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
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
doth bring good to his people out of the evill that iâ— in the hearts of their enemies Josephs experienâ—es of God â—â—sides many Saints more doth declare this upon the house top and telleth the ages to come so long as the Sunne and Moâ—â—â— endâ—reth that God is a faithfull gracious and omnipotent God upon experience had of him For the next witnesse to this let us call in Moses and consider that progresse of experiences which he had of God from his Cradle to his grave I from his birth we shall finde in the beginning of his Booke of Exodus that there was a Decree passed for his death before he had life in that command that the Midwives had from Pharoah to murther every male Childe of the Israelites in the birth of which Moses was one but God tyed up their hands and gave him favour in their sight that they obeyed not the command of Pharoah there is his first experience of God and when he could be hid no longer in his Mothers house then God taught her as he did Noah to make an Arke to preserve her Sonne Moses from drowning and that Arke or Cradle of Bulrushes doth preserve this precious Infant till God brings other hands to take care of him in which worke of God there is much experience of his power and wisedome that Pharoahs Daughter should preserve tht a which her Father had appointed to dye and that his Mother which brought him forth should be the Pape which doth give him suck this act of Gods providence brings double mercy with it both to Mother and Babe it joyes her heart to have her Childe in her armes shee sayes as Jacob my sonne Moses yet lives God had speciall worke for him to doe therefore he commits him to speciall care in bringing him up even the bosome of his tender Mother truely these are very great experiences of God yet he had more then these God doth not leave him that he had thus preserved but takes care of him in his Mothers house and in Pharoahs Court and when God comes to use him in that worke for which he had preserved him hee then findes God to be all in him he went to the people of Israel upon Gods message and in the name of God to leade them out of Egypt into the Wildernesse to serve him and as he went in Gods name so all along he had great experiences of God God made Moses his messenger to Pharoah and in this also he had great experience of God in his judgements upon Pharoah his houshold and the whole Land you may reade them at large but when God had by Moses brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt then Pharoah in the hardnesse and malice of his heart with a potent Army followeth them to the Red Sea then the people murmured against Moses he goes to God and opens their condition before him and comes backe to the people upon the experiences he had of God and bids them from God to stand still and be quiet they should see his Salvation and how full salvation that was they all had experience of it was wonderfull salvation wrought in wonders which doth upon experience declare God to be a God of salvations and a wonder-working God a faithfull God that made every tittle good which he had promised they had full deliverance and did see their enemies no more alive Here Moses had exceeding full experience of God in his power and faithfulnesse that as God did imploy him so he went along with him and made the Sea dry land for him and the people he led to passe through death from death into the Wildernesse where God gave him and his company many and great experiences of himselfe Now I shall joyne Moses and the Children of Israel together in their experiences and here they had a Pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night in which they did experiment God to be a safe guide though in a Wildernesse and an untrodden path they thirst I and murmure too for water God by Moses giveth them water from the Rook Exod. 17.6 here they experiment that the barren Wildernesse Exod. 16.4 and the stony Rock doth bring forth water at the command of God nothing can be too hard for the omnipotent power of God to melt into his owne will Well Exod. 15.25 they want food Moses cryes to God he giveth them Quailes and Manna by which they have further experience that no place can straiten God in giving to his people what he pleaseth and for Shooeâ— and cloathing though their Journey last forty yeares yet these ware not out but last as long by which they doe againe experiment that the eternall God doth give continuance to what he pleaseth and as long as he pleaseth Thus I have pointed at some of those many yeares experiences that Moses and the Children of Israel had of God from which we may gather thus much thaâ— God is an experimented God by his people of Olde to bee aglorious gracious wise faithfull omnipotent and wonder-working God Againe Joshuah which succeeded Moses in this worke of God had great experience of God going along with him in the worke I shall mention only in one particular that is in Iosh 6.20 In the besieging of Jericho when the Priests blew the Trompets and the people shouted the Text sayes the wall fell downe flat so that the people went up into the Citie every man strâ—ight before him and they tooke the City This is such an experiment of the power of God as for clay to open the blinde mans eyes the one as likely meanes as the other but GOD was all in both Like unto this was Gideons experience of God when as with three hundred men he overthrew the whole host of the Midianites Judges 7. Judges 7. We shall finde in this Chapter that God commanded Gideon to lessen his Army of two and thirty thousand to bring them to three hundred God assures him victory with these few and giveth him this reason why hee would have no more men that the victory might appeare to be hie Gideon obeyes Gods will and God makes good his word Gideon did believe God could save as well by few as by many that the victory would be Gods not mans and God makes him to experiment that of him which he did believe Here is an experience of a full God amongst empty creatures when they engage against full creatures empty of God God makes the victory his owne and the slaughter of his enemies for they kill one another it is all one to God how weake soever the meanes be hee useth whether his Army be Flies as in Aegypt or three hundred men as here the strength is his owne and that will certainly occomplish what it intends to doe all these experiences doe plainly speak it So that widow in 2 Kings 4. in that great increase of her cruse of oyle had ample experience of the fulnesse of God
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
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
Sectary an Heritique and an enemy to Caesar So that not onely the ignorant multitude but even Authority it selfe which should protect them is set against them Now helpe Lord sayes these afflicted Spirits Psal 12. good and goodly men they cease for the faithfull fall among the children of men They speake vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and with a double heart doe they speake So that all worldly men who are much the greater number are either open or private enemies to the Church and people of God therefore words are but the fleshly policy of their false hearts the mischiefe lyes at the root so that what ever the Serpent brew'd proveâ— their businesle is to bruise the heele of the Woman Christ in his Church and people So that indeede the condition of Gods Church and people in the World is very sadd they are a Lilly amongst Thornes enemyes either open or private round about them Is it so poore heart Why then looke up with an eye of faith are all men false yet God is true will not the powers on earