soules in whom it is but also to that Land and people where such soules do dwell A further effect and benefit of faith in God is this It makes men deny themselves to lift up Gods glory and will not by any meanes take Gods glory to themselves though they have fair advantages for it See this fully proved in Peter John Acts 3.12 Acts 3.12 Acts 4.10 so on Acts 4.10 so on when as by faith in God they had to the wonderment amazement of the people been instruments to make the lame man walke so that all the people ran about him to see what was done Then Peter being affraid lest they should ascribe Gods glory to
them hee speakes to the people in Chap. 3. vers 12. And when Peter saw it hee answered unto the people yee men of Israel why marvell you at this or why looke you so cornestly on us as though by our owne power and holinesse we had made this man to walke This Scripture clearly proves thus much that the Apostles were carefull that not so much as a thought should remaine in the peoples hearts that the lame man was made to walk by any power and holinesse that was singly or originally in them and therefore to put all that out of dispute they declare themselves nothing but Christ all in the worke in Acts 4.10 Be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom yee crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand before you whole Observe the care of preserving the glory of God and Christ intire that was in these faithfull soules for they make a full Declaration of the power which did the work at which they were so amazed Know all you and doe you make it knowne to all the people of Israel that by the Name and power of the Lord Jesus Christ this worke is done They had here a faire opportunity to gaine great honour to themselves from the people but faith in the soule makes it its businesse to lift up the Name and glory of God and to live upon that in all it doth By faith these Apostles were instrumentall in this worke and this faith keepes them true to the originall glory which they acted by namely God and Christ they wrought this great worke in the Name of Christ and by the power of God and their second worke is to keepe the glory of it upon its owne foundation namely God and Christ Now that they might more plainly shew God and Christ to the people in this great worke they throw downe all that stands in the way and first begins with themselves Looke not upon us as if wee by one owne power and holinesse had made this man whole God hath used us as instruments but in this God is originally all therefore looke upon God not us Thus faith in GOD throwes downe selfe and flesh that GOD in his glory may appeare that the soule might glory in what God is and not what selfe is this is a precious grace in the soule for it makes a precious soule a soule willing to worke for Gods glory and accounts this a full recompence to all its labour and worke that God is thereby glorified but withall is exceeding tender that nothing of selfe should share with GOD in the glory onely due to his Name Faith at this pitch is very rarely found in these latter dayes wherein mâ—n are lovers of themselves themselves more then lovers of God but where ever it is it is an exceeding benefit and advantage to the soule such soules doe the worke of Heaven on Earth lift up the name and glory of God in all they doe and are not contented in doing any thing but in which they may doe this throw downe the vaile of their owne flesh that the glory of God might appeare in them and by them all those fleshly selfeish carnall principles and practices that are in the hearta and lives of men they are the fruite and effects of unbeliefe in the soule the evill of which doth give demonstration to the excellency and benefit of faith saith that workes and rules in the soule and conversation to the throwing downe of selfe and to the lifting up of Christ in the World this is so great a benefit that none can prize it but they that have it it is more in the injoying then it can be in the desiring Another benefit of faith in the soule is this Faith in God keepes the soule in a steady expectation of Gods fulfilling and making good his promises though the acts of his providence may seeme to worke crosly Faith centers the soule upon God in his promiset and brings it to this pitch that though it cannot see Gods way of working yet having believed God in his word doth rest in this that all his workes shall and doe make good his word so that the soule when it is at a losse concerning Gods way of working yet it is at rest in the end of God made knowne by his Word and can argue thus with it selfe though in the actings of God he seemes to crossâ— his owne ends yet I know they shall all runne into his faithfull Word and what he there speakes he is now a doing though I am a stranger to the way of his working yet he will never be failing to his owne holy ends declared in his word and upon this account the soule is kept to waite quietly and to bee steady in its expectations of Gods sulfilling and making good his promises though the workings of his providence may seeme to act crosly Therefore sayes the Prophet I will trust in thee though thou killest mee Whatever thou deest I know thou wilt fulfill thy promises this was Moses faith at the Rad Sea and his counsell to the Israelites Exod. 14.13 Exod. 14.13 Not to feare but to stand still and see the salvation of God As if he had said I and you have received promises from God that he will be with us and deliver us out of the hands of Phareah and his Task-masters why let us beleeve these promises though his workings at this present may seeme as though hee meant to let Pharoah destroy us yet having his word to the contrary feare not his workes but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord all his workes shall accomplish the fulfilling of his Word therefore in faith be quiet and waite for it there is not any thing that is more truely the nature of faith then this to keepe the soule quiet in waiting on God for the fulfilling of his promises God exhorts to this in Psalm 46.10 Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God I will bee exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth That is you that have beleeved my word if it have spoken good to you be still and quiet in your spirits concerning the fulfilling of it for I am God I am faithfull and true though my workes seem contrary to your eyes yet they are but to exalt my name among the Heathen and in the whole earth that men may not trace me in my way but yet know I am God I will be faithfull to my ends and promises fixe you your eyes there and quiet your heart in them judge not my end by my wayes but my wayes by my end waite on the fulfilling of my word be still and know that I am God Faith in God makes the soule still and quiet in all Gods dispensations to it because it knowes that he is God therefore cannot be unfaithfull to his promiser but is 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
soule is the life of faith and the effect of faith in the soule is a weaning of it from the World by a gathering of it into God The last benefit of faith in God which I shall mention is this True faith in God doth truly fixe and establish the soules of Beleevere in the redemption of Gods free grace from all our enemies from sinne death Hell Law grave men and Devils none of these can hurt or destroy such soules as lives in the free grace of God by faith free grace it freely pardons finne and so plucks out the sting of death delivers from the jawes of Hell satisfies and fulfils the Law gathers from the grave that which in sowne in corruption and cloathes it with incorruption chains up the power and malice of men and Devils against his people this free grace doth and by faith the soule lives thus on God by which it becomes a fixed and established soule beleeving soules are not like the restlesse waves of the Sea that rowle from shore to shore and soame up their owne mire but they are soules fixed in God and Christ God by faith did answer the Prophets prayer which deâ—â—red to be led to that Rock which was higher then himselfe that is the work of faith it leads the soul to God and Chirst and then it is an established soule it is then built upon 〈◊〉 Rock higher then it selfe so that windes cannot shake it nor 〈◊〉 undermine it as if it had built upon a sandy soundation faith builds upon a Rock and that the Rock of Ages i◠〈◊〉 in the free grace of God the redemption and the righteousnesse of Christ so that neither life nor death nor any thing no not finne shall ever be able to separate such soules from God and Christ and hence it is that soules beleeving thus in God through Christ by his spirit are fixed and established soules the Prophet David in Psal 125.1 gives in testimony to this benefit of faith in the soule he telleth us there They that trâ—st in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be moved but abideth for ever Faith in God fixeth the soule in everlasting safety and keepes it upon a Rock of establishment even when Earth and Heaven is shaking Now I shall gather up what I aime at in all this in reference to my owne soule and others and it is singly this to eye God with a single eye and to rest upon him with a steady undoubting heart by a single eye I meane a single heart fixed upon what God is does and sayes concerning his people and then by faith to apply and appropriate that to our selves resting steadily and undoubtingly upon him assuring our soules that what hee sayes concerning us he will fully make good unto us God cannot lye when he speakes he speakes his heart and what is in his heart to doe no power or powers can hinder his hand from doing such soules then as thus see God and rest upon him are sure to be established so as the counsell of good King Jeboshaphat is worthy to be received by all soules Beleave in the Lord your God so shall you be established Then first give me leave to advise to a serions and constant inquiry after God if establishment in the soule come by believing in God then knowing of God aright is of absolute necessity 〈◊〉 such a believing now soules sleight or inconstant in their inquities after God in what he is doth and saith are very unlikely soules to come to such a knowledge of him as will bring forth beliefe to establishment It was the saying of an established soule in God I know whom I have trusted and doubtlesse there had not been trust to establishment but that knowledge was in the very foundation the argument seemeth to me to runne thus I know God and therefore I have trusted in him and 〈◊〉 I know him I am assured I shall not be deceived by him so that from this knowledge I am established through believing darknesse is the proper wombe of feare there in nothing else foturely begotten there so is light of faith and establishment thiâ— I say and speake by experience in which I shall appeale to the â—â—perience of all Saints that the more any soule truely knows God the more that soule will trust him therefore give mee leave againe to say Be serious and constant in the inquiries after God study him as he is in himselfe in his Christ and our Saviour iâ— his Covenant of free grace in all his promises and performances in his word and workes in our owne and other Saints experiences of him And this I dare boldly affirme the more God is thus spiritually knowne of his people the more he will be admired loved and trusted by them and such soules the more truly established Secondly This seemes to be suitable advice to be exceeding watchfull over Satan and our owne hearts in all the temptations to or movings of unbeliefe in our soules there is nothing so great a friend to the Kingdome of Satan and so great an eneny to the Kingdome of Gods free grace as unbeliefe is nor can any sinne so certainely destroy the soule as unbeliefe nay all other sinnes without this can never destroy any soule doubtlesse these reasons have weight enough in them to make Christian soules stand upon their guard against this enemy of unbeliefe it is the Generall of the Host of evill it commands all other sinnes and where it enters it comes with great attendants of evils subservant to is selfe unbeliefe is the supreame Agient in the World for the Prince of darknesse in what ever God is distrusted and not believed Satan shall surely be served Faith is that Anchor that keeps the soule close to God if that be plucked up Satan sils the Sailes I meane the heart with the World and so carryes the Vessell where he pleaseth Faith is Gods interest and unbeliefe the Devile interest in the soule and at the last day when Christ shall give the Devill his due I mean his share of men in the world iâ— will be onely unbelievers for he hath interest in nor can lay claime to none else therefore unbeliefe should be dreaded as the Devils brand that by which he markes his owne distrust God and honour Satan for they cannot be parted he that doth the former cannot avoyd the latter A soule watchfull in this thing iâ— so for Gods glory its owne peace and eternall saivation for these two can never be parted what preserves the one preserves the other but unbeliefe looseth both consider free grace is the originall the first cause of all Gods promises to and his dealings with his people Now a distrust in these how doth it dishonour God and not onely unestablish but undoe our owne soules therefore no enemy so dangerous as unbeliefe and should with most watchfulnesse be prevented unbeliefe it opposeth Gods ends in his Covenant of free grace and in all his gracious promises
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
Gods shaking worke makes shaking hearts and trembling soules but had they faith in God concerning these promises they would stand still and be quiet waiting believingly for the salvation of God in the peacefull reigne and righteous government of Jesus Christ were God but believed in what he sayes all the temptations of Satan and the doubtings of our unbelieving hearts would be silenced and brought to nothing what exceeding folly is it in our hearts that GOD whom never deceived any that trusted on him should be distrusted by any and not believed by all he is the God of truth so is his word the word of truth and not any soule that ever tryed God by trusting him upon his word but found him so The Apostle Paul Rom. 8.28 tels us that all things workes together for good to them that love God This takes in all things as the other generall did all times so that put them together and it amounts to this that all things and all times are filled with Gods love to his people and so worke all together for the good of all his God loves his children as dearely upon their beds of sicknesse as in their most perfect health and his love in both makes both worke together for good to his people upon this account the Apostle knew both how to want and to abound and in all estates to be content such a presence of God is in the word of God promised to his people and God thâ—â— believed on doth quiet and establish the heart in all conditions all carnal feares are the fruits of our owne darknesses 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of faith open to see the loving kindnesse of God at he haâ—â—â—â—nifested it in the flesh of his Sonne and in his written 〈◊〉 these seares would vanish and our hearts would be fully 〈◊〉 â—â—ed by living on the fulnesse of God I have mentioned bâ—â—â—â—â—â—ety Teâ—ts of Scripture but I beseech you receive them and 〈◊〉 whole into the armes of faith they will prove cordials to 〈◊〉 hearte and establishment to your soules beleeve it GOD is worth the trust if faith open the everlasting gates and let this King of glory in his presence will make all such to be gloriâ—â—â— soules he dispels all darknesse and so all feares he fixes 〈◊〉 soules aâ— believe on him in the Lord Jesus Christ and layes them to rest in his owne bosome so as no thing or time no not Hâ—â—rulty iâ— selfe can either shake or disquiet them My whole design in this is to be an Advocate for faith in God therefore give me leave to mention one 〈◊〉 and two Rules which are subservant to this glorious end The caution is this He wary that you check not the spirit of God when it comes â—â—om God about this worke The Rules are these First Nourish all your experiences of God Secondly Be diligent in observing the workings of GODS Proâ—idence But first a little of the Caution Be wary that you cheek not the spirit of God when it comes from God to worke over and to seale up your soules in the beliefe of himselfe GOD and Christ hath promised that the spirit of God shall beare witnesse with our spirit that we are the Children of God now this promise is fulfilled many times in the hearing of the Gospel in reading of his Word or it may be in the immediate workings of himselfe upon our soules O be careful to entertaine this spirit wel a wound here may danger eternal life But it may be you wil say how shal I know the spirit of God from the dâ—ltisiâ—ns of my owne heart and the temptations of Satan I answer Try Gods Spirit by his Word and you shal finde them both centre in the manifesting Gods free graâ—e in the salvation of the worst of sinners through Christ in believing Now the delusions of our owne hearts wil lift up selfe not God and Christ and the motions of Satan wil be to distrust God as it was to our first Parents Does God say the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye sayes he It is not so God doth but delude thee â—â—te and thou shalt bee as God knowing Good and Evilâ— By this we may distinguish what spirit speakes in us and as the word and spirit of God beares witnesse each to other so doth Satans contradicting what God sayes confirme the truthes of God for were it not truth he could not oppose himselfe being the Father of lyes so that when I would lay hold of truth I would observe what Satan sayes to choose the contrary wel then if God by his spirit make knownâ— a Christ crucified toâ—â— and bid us believe on him through this Christ for everlasting salvation have a care of checking this spirit if the Dâ—vil and our owne darke hearts in which by nature the Prince of darknesse rules doth contradict the testimony of Gods spirit in this truth that is the fuller confirmation of the truth if in any streight or condition whatsoever God shall by his spirit bring to your hearts any suitable promâ—se or place of Scripture be exceeding watchful that you check not that spirit this spirit is a free spirit it is as the winde blowes where it pleaseth this iâ— Scripture advice try all spirits if they be of God that which comes from God wil leade thee to God quench not the spirit which leades thee to God in himselfe in his Sonne in his word and in his workes for that spirit which thus leadeâ— thee wil bring thee to God whom wil establish thee Oh prize that spirit that prizes God and tels thee his grace is free and rich his râ—demption ful and compleate his word true and faithful his workes great and glorious and the injoyment of him to be eternally with him if this spirit be deare to thee it wil seale thee up in this beliefe that thou art deare and neare to God in Christ and so establish thy soule by believing in the Lord thy God Now a little of the Rules First Nourish all thy experiences of God this wil much advantage faith in the soule we are apt to trust experimented creatures much more if spiritually wise shal we trust an â—â—â—â—â—mented God I have been large in the particulers of this beâ—on I onely mention it here by way of Rule for doubtlesse such souls as nourish their experiences of God doe thereby nourish and increase faith in God if such as have fought Gods battles doe preserve and nourish the experiences they have had of the powerful presence and loving kindnesses of God in those dying and difficult workes surely it wil nourish faith in their soule to trust God if ever hee shal bring to any more such workes againâ— Surely Shadrach Meshach and Abednego did never feare to follow GOD through the fire after they had experimented the power of his presence with them in the fire nor Daniel the Lyons Experiences are to faith as oyle to the fire it increaseth the flames where they meet in any soule
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
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
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
holdeth forth the shaking both of Earth and Heavens also for it seemeth to hold out thus much that the end of Gods so shaking is to manifest that which cannot be shaken by its remaining in which God taught me this truth that the establishment of his people lay in that which should remaine stedfast to eternity even when himselfe should shake not onely the earth but the heavens also by Earth here I understand the whole Earth in its frame and fashion beauty and glory power and government the time is comming when God will shake all this into its first nothing so that the establishment of an eternall being lyeth not in this By Heavens I understand not onely the materiall Heavens as Sonne Moone Starres and Firmament but also the Law of Heaven and earth namely the Ordinances and worship of God here the Churches and government of Christ on earth truly these are very glorious as they are in God and God in them so that they may well bee called the heavens but even these as they come from God have their time and their end these are the top and exceeding glory of all one wildernesse mercies but all these are to be shaken their end will cease and so must they too these are as the pillars of cloude by day and of fire by night to the body of Christ whilst it or any member of it remaines in the Wildernesse but Christ our head is ascended whom will draw his whole body after him and then the end of this will cease and their shaking time will be accomplished to the full so that though this be the glory of the World yet they cannot make up establishment to eternall soules because they are to be shaken Now by this I am further taught where to begin in seeking establishment namely not in the whole Earth no not in any part or appearance of Heaven that may be shaken not in the ordinances or worship of God but in God himselfe not in the Churches or government of Christ but in Christ himselfe So that good King Jehoshaphats counsell to his people in their day of straights and shakings will leade mee and all the people of God to a sure center of establishment Beleeve in the Lord your God so shall you be established These are the words of Jehoshaphat the King to Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem at that time when they were under much feare and doubts concerning their condition by reason of a numerous and potent enemy which was come up against them to an eye of fleshly reason they were a lost people and nation but this good man had a better and more seeing eye to behold withall namely the eye of faith for in the 14 15 16 17 verses of this Chapter we shall finde that Jahaziel the Prophet having the spirit of the Lord come upon him in the middest of the Congregation when all the people were gathered together to seeke the Lord did Prophecy and told the King and all Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem that they should not bee afraid nor dismayed by reason of the great a multitude which come against them for the battell saith he is not yours but Gods He gives further direction when to goe downe against them and what to doe he tels them they shall not needs to fight onely to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord he bids them againe not to feare for the Lord would be with them Now upon this was Jehoshaphats eye of faith he did beleeve in the Lord and his word declared by his Prophet and in this twentieth verse telleth the people where his establishment was namely in God and if they also should beleeve in God as their God and in his Word declared by his Prophet that they should thereby be established Beleeve in the Lord your God so shall you be established My intentions are to take this Scripture in the largest sense and to make use of it in the carrying on a Treatise of Faith as faith and beliefe in God doth settle and establish beleevers The plaine and visible truth which lyes in this Scripture and upon which I shall carry on what followeth is this That Saints are established by beleeving in God as their God This is the sense and almost the very words of the Scripture and for its proofe it hath the concurrance of the scope if not the letter of the whole Word of God the Prophet Isaiah in his seaventh Chapter and ninth verse prooves this by its contrary when in the former verses he had told them what God would doe for them he telleth them in this verse If you will not beleeve surely yee shall not bee established As if hee had sayd it is not my bare narrative or the history of God in his power greatnesse and goodnesse that will establish you if you doe not beleeve it is faith trust and beliefe in God as your God which is onely able to establish you if you beleeve not your foundation will alwayes bee tottering so that surely you will not bee established where beliefe is not establishment cannot be the reason is obvious and plaine for it is God alone that can and doth establish the hearts of his people now faith and beleeving in God is the onely discovery of union with God in which soules come to be established the soule by faith receiveth in God to it selfe and involveth it selfe into God and God in the soule makes it an established soule 2 Ephes 17. Christ dwels in the heart of beleevers by faith This was Abrahams condition who is called the Father of the faithfull the Text saies Rom. 3.19 20. when God made him the promise of an heire out of his owne loyner that he was not weake in faith nor did he stagger at the promise through unbeliefe notwithstanding his owne great age and the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe yet he beleeved the word and promise of the Lord and was established by beleeving this Father of the faithfull gave himselfe up to God he lost his owne fleshly reasoning in beleeving the faithfull word of God God had said that he should have a Childe of Sarahs wombe he giveth himselfe over to God by beleeving so that there is no staggering saith takes in the promise and the soule is established but where there is not faith to take in the promise of God or rather God in the promise there the soule is not nor cannot be established staggering is as properly the fruit of unbeliefe as stability is of faith and they demonstrate each other as white doth black and black white that Scripture which sayeth If you beleeve not you shall not be established doth give proofe to that Text which sayes Beleeve in the Lord your God so shall you bee established So likewise on the contrary our Saviour gives in ample proofe to this truth that Saints are established by beleeving in God as their God in that John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you hee that
save sinners this must needes magnifie the grace of God because the saved and the justified are nothing in the worke themselves onely sinners and the worst of sinners saved onely of grace by grace it is grace in God and grace in Christ the grace of God through Christ that makes such as are dead in sins to be quickned together with Christ and from this the holy Ghost telleth us that by grace wee are saved Ephes 2.5 Christ came from Heaven to doe his Fathers will that was to save all which his Father had given him not to loose any but to raise them up at the last day John 6.38 39. God chooseth Christ a body John 6.38 39 of which hâ— maketh him head and Saviour and send him into the World that he might rederme his body by satisfying justice so that he might save the whole and raise them up at the last day at his redeemed body and all this the worke of Gods free grace through Christ for Christ doth acknowledge that his worke of redemption was his Fathers will and his word was to perfect the designe of his Fathers grace that all God had given him might be redeemed through him and justified by his Fathers grace in the death of Christ God commendeth his love and grace to â—e Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love to us in that whilst wee were sinners Christ dyed for us Marke it the satisfaction that Christ gave to the justice of God for sinners was so farre from being any diminution to Gods grace that it is a commendation of it or an exaltation and glory of it for it exceedingly commends the glory of Gods love and grace that Christ should dye because we were sinners there lyes the emminency of Gods love it is Christ the gift of his grace dying for sinners this makes all the worke grace grace in God sends Christ to dye for sinners whom otherwise must dye eternally in sinne can there bee any thing but grace in this in the Apostles account Christs dying for us when when we were sinners doth much demonstrate the love and grace of God and surely so it doth Thus doth God save his people by grace and satisfie his justice in Christ Now Christ having satisfied his Fathers justice fulfilled and kept the Law to the utmost for all his elect body he bringeth them to the throne of his fathers justice as well as the throne of his grace and there God as a just God doth justifie head and members Col. 2.9 10. For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily And yet are compleate in him As if God should say Christ hath satisfied my justice as God Man and though my justice were the justice of a God yet him in whom the fulnesse of the God head dwelleth bodily hath fully satisfied it and all his members are compleate in him I have received full satisfaction for them in him and in him doe sully acquit and discharge them of all guilt and unrighteousnesse before me to all eternity for yee are compleate in him That iâ— compleate in his compleatnesse For he was made sinne for you which knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5. last that you might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Marke it the end of Christ being made sinne was that in him his elect body might bee made the righteousnesse of God that is that Christ might bee our righteousnesse as the gift of God so that Christ being our righteousnesse wee might bee righteous in the righteousnesse of God and so compleate in him namely Christ as Christ is the righteousnesse of God to his people So are they all compleate in him and in this the righteousnesse of God Saints are justified at the throne of Gods justice and taken up into his bosome of grace for in union with Christ there can be no condemnation Rom. 8. Thus doth free grace in God accomplish and finish its worke of salvation for all his elect through Christ God doth this worke in Christ that it might be all free grace and that he might take off all boasting in the creature by the Law of faith Rom. 3.27 whom hee chooseth from all eternity to be heires of glory hee chooseth them in Christ Ephes 1.4 whom he calleth out of nature into his grace he calleth in Christ Rom. 8. latter end Such as he redeemeth he redeemeth through Christ and makes him to bee redemption to them 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 3.24 Them which God justifies and makes righteous he justifieth and maketh righteous in Christ Rom. 4.25 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 10.3 4. Rom. 4.25 Gal. 5.4 So Christ he is made sanctification to his people 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 8.10 8.10 And when Saints are taken up into their fulnesse of glory then they reape the fulnesse of their union with Christ John 17. latter end John 14.19 Rom. 8.17 So that this whole salvation is the worke and gift of Gods free grace wrought in Christ Now that it might be free grace in God and onely free grace which begins carries on and perfects this worke of Salvation in all the parts and degrees of it this is the will of God That the hand which taketh receiveth applyeth and oppropriateth thiâ— free gift of Gods grace to the soules of his Elect body should bee the hand fo saith so that as it reignes in the soules of beleevers Rom. 3 24 37. 1 John 3.23 it might appeare to be of grace and not of workes Rom. 3. ◠〈◊〉 27. 1 John 3.23 And this is his Commandement that 〈◊〉 should beleeve on the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ The will of God appeares in his Commandement and that is to beleeve in the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ to beleeve in Jesus as a Saviour and a Redeemer to save and redeeme his people from their sins Matthew 1.21 And she shall bring forth a Sonne and thou shalt call his name Jesus for hee shall save his people from their sinnes This is to beleeve in the name of Jesus to beleeve in Jesus as the Saviour of his people from their sinnes this is the will and commandement of God in this sense in Scripture Rom. 3.1 we are often said to be justified by faith Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ That is not by faith as a meritorious grace to merit justification for then it were of works which would destroy the nature of faith and the designe of Gods free grace but by faith as an appropriating and applying hand to lay hold on the salvation of Gods free grace through Christ in beleeving of Gods Word and worke of Salvation by his free grace through Christ so as to cast the salvation of our eternall soules Rom. 5.1 upon Gods free grace in the satisfaction and redemption of Christ therefore Justified by faith wee have 〈◊〉 with God through our Lord Jesus Christ That is by faith laying hold
be our God and that wee shall be his people to put his Low in our inward parts and write it in our hearts that all his people shall know him from the least to the greatest and that hee will forgive their iniquity and remember their sinnes no more In this Covenant God wraps up all the parts of the salvation of his free grace and doth fully oblige himselfe to them all Now what is the reason that God doth thus oblige himselfe by Covenant is it because of himselfe that he might not goe back from his designe of grace to his people No he is God that changes not an immutable God Numb Num. 23.19 Psal 90.2 23.19 God from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90.2 But God makes this Covenant for our sake that we might beleeve in him as a God of grace and a faithfull God the holy Ghost argues thus he telleth us that a faithfull man will keepe his Covenant much more God as if hee had said The faithfull God hath made his Covenant of grace that you might beleeve he will make good his Covenant as he is a faithfull God God obligeth his owne faithfulnesse in a Covenant of grace that his people might have both his grace and his faithfulnesse for a foundation of their faith God will be beleeved by his people and therefore hee ingageth himselfe as a faithfull gracious God to the faith of his people sayes God I will pardon your sinnes and remember them no more I will put my Law in your hearts the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and I will be your God and you shall be my people beleeve all this for I will doe it saith God I the faithfull the gracious and omnipotent God I that am omnipotent who can hinder me I that am gracious so that your sinnes can be no barre nay I that am faithfull and cannot lye nor repent I have spoken it and I will make it good what is the meaning of all this but that we should beleeve the faithfull word of our faithfull and gracious God he will oblige his owne faithfulnesse by way of Covenant that wee might beleeve in the free salvation of his owne grace made out in that Covenant Secondly Consider what is Gods end in the promulgation and spreading abroad of the Gospell It is not that his people should beleeve in the salvation of his owne grace why is Christ pleased to be the way of Gods salvation to his people of his owne free grace so that whom ever beleeveth thus on him hath everlasting life John 6.47 But that they might beleeve and bee saved by him 29. verse This is the worke of God that yee beleeve on him that hee hath sent This is the end of the Gospell for it is the effect of it where it workes savingly this is Gods worke or the worke of his spirit in the Gospell to make soules beleeve in Jesus Christ whom hee hath sent when Christ sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospell he directs them to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and biddeth them to Preach this Mat. 10.6 7. that the Kingdome of Heaven was at hand Mat. 10.6 7. Matth. 10.6 7. That is goe to poore lost soules in themselves and tell them that the Salvation of Gods free grace iâ— at hand it is neere to them it seekes them and saveth them freely but what is the end of this onely that the history of Christ might come to these lost soules no sure that is not enough for lost sheepe but that they might beleeve in the salvation of Gods free grace and bee saved and for this end hath God preserved his Gospell in the World and made it to prosper against all the power and malice of Satan and his instruments that thereby his people might heare the glad tydings of salvation by free grace in Christ and in the beleeving of it be saved and established John 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one which sâ—ttâ— the Sonne and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life It is not onely a bare hearing or seeing of Christ in the flesh but beleeving on him that makes Christ to bee everlasting life to the soule and this is the end of God in the Gospell that soules might haw everlasting life through beleeving in Christ it is faith in the soules of his people that God intends both by giving the Gospel to the World and preserving it in the World So that for these two reasons which might have bin exceedingly more inlarged is doth appeare That this is the will of God in keeping his salvation to bee wholy the worke of his grece that the hand which received and applyeth it should be a hand of faith which is the worke of his owne free grace in the soule Thus farre I have held forth matter for faith in the soules of beleevers to rest on for establishment in the poynt of salvation by shewing in some of Gods Attributes what hee is in himselfe and what the designe of his free grace is in the salvation of sinners My intention is to hold out more matter for faith to take in before I give the arguments for Faith or motives to Faith Now I finde this by my selfe and others that feares and doubtings in the soule next to its owne salvation is about the Church and people of God on earth how it will fare with them and therefore I shall in the next place take that into consideration You shall heare poore soules that love Christ and his people bâ—t are weake in faith make these sad complaints O the poore Church and people of Christ what will become of them the multitudes of the World they hate them so that they use all their power and policy to ruine and destroy them Princes off the Earth joyne themselves together and take counsell against them if any in power own them it is but a little number and they but for a little time we finde them men subject to temptations many times when as by faire promises and some sinall beginnings men in power beget a confidence in Gods people concerning them till fairer advantages are offered by Satan in a temptation to their flesh and then they prove false to former promises and undoe all their beginnings of good by setting open the Flood-gates of evill and tyranny upon the Church and people of God Satan sheweth them the World they are taken with the temptation fall downe and worship him and if Gods people will not doe so too then the furnace must bee hear seaven times hotter then before and if they desire to go into the Wildernesse to worship the Lord their God then they are idle the Task-masters must increase their worke so that truly sayes this poore bleeding heart if a man have any thing more then a naked profession of Religion in such a forme that will be turned by every blaft of power from men he is then taken for a
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
these were dead souls in living bodies and God throws in his displeasure their living bodies into the graves of death Thus we see the Scripture is ful of proof in this that God is an experimented God these are the experiments that Saints of old have had of God and left them upon record for the use of after ages It is a great mercy that wee have these experiments of God but I doe believe no age that ever lived were without particuler experiences of God I am sure this present age is not without wonderful many and great experiences of God in his goodnesse faithfulnesse power mercy and grace to his poore hated and despised people I shall not here mention any particulers I trust providence hath a faithfull store-house for them and a time to bring them forth entire to the glory of God who is the living and eternall fountaine of all mercy Yet let me desire Saints for their establishment in God to look backe upon the foote-steps of his power and providence his faithfulnesse and righteousnesse in ordering of battles and disposing of victories even amongst the sonnes of men If you cannot looke many yeares yet looke but some moneâ—◠〈…〉 which you may see such glorious experiences of God that if you understand them they will fill your hearts with admiring God and the language of your lips will be as the servants of God in former ages to be telling forth the experiences of God whereever you come God giveth to his children some more and to some lesse experiences of himselfe but in these latter dayes God hath given such great experience of himselfe to the whole body of Saints that I trust he wil thereby establish his people through believing in himselfe as an experimented God this is the thingâ— drive at in my selfe and other Saints and therefore have I made so large a recitall of these experiences of God to the sanctified reason of precious soules And give me leave now to argue the case a little with sanctified Reason and to tell you that God is no new-found fancy or appearance which may prove good or evill to the soule upon tryall but God is the ancient of dayes from everlasting and a tryed God such a one whom Saints in all ages have tryed and found to be a faithfull gracious just righteous glorious and omnipotent God Now tell me the best of reason that which is most sanctified if God be not the best nay the only foundation to build our saith upon and if one so much experiment doth not captivate thy reason to himselfe I know it is a principle of right reason to trust that most which hath been most tryed and always found faithfull therefore have I been the more large to hold out God to sanctified reason as a faithfull God upon experience Now reason must either deny it selfe in its owne right principles or else choose God as the only object of faith If so then I may cease to argue for I have my end if otherwise it cannot be argued with as reason for it ceases so to be in denying its owne right and true principle But if any soule full of sanctified reason shall speake like it selfe and say I will trust my selfe where I find by experience there is most grace and goodnesse faithfulnesse and righteousnesse most power to preserve me and most fulnesse to supply all my wants then I say to such a soule all this is God and none of this is any where else but in God and that God is an experimented God in all this if thou knewest his dealings with thy own soule thou wils confesse him to be so his Saintâ— of olde have recorded some of those many and great experiences which they had of him Now here is that thou lookest for experimented goodnesse and faithfulnesse in God and that which God lookes for is that Now thou shouldst trust him upon all that experience which thy owne soule and other of his Saints have had of him If thou hast any thing to object make thy objection there is fulnesse enough in God to answer all that thou canst desire if all be answered then trust him that is all and doth satisfie all that trust in him with his owne fulnesse The fifth argument that I shall offer to sanctified Reason why to believe in God is this That God counts his faithfulnesse his glory and was never stained in it nor can ever be because he is the faithfull God a God that never failed any that trusted in him so sayes the Prophet David Psal 18.30 Psal 18.30 As for God his way is perfect his word is tryed bee is a buckler to all those that trust in him God is perfectly faithfull in all his words his workes and his wayes hee cannot deny himselfe to be God therefore can never be unfaithfull From hence the Psalmist in Psalm 33.21 Psal 33.21 saith that the righteous doe reigne in the Lord when he makes them to trust in him For they then joy in their desires as fulfilled for if God make them trust in him for it he will certainely accomplish it he will never be stained in his faithfulnesse Mal. 37.40 So in Psalm 37.40 God will save his people from the wicked because they trust in him That is God will preserve his owne faithfulnesse not any soule shall trust on him in vaine much lesse be deceived by relying on him So Psalm 48.10 This it the praise of God unto the ends of the earth that he is faithfull and righteous according to his Name he will never loose nor staine the name of a faithfull God So he sayes himselfe in Psalm 89.34 35. My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89.34 35. Once have I sworn by my holinesse that I will not lye unto David That is I will make good what ever I have said my Covenant and promises shall all be performed for I have sworn by my holinesse I have engaged that which is most deare to me and I will not forâ—eiâ—it And in Psalm 105.8 Psal 105.8 His Saintâ— beare witnesse to him that thee remembreth his Covenant for ever So in Psalm 119.89 For ever O Lord thy word is setled in beaven It is as sure as heaven thou 〈◊〉 so faithfull a God And in vers 90. Thy faithfulnesse is unto all Generations It never weares out or becomes unfaithfull it is the faithfulnesse of God that is eternall like himselfe Psal 119.160 Psal 119.160 Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth for ever That is God is true to his word from everlasting and his truth and righteousnesse abideth for ever not any that can challenge him with unfaithfulnesse his robe of righteousnesse is spotlesse this is his glory and so he values it And the Prophet Isaiah bears witnesse to it in Isa 34.16 Seeke yet out of the book of the Lord Isa 34.16 and
faith these profess Christ for the gaine of an outward reputation but do not live in Christ by faith and in times of suffering the beauty of Christ is lost to such an eye and for want of an eye of faith by which the fulnesse glory and excellency of Christ is discerned these unbeleeving professors deny their profession and their Master too if it comes to suffering with Christ if on him they will sweare with Peter they never knew him and though they sweare yet they doe not lye for such as leave their profession of Christ and holinesse through unbeliefe and become unholy they may truely say they never knew him for whom ever truly knows Christ in the spirit will never leave him an eye of faith sees so much beauty faithfulnesse power grace and goodnesse in God and Christ that though sufferings comes as waves of the Sea yet will not leave God and Christ but cleave closer to him beleeving in his grace and goodnesse for support and deliverance but that soule which beleeves not in God and doth not by an eye of faith see fulnesse in him of power grace and goodnesse to support and deliver will never trust in him but with Deâ—â—â— imbrace the present World such as follow Christ onely for the Loaves will leave him at the appearance of his Crosse That forward Professor in the 18. of Luke 18. so on which justified himselfe in keeping all the Commandements from his youth yet could not part with his worldly riches and make Christ his portion much lesse take up sufferings because of unbeliefe he would leave his good Master as he called Christ rather then his goods which were indeed his Master through the unbeliefe of his heart all his faire profession and offers after Christ comes to nothing because of unbeliefe this Christ knew therefore makes discovery of the man by trying his faith or by manifesting his unbeliefe it is the beleeving soule that followes the Lamb wheresoever he goes it is onely faith by which the soule is able to take up the Crosse of Christ and follow him but unbeliefe leaveth Christ and his Crosse together though it have professed not to leave Christ though it should dye with him yet in the appearance of such a tryall the unbeleever denies his profession to save his outside from suffering this is the constant associate of unbeliefe and therefore God is pleased in his wisedome to let sufferings be the attendance to the profession of his name in truth that thereby he might discover even to the World the precious from the vile who live in him by faith and whom onely by profession thus doth God discover the evill of unbeliefe of which argument this present age hath not been wanting A third evill of unbeliefe Third evill of â—beliefe is this unbeliefe it questions with distrust the very power of God it doubts whether God be God or his power Almighty and Omnipotent can God give bread in the Wildernesse and can God bring water out of the Rock is there fulnesse enough in God to make a barren Wildrnesse fruitfull and to give food where there is no appearance of food nay can God make a hard dry and stony Rock to bring forth water can God worke both without meanes and against meanes is this power in God thus doth unbeliefe question and distrust the power of God So that proude unbeleeving wrâ—tch King Nebuchadnezzar in the 3. Dan. 15. Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands As if he had said is there any God hath power greater then I is there any God or any power in God that can deliver out of my hands when I have heat the Furance seven times hotter then before what power can preserve you from the fire of my fury and my Furnace We may finde unbeliefe in Sarah putting this very question in Gen. 18.12 Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe saying After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also If we observe the Scripture it amounts to this What now I and my Lord am old now all hopes in nature is gone can God now make good his word to me in giving me a Childe now we are both old this is the true question that unbelief makes can God doe this great thing Shee laughed in way of sleighting the tydings through unbeliefe concerning the power which should effect it So when Elisha the Prophet did Prophesie of that suddaine and great plenty in Samaria when they were at that time strongly besieged and in great wants 2 Kings 7.1 2. the Text sayes That a Lord on whose hands the King leaned answered the man of God and sayd Behold if the Lord would make windowes in Heaven might this thing be This is the proper language of unbeliefe thou talkest of too great things for God to doe are not we straitly besieged and all our provisions gone and doest thou speake of so great a plenty in so short a time which way should God doe this what shall he make windowes in Heaven and raine downe this plenty it can come no other way thus we see the great evill of unbeliefe how it questions the power of God and as it were ungods him for to make his deficient is to make him no God A fourth evill is this Unbeliefe is the seale of damnation he that beleeveth not is condemned in himselfe we have a full Scripture to this purpose in John 3.18 But hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Unbeliefe it seales up to condemnation because it casts off the salvation of Gods free grace now that which denies the one seales up the other not to beleeve in Christ is to put from us all possibility of salvation and to seale the soule up to a certainty of damnation reade the last verse of that third of John He that beleeveth on the Bon hath everlasting life and hee that beleeveth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth in him Whom ever beleeveth not in Christ the salvation of God shall never see life shall never live in the beholding of God reconciled to him but hath the wrath of God the seale of damnation abiding on him Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God As unbeliefe keeps the soule from God so it makes the soule unpleasing to God that there is no intercourse betweene God and an unbeleeving soule now what can be a more visible seale of damnation then this Separation of the soule from God which unbeliefe makes unbeliefe biddeth defiance to God and his salvation and so seales up the soule unto condemnation unbeliefe is so truly the seale of damnation that no sinne nor sinnes can damne any soule without for where faith in Christ liveth there Christ is the death of all sinne satisfaction for all sinne and the life of soules though all sinne be damnable yet no sinne nor sinnes can
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
way would destroy the grace of God in the gift Now this God is exceeding tender of therefore he keeps all hands but the hand of faith off from laying hold on Christ his righteousnesse whom is the great gift of free grace but as all other hands are excluded from medling with the righteousnesse of God so this hand of faith that never failes when ever Gods puts forth this hand of the soule he puts his owne righteousnesse into it faith in the soule doth certainely attaine the righteousnesse of God it is such a hand as will preserve the free grace of Gods righteousnesse pure in the heart Christ the righteousnesse of God in the heart doth preserve and keep up intire the glory of free grace in God that made him righteousnesse to the soule and the hand of faith doth not slubber this glory but keeps it pure upon the grace of God and doth acknowledge that it selfe as well as the righteousnesse it hath attained is all the gift of Gods free grace Now faith as it thus attaines the righteousnesse of God must needs be an exceeding greâ—t benefit to the soule because the righteousnesse is of so great a value the feet of them which brings glad tydings is welcome so must needs be that glorious hand which receives Christ in into the soule none can tell but them that have it what a mercy it is to have a hand and a heart for Christ this is the benefit of faith in the soule it is such a hand as receives whole Christ and delivers up the whole soule back againe to Christ it takes in Christ as its righteousnesse and giveth up the soule to Christ to be made righteous in him that soule which attained Gods righteousnesse can at all times goe to God in his owne righteousnesse this is the benefit of faith in the soule it can goe with holy boldnesse to the throne of grace and to the throne of justice too because it can come before God in his owne righteousnesse and can plead that to God which by faith it hath attained of God even the righteousnesse of God by faith A third benefit of faith in the soule is this True faith in the soule quenches the firy darts of Satan the Devill is a very skilfull fire-master he makes his firy darts so exact that none but God can quench them in the soule and he is very free of his worke he will be alwayes casting into the soul for his businesse is to keep the soule in a flame that is the proper Element he lives in these firy darts are his temptations with which he goes about the Earth seeking whom he may devour with these he sought to winnow Paul like Wheate and he is not onely fitted for Pauls temper but he hath temptations to suite all tempers and all times he hath baites to please the various pallats of all flesh he answers the proud the peevish the covetous the envious the selfish and worldly wise man in all their desires he makes all sweet to the taste how bitter soever it proves in the belley he is properly the tempter it is his course of life which he hath used ever since our first Parents were in Paradice this is his worke to fit temptations to persons and conditions and to shute these firy darts continually into the soules of men and women Now the onely shield to keep of these firy darts is faith and the onely hand to put out and to quench these temptations in the soule Ephes 6.16 is faith Ephes 6.16 Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith yee shall be able to quench all the firy darts of the wicked The scope of the holy Ghost there is to shew the soule its proper armour of defence against the Devill and all his instruments the wicked and the wicked one and in this above all things he commends faith faith sayes he that is able to quench all the firy darts all the temptations of the Devill and his instruments and there is an exceeding full reason to be given of this For it is the true property of faith to lead the soul to God the believing soule will go to God for his allowance and approbation before he doth any thing now this is a sure way to quench all the temptations of Satan to carry them to God and not to doe any thing till God have written his name and his will upon it the believing soule tels Satan when he tempts him to any thing I am not at my owne disposing I am Gods servant I will goe to him and tell him your demand if God give me leave then and not till then will I obey you O no sayes the Devill God is light and if you goe to him he will discover to you my darknes I cannot abide the brightnesse of his presence if you will not obey without Gods leave I must bâ— gone thus faith quenches the firy darts of Satan Now under this consideration how great a benefit and advantage is faith in the soule it contends with and destroyes Satan in his temptations it is the great trouble of Saintsion earth that they have so busie and so watchfull a Devill for their enemy Now the shield of faith is a sure defence against this enemy the believing soule lives in God and hath God to be a hiding place to it from the tempter the life of such a soule is by the faith of the Sonne of God it lives in God by faith through Christ and the Tempter cannot goe through Christ to God to destroy such soule but the soul can go through Christ to God to destroy the Tempter in his temptations thus faith in God is the life of God and the death of sinne and Satan in his temptations in the soules of believers and sure I am all such soules as have experimented this benefit of faith in themselves will say it is properly named a glorious advantage and benefit which the soule hath in believing A fourth benefit and advantage of faith in the soules of beleevers is this By faith Saints goe to God in all their wants as to a Father In the patterne of prayer which our Saviour left he holde forth thus much That the soule which prayes in faith goes to God as to a Father though in Heaven yet a Father our heavenly Father faith is that seed of God in the soule by which the soule is assured that it is begotten of Gods free grace the new creature is a childe of Gods free grace now faith it carrys the soule to its originall in all streights and wants it telleth the soule it is outly of grace that it is what it is and what ever yet is wanting thâ— same fountaine must supply nay sayes faith to the soule God is your Father he hath begotten you in his owne free grace to a lively hope in himselfe you have therefore the greatest and nearest relation to plead with God of any other could you suppose any other so able
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
make so which hast in their owne wayes that they breake their necks destroy themselses and their designes because they have not faith to waite on God it is the property of faith to keepe the souls close to God as neare God as can be that the beleeving soule presseth after now this nearnesse is to waite on him to follow him 〈◊〉 noâ— to goâ— before him this is a true and great benefit of sake in the soules of belâ—â—vâ—â—â— The Ninth benefit of faith in the soule is this By faith all Mountaines of difficulties are removed from the soule if thou beleevest sayes the Text all things are possiblâ— there is nothing too heavy for faith to remove because faith in the strength of God in the soule for it is the soule going out of it selfe into God out of its owne strength into Gods therefore to him that beleeveth all things are possible consider this operation of faith in Queen Esther Esther 4 16. Esther 4.16 There shee directs Mordechai and all the Jewes to seek God and her selfe and her Maidens doth the same shee had a great businesse in hand in which very great difficulties to the flesh lay before her shee seeks God to be with her and then shee castern her selfe and businesse on God by faith shee gets above all the Mountaines of opposition into this resolution to doe her duty and leave the issue to God and in to the King shee goes with this resolution If Iperish I perish Shee was upon the wings of faith carryed above all those Mountaines which did threaten perishing shee now did not feare to perish faith in God carryed her above those feares removed those Mountains and made her way plaine faith wrought to this height in Shadrach Meshach and Abedingo Dan. 3.17 Dan. 3.17 If it be so our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us from the burning firy Furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hands O King How bravely doth faith here mount them above all Mountaines of opposition our God is able to deliver us and wee will trust him heate thy Furnace as hot as thou wilâ— it shall be no Mountaine in our way for our trust is in our God and thâ—â— faith carryes us above all that thou canst either say or doe but for the clearing up of this truth take that one Scripture for all in Marke 11.22 23. 〈◊〉 11.22 23 they are the words of our Saviour to his Disciples by way of exhortation to stedfastnesse of faith And Jesus saith unto them have faith in God for verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this Mountaine be thou removed and bee thou cast into the Sea and shall not double in his heart hâ—â— shall beleeve that those things which hee hath said shall come to passe he shall have whatsoever hee faith This is an exceeding full Scripture to the thing in hand which is the efficacy of faith in the soule to remove Mountaines it comes with the authority of Christ himselfe Verily I say unto you Well what is it that Christ sayes why this that whomsoever in faith stedfastly believing shall say to any Mountaine be thou removed and cast into the Sea it shall bee done I conceive none understandingly can lay up our Saviours meaning here by that tearm Mountain to a Mountain or heape of earth for that would be little advantage to faith or incouragement to lay out faith upon but that by Mountaine our Saviour largely meanes all Mountaines of difficulties that are in our way to Heaven and by Sea is meant a place of devouring of obscurity to what is cast into it so that our Saviours meaning is this steady faith the soule that doubts not removes all Mountaines that it meets withal in its way to Heaven so that they are devoured in obscurity that the soule shall never see them more our Saviours exhortation is this Have faith in God doubt not in thy heart but beleeve in God and Verily I say it take my word for it this faith shall remove all Mountaines That is the soule which thus undoubtingly liveth in God shall in that life be above all Mountaines of opposition that are below God and shall be able to nihilate them through faith in God as though they never had been Have faith in God doubt not What doth this meane but an undoubted beliefe that God can and will destroy all Mountaines in our way to Heaven thus it was with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they undoubtingly beleeved our God can and our God will deliver us and verily God did destroy those mountaines that were in their way God is the same in every soule that hath faith in him and beleeves undoubtingly he throwes downe all Mountaines into the Sea of destruction and mounts up such souls into himself above all that might hinder them in their way to Heaven unbeliefe is that great Mountaine in the soule which brings forth all those lesser Mountaines of feare which the soule meets withall in its way to Heaven Now faith in God it lives in the death of unbeliefe and so destroyes that teeming Mountaine which brings forth all other reall or imaginary Mountaines of feare in the soule thus faith in God plucks up the Mountaines of feare which flowes from on beliefe by the roots and in this is a very great benefit to the soules of beleevers A tenth benefit of faith in the soules of Beleevers is this Faith soules up the soule to the redemption of Gods free grace faith is that worke of God in the soule which in man is the soule to Gods Covenant of free grace He that beleeves in God puts to his seale that God is true That soule which doth beleeve in God and in his Covenant of free grace so as to cast it selfe for salvation and all good upon God and his grace doth therein put to his seale that God is a God of grace and will make good his Covenant of grace to his soule otherwise he would never venture his soule upon it and our Saviour speaking of faith in the soul in John 6.47 sayes Verily verily I say unto you John 6.47 he that beleeveth on me hath everlasting life Christ delivers it as a most emminent truth with a Verily verily I say it And what is it that Christ sayes but this that faith is the seale of life to the soule He that beleeveth he hath everlasting life That is by faith the soule hath the seale of salvation in it selfe all the elect have salvation in God and Christ according to the eternall purpose of God in himselfe but when God makes soules to beleeve then they have the salvation of God sealed in their owne bosomes so sayes the Apostle Paul in Rom. 5.1 Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ That is faith in Gods grace doth seale up the soule to a justified state through Christ Jesus and the soule having this seale
Redeemer but I wel knew that the price of my precious blood was a full satisfaction to my Fathers justice for all the finnes of all those that should believe in him through me John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you bee that beleeveth an mee hath everlasting life What soule soever believeth in the salvation of Gods free grace wrought by mee shall certainely nay hath eternall lifeâ— and if eternall life then doubtlesse sure establishment Sayes Christ I came from heaven and tooke flesh for your sakes that shall believe on God through me and I staid on earth till I finished the work of redemption purely for your sakes so now I am ascended and at my Father and your Fathers right hand in glory I am here for you as your head to draw all my members after me as your Mediator I live for ever to make intercession for you to prepare your Mansions and to preserâ—e your glory where you shall be fellow-heirs with me and when I come againe to judge the World it will be to pronounce you the blessed of my Father to change your mortality into in mortality and then to give my Kingdome up to my Father where you shall be for ever with the Lord and in all this my Father and I am one therefore believe in God through me so shall you be established In the next place believe the word and promises of God or God in them and you shall find them full of establishment And now once more let me defire you to turne backe and consider those glorious and gracious promises which God hath made to his Saints his Church and people on earth how hee hath â—â—gaged himselfe to take care of them and to preserve them as his peculiar interest so deare to him as the apple of his eye for whom he hath given Christ and to whom with Christ he hath given all things Remember that generall promise of God and believe it that he will never leave nor forsake his people So in Isa 4â— bâ—g There God makes promises to particular cases When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not over flow thee When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Now how exceedingly will the heart be established if God be believed in this the promise contains great things but remember it is the promise of an infinite and Almighty God it is I that make this great promise sayâ—â— God I that cannot lye I that can doe what I will and will be sure to make good every tittle of my promise to all that trust and believe in me Now to believe God in this how will it spirit a soule and carry it above all feare above deepe waters and slanting fires above all dangers and difficulties what an heroicke spirit will this make this man will be acted above himselfe because he lives believing in God so above the feares and doubtings of his owne flesh This faith will make soules speake in the language of the Church in Psalm 46. God is our resuge and strength a very prosent help in time of trouble in fire and water in all difficulties and streights therefore will we not feare though the earth be removed and the mountaines carryed into the middest of the Sea This is a soule that takes Gods word and believes that he will deliver it from all sâ—â—eights and therefore is not affraid what â—ver it â—â—ken or removed so aâ— God remaines having trusted in him for refuge and helpâ— in all times of trouble So in Isa 51.3 Isa 51.3 There God by the Prophet promiseth to comfort Zion yea to coâ—fort her in all her wast places to make her Wildernesse like â—den and her Desart like the garden of the Lord. This 〈◊〉 wraped up in the armes of faith will much establish the hearâ— for it doth beget great thoughts of heart how shal it fare wiâ—â— the Church of God and how shal it be with me that am a member of that Church Now believing on God in this promise answers those doubtful questions and so establisheth the hearâ— iâ— believing Isa 27.3 So in Isa 27.3 We may read Gods care of his vinâ—yard I the Lord doe keepe it I will water it every moment lift my hurt it I will keepe it day and night That is safe which God keepes and doubtlesse such soules as believe God in this promise will believe themselves to be safe in the care and keeping of God and so will be established soules God doth both promise and professe his care of his Church and people Isa 49.15 16. in Isa 49. He tels us there though a Mother may forget the soune of her womb yet that he would never forget his Church and people Nay sayes God I cannot forget you for you are graven upon the palmes of my hands Now believe God in this and try if it will not make an established soule againe in any or the greatest opposition remember that promise of God That no weapon formed against his Church and chosen ones shall prosper He will blast tongue and hands head and heart and all that 〈◊〉 themselves against him in his people though in their setting forth they may promise themselves victory yet they shall finde God will make good his word to his people such instruments and weapons shall not prosper Oh then take Gods Word and our hearts will be quiet though the Heathens doe rage yet they imagine but a vaine thing God hath said it and hee will make it good heaven and earth shall passe away but not one tittle of his word shall faile Read with an eye of faith that great and glorious promise of God to his people in Isa 41.10 and so forward Though Jacob be a worme yet hee should not feare when the Almighty is his God It is too large to recite but not too great for the armes of faith to containe and if believed I am sure it will make great establishment And now give me leave to begge saith in God for the fulfilling of al those promises which God hath made concerning the glorious and peacefull Reigne of Christ amongst his Saints in the latter dayes I dare say such soules as beleeves God in them wil finde much establishment in that faith those lattâ—r dayes must needs be hard by Now the World is so near aâ—end and to believe that glorious Reigne of Christ at hand wil make much joy and settlement in the heart though the present workings of God be to turne and overturne things yet all this serves to accomplish these glorious promises of his in bringing forth this Righteous and peacefull Kingdome of Christ God is now a shaking and overturning all unrighteous powers and governments now such soules as doe not believe these promises of God are ignorant of Gods end and so full of unsettlement in their spirits concerning the issue of his present dispâ—nsations and hereupon
beleeveth in mee hath everlasting life To beleeve in Christ is to beleeve in God as our God and the effects of this is eternall life here is full establishment indeed here is life for ever eternity cannot shake this beleeving soule it is so established by beleeving in God as its God in Christ I intend to take this fundamentall establishing truth into particulars the which will give further light into what I aime at and clearer testimony to the generall truth That Saints are established by beleeving in God as their God I meane an applicatory apropriating faith and beliefe in God By beleeving in God as our God by which we come to bee established I meane this First To beleeve in God in what he is in himselfe Secondly To beleeve God in what he doth namely in all his workes Thirdly To beleeve God in what hee saith in his whole Word And in all these so farre as God is communicable to beleeve him to be our God Beleeving thus in the Lord our God we shall certainely be established First To believe in God in what he is in himselfe God in his Essence is incomprehensible and inexpressible so Exod. 3.14 When Moses asked God what hee should tell the Children of Israel his Name was if they asked him Gods answer to Moses is I am that I am and so tell the children of Israel I am hath sen◠me unto you that is I am so what I am that I cannot be fully expressed I am God Jehovah I am all God and nothing but God but this pure and eternall Essence is pleased so farre as is either fit or needfull for his people to know him to make known himselfe by his Attributes and in his word workes and miracles for the strengthening of his peoples faith and establishing them in himselfe And in this worke I shall take up Gods method and first looke into the Attributes of God for some discoveries of his Essence wherein hee doth make knowne himselfe to his people that they may believe in him in what he is in himselfe you must not expect I should be so large in this as to expresse all the Attributes of God that is a worke too large for a dying life or a dying man the fulnesse of that will fill eternity all that may be attributed to God which can be attributed to none but God and that all is exceeding large I shall onely mention some precious corner-stones for believers to build upon so that they may certainly bee established As first God is the only true and perfect God true Attribute of God so as there is no true God besides him and perfect so that all perfection is in him and nothing but perfection in him so in God as in none but God and therefore onely to be attributed to God I shall in this and all I write of God produce his word for my authority Isa 46.9 I am God and there is none else I am God Isa 46.9 and there is none like me God in this Scripture speaks positively in the verse before this the people worshipped and bowed downe to false Gods to images of God the Lord complaines of this in vers 5. To whom will yee liken me and make me equall Verse 5. and compare me that we may be like As if God had said you can liken me to nothing for there is nothing like me I am God and there is none else the true God your false Gods cannot be like me So in Isa Isa 45.33 45.22 Looke unto me and be yee saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Marke the Scripture salvation in in me saith God I am the God of salvation If the ends of the Earth be saved they must looke unto me for I am God and there is none else That is there is no other true God no God that can save but me God proves himselfe to be the only true God by being the only saving God God in truth is the God of salvation That God which can save must needs be the true God and so there is no other God but our God hee is the true God and a God of truth all God and all truth this is a proper attribute of God for it can be attributed to none but God Againe God is perfect he is a perfect God he is all perfection in himselfe and all that is perfect is from him hee is that perfection to which there can be no addition hee giveth life and breath to all things Acts 17.25 Acts 17.25 Neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing hee giveth to all life and breath and all things God is perfect hee needeth nothing hee knowes no want hee is the fulnesse of all things and filleth all with himselfe he is the fountaine and giver of all life and breath and all things All that makes up perfection is alwayes in God and goeth forth from God into all things life and breath which comprehends the whole they are in the whole creation the breathings forth of Gods perfection God bounds all but none can bound him Perfection only lives in God he giveth bounds to all things else but can receive bounds from none to the creature God saith what have you that you have not received But as for God himselfe he is simply and absolutely perfect simply purely perfect 1 John 1.5 nothing but perfection altogether perfect 1 John 1.5 God is light and in him is no darkenesse at all So perfectly light that there is not the least shadow of darkenesse in him what is God is perfectly light or the light of God is perfect for God is altogether perfect nothing can be said to be perfect but God and God cannot be said to be any thing but perfection light and to darknesse at all is perfect light and this is God for GOD is perfect Another attribute of GOD Attribute 2 God the first without all cause which proveth the former is this That God is the first being without all cause this is truly an attribute of God which can be attributed to none but God for he is the first the only and without cause and the only cause of all things else not any thing gave God a being but God giveth being to all things Revel 1.8 Rev. 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Marke it I am the first you cannot produce any thing as the cause of my being for a cause must be before an effect and if 〈◊〉 be the effect of any cause then I cannot be Alpha the beginning but the proceed of some other first but this I am not for I am Alpha and Omega both first and lust I am first in my selfe without all cause and I am the first of all causes for I cause all to be I am the Almighty which gives
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.
3.23 24. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace As if the holy Ghost should say You justified soules you have sinned and come short of the glory of God It is not your owne justification which you stand before God in but the justification of his free grace it is the free grace of God that doth acquit you and make you righteous in his owne presence God gives the beauty he delights in his free grace gives a compleat righteousnesse to poore sinners and justifieth them in the righteousnesse of his owne free grace thus is God a God of free grace yea in all his gifts he is the same a God of free grace it is his free grace that giveth Christ in whom and with whom hee giveth all things to his people as a God of grace in his rich love it is of Gods grace that Christ is made wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption to his people 1. Cor. 1.30 We did not purchase Christ but Christ did purchase us and redeemed us and to this worke he is the gift of Gods free grace and all that more exceeding and eternall weight of glory that our poore soules have with and by Christ all is the gift of Gods free grace the Lord proclaimes his free grace by his Prophet in the 55. Isa 55. x. of Isa Ho every one that this steth come ye to the waterâ— he that hath no money shall have Wine and Milke without money and without price Here the Lord proclaimes to wanting thirsting soules that hee is a God of free grace in all his gifts as if the Lord had said though you be full of wants and unworthinesses yet let not this hinder your comming to me for I am a God of free grace all my gifts are free I give my Wine and Milke without money and without price I never turned any back which came to satisfie their thirst in me because they had no money to buy I satisfie all that comes to me I am free and full in my grace and with that I satisfie all soules that thirst after me God is a giving God not a selling God it is his free grace that gives all things out of himselfe needfull to his people for life and godlinesse for grace and glory So in the 7 Matth. 7. our Saviour bids us to Aske and it shall bee given to us He doth not bid us to buy but to beg he knew God to be a God of free grace and therefore puts 〈◊〉 upon the grace of God for God is the God of free grace in all his workes and in all his gifts to his owne people he elects and chooseth to salvation in his free grace and saveth all his Elect by his free grace God giveth Christ as the great gift of his grace and in Christ he giveth the fulnesse and fâ—eâ—nesse of his grace to his people so that it is truely the Attribute of God to call him the God of free grace in this Attribute God makes knowne himselfe to his people and in this a beleeving soule looks up to God and is established by beleeving in God as a God of free grace to be his God Another Attribute of God in which he makes himselfe known to his people is this Namely That God is a faithfull God Not a tittle which he hath spoken to his people shall falle what God speaks to his people he would have them beleeve now he never did nor will faile his people that beleeve his word Num. 23.19 God is not a man that he should lye neither the sonne of man that he should repent Num. 23.19 hath hee said and shall be not doe it or both hee spoken and shall he not make it good what can there be falshood or failing in God shall he repent and not make good what hee hath spoken no hee is a faithfull God Heaven and Earth may passe away but not one tittle of his Word shall fayle Yea though the making good of his word desolve Heaven and Earth both shall consume Num. 11.23 but not a tittle of his word shall faile for hee iâ— the faithfull God Numb 11.23 Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to passe unto thee or not Moses made a question how all that people should eate flesh which the Lord had said should eatâ— flesh well sayes God I am God still my arme is not shortned nor doth my faithfulnesse faile for thou shalt surely see my word come to passe it is my word Moses and I am the faithfull God though thy faith be weake yet my faithfulnesse is strong and sure it is the Word of God and it shall not faile thou shalt surely see it come to passe The Psalmist doth acknowledge the testimonies of God to be very sure in the 93 Psalm 5. Hee had found that what ever God promised he made it good and allwayes proved himselfe a faithfull God His testimonies were ever sure so the 119 Psalm 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy Servant O Lord according to thy Word Thou hast not deceived them but thou hast made good all thy word and promises to them As if he had said Thou art a faithfull God thou makest good all thy word so in the 89 and 90 verses of that Psalme For ever O Lord thy word is setled in Heaven Thy faithfulnesse is unto all Generations That is thou art for ever a faithfull God thy word is as fixed and sure as Heaven there can nothing faile of all that the Lord hath spoken Take some few instances of Gods fulfiling his word to his people as a faithfull God consider the first promise God made of Christ in the flesh Gen. 3.15 That the seed of the Woman should breake the head of the Serpent And how faithfull God hath beene in making good his word Christ in the flesh and Christ Crucified the whole currant of Scripture is proofe â—o it When God promiseth Abraham that he shall have a Son from Sarahs wombe though the wombe be dead yet the promise lives it is the word of a faithfull God and must be made good now Isaac the Child of promise comes from this dead wombe to manifest God to be a faithfull God God sends Moses to Pharoah and telleth him that he shall leade the Children of Israel out of Egypt and from under their bondage and slavery to serve the Lord their God in the Wildernesse Moses goes upon the word of God Now notwithstanding the hardnesse of Pharoahs heart and the power of his hand yet God makes good every tittle of his word to them though he make their way thorough the deep waters yet all must obey to fulfill the faithfull word of God and in that Divine story we may see with how many miracles and wonders God makes good all his faithfull word to them God is a faithfull God he could not else be God and I may truly say all these Scriptures which proves him
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
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
there is nothing too little for God to make enough that is plain in this experience this little oyle God makes it enough to pay all her debts and answer all her wants God is all himselfe therefore it is no streight to him to make the lesse to be enough his own experience doth the worke because he is all in himselfe what God appoints to give out satisfaction to his people by shall never cease to give forth till his people confesse they have enough This fountaine of life giveth living streames which alwayes flow and refresh the City of God this is God upon experience Our Saviour Christ in Matth. 8.26 shewes his power as hee was God in rebuking the windes and the Sea when there was a great tempest so that his Disciples in the ship with him were greatly affraid Christ there checkes their unbeliefe and giveth them an experience of his power by stilling the winds and Sea at his rebuke so that the Text sayes there was a great calme The calme was an act of Christs power as the feare was of the Disciples flesh so that in this they had double experience of their owne fleshly feare and Christs almighty power The Apostle Paul both when he was Saul and Paul had great experiences of God as first in his conversion when hee was Saul and breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord Acts 9. beg How wonderfull was his conversion what glorious experiences of Gods free grace and his power is there in that worke they were so great that the Apostle doth acknowledge them all his life following when hee is brought before Judges Councels for preaching of Christ crucified and salvation by free grace through Christ hee telleth them of Gods wonderfull worke in his conversion what experience he had of his grace and power and mayes his experiences of God as a grouâ—d of resting oâ— him for strength to carry on the worke of his Apostleship which God so in raculously had called him too We may finde all the wâ—iâ—ings of this holy man spread with his experiences of God as in his voyage where the ship was cast away and yet nâ—t the life of one man lost in that venomous beast upon his hand which did him no hurt in his often bonds and stripes and his comfortable going tâ—rough all conditions with joy and establishment in God 1 Cor. 6. as having nothing and yet possessing all things Here was very great experience of God what ever he had God was the all of that and what ever he wanted of the creature yet God was all to him to that he wanted nothing but in God possessed full satisfaction God was strength to him in all his sufferings through Christ that strengthned him he could doe all things God was safety to him from all perils and upon this experience hee was true to the service of God not fearing any danger that should befall him So in Acts 5. There we may read of the same experiences that Peter and the rest of the Apostles had of God when as they were brought before the Councell and imprisoned for preaching in the name of Christ how they were delivered out of prison and yet the prison doores all fast shut they had a man set over them to keepe them and an Angel sent to deliver them they had full experience of the power of God that no power on earth or watchfulnes of men could imprison them that God would set free There is another experience of this nature of the power and glory of God Acts 16. lat end in Acts 16. latt end where by an earth-quake God opened all the doores of the prison with the bonds that were upon Paul and the rest of the prisoners yea and the hard heart of the Jaylor too for he comes trembling now to enquire after salvation This Earth-quake God useth to shake the Jaylor and his Family out of their earthly condition into a heavenly he and his Family were hereby taught to believe in God then followeth the kinde usage of the Apostles and their deliverance out of prison this affords great experience of the powerfull and glorious workings of God God doth not onely shake the earth and the heavens also but by shaking the earth he shakes into heaven he shakes the earth of unbeliefe out of this family and filleth them with heaven through believing doubtlesse it is glorious power that shakes earth out of soules and those soules into heaven this is the work of God upon experience I shall now in some few particulars mention the experiences of Gods power and justice in his righteous judgements I shall mind you of Gods judgements upon Pharoah and all his host in the red Sea but no more then mention it because I have used that Scripture already But in the next place consider Gods dealing with Herod Acts 2.22 23 24. in Act. 12.22 23 24. The proud wretch tooke Gods glory to himselfe Now see how God doth vindicate his owne glory he is immediately smitten by the Angel of God eaten up with wormâ— God is zealous of his glory he will not give that to any other nor suffer him to live long that takes it to himselfe the people made a god of this proud man and he was content to be accounted so but God will let him and them know that he is but sinfull man for he dyeth immediately like man and under a fearfull judgement as the just recompence of that pride which would have been taken for God Here is a glorious experience of Gods power and his zeale for his owne glory which should make all flesh tremble and be carefull that they cloath not their pride with that glory which is only due to God We have another experience of God in his righteous judgement upon the Sodomites being strucke with blindnesse in their bodies when in the blindnesse and wickednesse of their souls Gen. 19.11 they would have abused the Angel of God that came to Lots house according to the lust of their owne hearts the Scripture sayes Verse 4. there came all the men of the City olde and young and all the people from every quarter A tumult of wretches full fraught with the sinne of Sodome and yet behold the experimented power of God that preserves his few faithfull ones from this multitude of Sodomites and judgeth their first kindnesse with a second so that they were weary in their pursuite after wickednesse I should be glad if this example might teach all blind wretches to be carefull how they meddle with the servants of the most high God for hee is upon experience a God that revengeth the wrongs done or intended to his people Lastly Gods fearfull judgement upon Korah and all his company you may read the story in Numbers 16. and in vers 31. how the ground opened and swallowed them up alive they lived in death and were buried alive they murmured against Moses and believed not God
read no one of these shall faile That iâ— looke into Gods word and what ever you finde hee hath said he will make it good not any tittle of his word shall faile you shall never blemish him in his faithfulnesse for it is his glory Now sanctified Reason let mee aske you if this be not a good reason why you should trust in God because it is his glory to be faithfull and that glory which hee hath unspottedly preserved from everlasting Fleshly judgements sees reason in this for when they commit businesse and trust to men they will choose as they thinke the most faithfull to the worke and when men do otherwise we count they have lost their common reason and when we choose men to fight our Battles in whom we commit much trust Doe we not choose such men who make it their glory to be gallant and will rather choose to dye then staine their fidelity and their valour Why upon this account sanctified reason may safely commit all trust to God it is his glory to be saithfull Sinne and all the other enemies of God and his people shall perish in the maintaining of the glory of Gods faithfulnesse I am to seeke of all reason if this doe not answer the best of reason to trust that God who makes it his glory to be faithful and that faithfulnesse which never was stained A sixth reason that I shal offer is this That God is an inexhausted fountaine and treasury of all grace and goodnesse that either the soules or bodies of his people can stand in need of he can never promise more then he can perform nor can any of his people want that good which is not in him hee is not onely all good in himselfe but also the fountain of all that which fils heaven and earth good is originall in God and in every thing else as it is derived from God or received of God what ever of mercy and grace either externall or internall it is received and God is the fountaine The Prophet David doth acknowledge God to be the fountain and giver of all the good he enjoyed Psalm 23. It was God that made him lye down in green pastures that lead him by still waters that restored his soule and lead him in the paths of righteousnesse that prepared a table before him in the middest of his enemies that annoynted his head with oyle and made his cup to run over He found God so full of all good that he filled him till his cup run over and that in the middest of his enemies a place more apt to streights then fulnesse yet this was Davids condition because God was his shepheard he received from an inexhausted fountaine therefore his cup runs over God is so full that if heâ— doe but drop of his owne fulnese the narrow vessel of the creature runs over he is the fountaine of life and the God of salvation Psal 68 19 20. He daily loadeth his people with benefits for he is the God of salvation The sull fountaine of all blessings there is fulness of grace in him to kil sinne and to save the sinner there is fulnesse of love in him to pardon the greatest evill and to love the least good in his children there is fulnesse of power in him to crush and destroy a world of Enemies and to preserve his owne little Flocke there is riches of goodnesse and mercy in him to supply all the wants of his people In a word there is all good in God that wee can either aske or need to read his Attributes will discover his fulnesse And now me-thinkes sanctified Reason should answer as Simon-Peter did our Saviour in the 6th of John verse 68. When Christ asked his Disciples if they would leave him also his answer is Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life So should Saints filled with sanctified Reason say to GOD thou art an inexhausted fountaine of grace and goodnessee wee can go no whither but to thee for Eternall life for thou art to thy people the fountain of life That is life from all Eternity To my understanding this should bee a prevailing argument with the purest and rightest reason to cast all upon him that is all and to trust in the fountaine of life for life that can give most which is most and nothing can give all but GOD that is all in himselfe Eternity cannot wastâ— nor consume the least of GODS fulnesse therefore is GOD a suitable fulnesse for Eternall soules and him only to be rested upon that can never fail to be what our souls stand in need of to all eternity Reason carries men from one thing to another because they conceive a greater good in the last then in the first how should it teach men then to goe from all to God because in him is all good and to rest in nothing but in him because there is good in nothing out of him and for over to depend on him because he is not onely good but the fountaine of all good The seventh and last argument that I shall give to sanctified Reason is this That what ever any soule beleeveth and trusteth in besides God it must and will deceive the soule there is no rock of ages besides him nor is there any Almighty power ouâ— of him vanity is at the root of every created being and doth as the worme to Jonahs Gourd bring them to nothing that which cannot preserve its owne being cannot of it selfe preserve any other being though committed to it but no created being can preserve or continue it selfe by its owne strength therefore not able to preserve any thing committed to them borrowed strength and received abilities will not be trusted by right sanctified Reason because the lender may call back his owne and then the receiver is empty of any ability to answer trust and must of necessity faile the expectation of the Trustee Now this is all that can be thought of besides God by nature empty Vesselâ— meer Ciphers have nothing originall that is worthy every dram of excellency and good is received now such a subject is altogether unsutable to make a God of that is to commit the trust of eternall soules or any thing that is precious too but if trusted it must needs deceive because that which is nothing in it selfe cannot add any thing to another that which is vanity in it selfe cannot give better to any nor make a better returne to any that trust in it and the Wise man sayes of all things under the Sunne that they are vanity Eccles 1.14 and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.14 At they are vanity so they deceive all that trust in them and in the deceiving of trust and great expectations so they become vexation of spirit So the Prophet David in Psalm 62.9 Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye That is men of all degrees have so much vanity in them that they are
not simply in themselves to be rested upon the highest degree of men are but men so vanity 〈◊〉 and must p rove a lye to that flesh which trusts in them The Psalmist in Psal 103.15 16. shewes the vanity of all flesh in man the top of the whole creation As for man his dayes are as grasse as a flower of the field so he flourisheth For the winde passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more This makes good the Wise mans truth that all things under the Sunâ—â—re vanity For if man the chiefest piece of the whole creation be so light as a flower of grasse which is withered dead and dry by a puffe of winde so made nothing that the place it was in shall know it no more then surely vanity is a girdle about the loynes of all created beings then of necessity they must crack under any weight that is laid upon them and prove a lye to all those hoped for contentments that flesh lookes for from them they must prove like Jonahs Gourd because of that worme of vanity that is at the root and they will leave the soule as the Gourd did Jonah arguing for its peevish folly saying it doth well to be angry though it hath committed a double evill First in trusting to vanity and then to be angry that it appeares vanity In the 46. Isay beginning there the Prophet shewes how the Idols of Babylon could not save themselves but they and them which trusted in them were led into captivity together I shall offer but one Scripture more to this truth and that is in the 17. Jer. 5 6. Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the Heath in the desart and shall not see when God commeth Here we see is the curse of God upon trusting that in flesh which is onely proper to God this is his glory which he will not give to another and the curse of God will soone blast all flesh that is but grasse so that it shall prove vanity and deceive all that trust in it thus I hope the truth of the argument appeares by Scripture and sure I am the experience that every soul hath had of the vanity of all things besides God doth add much testimony to this truth and if thus give me leave to aske sanctified Reason if it can justifie it selfe to be reason in choosing vanity to put trust in and laying the weight of eternity upon that which hath not a moment of its owne or a dram of sufficiency to answer that weight if not then to this sanctified Reason I dare affirme that God is the onely object for a soules bellese and that there is no other eternall and sure foundation to build upon and this is the maine scope that I have in all the arguments to hold this forth to sanctified Reason that God who is the onely true Almighty Omnipotent infinitâ— eternall faithfull experimented God and an inexhausted fountaine and treasury of mercy and grace is the onely foundation of trust and confidence and that all things besides God will prove vanity under such a weight so that the light of God in the reason of his people that which sanctifies reason might from these arguments that suites with right reason leade the soules of Saints out of their owne flesh and all other vanity to cast themselves onely and eternally upon the free grace of God in Christ by beleeving in God to the establishment of soules is my end in all this and I trust thus dealing with sanctified reason will appear to be in the way to that precious end I have done with the Arguments I trust the Lord will make them his and blesse them to the end they are intended In the next place I shall offer by a few particulers in some measure a discovery of the evill of unbeliefe of not trusting of God and in God of not trusting all upon God and making him our all in all and this discovery hath one and the same end with the former arguments The first evill which I shall hold forth of unbeliefe is this That it doth as much as in us lyeth make God a lyer For proofe consider that full Scripture to this purpose in the first Epistle of John 5.10 He that beleeveth not God maketh him a lyer because hee beleeveth not the Record that God giveth of his Sonne This Scripture holds forth plainely this that not to beleeve the Record of God is to say in the unbeleife of our â—earts that God is a lyer truly unbeliefe can speake no other language nor give no better title to God for not beleeving the Record of God is a denyall of the truth of that Record and so consequently the truth of God for the Record of God cannot bee false so long as God is true and that unbeliefe which sayes the Record of God is not true doth in the same breath say that God is not true now not to beleeve the Record of God is to say it is not true for this carryes the strength and basses of all reason along with it to beleeve that which we judge to be true and to deny beliefe where we judge untruth The old Serpent the Devill began in Paradise with this temptation to perswade our first Parents that what God had said was not true that they might eate of the forbidden fruite that death was not in the act as God had said But the knowledge of good and evill It was unbeliefe of God in their hearts that made them call God the lyer and what the Serpent said to be truth therefore chose to eate not beleeving they had eate to death as God told them and so in their hearts making God a lyer this is properly the fruit of unbeliefe to count Gods record untrue and so to act contrary to the recorded and revealed truths of God This is a horred evill that which Saints in truth cannot but tremble to thinke of to put the lye upon God reproach upon his perfection to trample his truthes under our feet as untruthes and to question the righteousnesse of the ever righteous God this is the spring-head of all evill the onely safe and retyring place for Satan he reignes no where so securely as in the unbeleeving heart where God is made a lyer that darknesse makes the Devill to be counted as truth so that there his lawes prevaile and he reignes as supreame Secondly Second evill of unbeliefe Unbeliefe makes men to deny and forsake their fairest professions of Christ and holinesse rather then to suffer for them and this is the true reason why so many Professours of Christ and holinesse in times of prosperity and publike owning of godlinesse doe forsake both Christ and holinesse in times of suffering for God and his wayes because these withering branches were onely in Christ by profession not by
on mee shall your hearts be established Secondly God doth engage himselfe by Covenant to forgive the iniquity of his people and to remember their sins no more Now to beleeve God in this his own Covenant how exceedingly will it establish the soule there is nothing like sinne and iniquity to make an earth-quake and a soule quake If God once brings a soule or a Land to account with him for sinne and iniquity that will make dreadfull shakings indeed so on the contrary where God acquits from sinne and iniquity he makes rest and establishment for it is sinne that is the troubler of Israel but when God in his Covenant of grace shall engage himselfe to pardon and acquit soules from sinne such soules as receives this Covenant of God and believes that he hath and will make it good to them will surely be at rest But this is not all for God Covenants further with his people That he will put his law in our inward parts and write it in our hearts so that he will be our God and that wee shall be his people Now examine it over againe and see what is wanting to make an established soul if God be believed in it and rested upon for the fulfilling of it Here is choosing grace pardoning and purging grace here is justifying and sanctifying grace yea all this is grace free grace the grace of God and God in his free grace engaging himselfe to make all this good to such soules as rest upon him What now can any soule say against trusting in God for all that hee hath covenanted to doe in his owne free grace if the soule say I am not worthy what is that to the free grace of God God doth not move upon any such grounds it may be a good heart may say it is not broken enough why a broken heart is a new heart that which God hath Covenanted to give trust God hee will make good every part and tittle of his owne Covenant that should not hinder faith for it is the effect of faith Seeke not first to make thy heart good and then to trust God but trust in God and he will mend thy heart nay he will give thee a new heart that which thou wouldst give all the World to gaine he will give thee freely if thou trust in him he will not onely establish thy heart but sanctifie it also Now hence I dare be bold to affirme to any soule if it believe iâ— God and his Covenant of grace it shall be established finne shall not shake it for God hath acquitted such soules of that and cast all the sinnes of Believers out of his remembrance God hath done this great worke in his owne grace and neither can nor will ever undoe it Corruption shall not be able to unestablish a soule that believes on God in his Covenant of grace for such soules goe to God and spread their corrupt hearts before him and pleading his owne Covenant with him for new hearts and that he would renue right spirits within them Believing soules are fixed upon a rocke that is higher then themselves so that nothing in selfe can reach them and what ever is in God doth establish them such souls see God to be rich in mercy full of grace pardming iniquity transgression and sins for his owne Names sake Thus are soules established by believing in the Lord their God Againe Believe God in Christ our Saviour himselfe cals for this in John 14.1 You believe in God believe also in me That is believe in God through me looke through my wounds and see how he loves you behold the streumings of my blood and see how freely and fully he hath justified you consider your union with me and therein how he hath made you compleatly right â—teous in his owne sight He hath made me to be sin for you who knew no sin that you might be made the righteousnesse of God in me 2 Cor. 5. last Now believe thus in God through me that I have born your sinnes and satisfied his justice to such a perfection that you stand the righteousnesse of God in me Believe in God through me so shall you be established above the feare of sinne or puniâ—â—â—ment for you shall see I have borne them both for you Isa 53. I have â—â—orne your griefes and carried your sorrowes God hath struckeâ— smieten afflicted and wounded me for your transgressions he hath bruised me for your iniquities the chastisement of your peace hath hee laid upon me and with my stripes are you healed for the Lard hath laid on me the iniquities of you all God hath made my soule an offering for your sinnes and hath seene the travâ—ll of my soule and is satisfied Now if you believe thus in God through me your soules will be satisfied too you will be established as soulee that are fixed in the bosom of God me-thinks Christ sayes here goe with holy boldnesse to the barre of Gods justice and by faith offer up my wounds my stripes and the travell of my soule in full satisfaction for all your sinnes and I dare assure you hee will acquit and write your discharge by his owne spirit in your own bâ—somâ—â— I begge of you says Christ have not the least doubt of his faithfulnesse or the fulnesse of my satisfaction I have paid the â—â—most farthing you may boldly goe to Gods justice believing this there shall not to all eternity be a tittle laid to your charge No sayes he God will be just both to you and me he will nâ—ver charge you with that which I have paid and beâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 have finished the whole worke of redemption I have 〈…〉 that believe in God through me from the curse of the law being 〈…〉 curse for them In the whole worke of redemption I did the will of my Father in my agony when I sweat drops of bloud and on the Crosse when there issued out from my sides streates of â—â—ter and blood I did bear your sinnes for I had none of my own and in all this I have perfected your redemption in the â—â—ll satifaction of my Fathers justice so that by believing in God through me you will see Gods Justice fully satisfied for your finnes and your selves wholy acquitted from sinne and made righteous in the righteousnesse of God himselfe and this I am sure will establish your hearts where sinne is discharged and righteousnesse sealed up there all cause of feare and shaking is banishâ—â— and this is by believing in God through me sayes Christ for 〈◊〉 the great designe of Gods free grace my blood hath discharged all your sinnes and I am your righteousnesse I that am the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and you compleat in me perfectly righteous without spot or wrinckle in the pure eyes of God nay sayes Christ had not my blood made a full end of sinne I should have valued it at a higher rate then to have sheddâ— it as I did had I been but a perfect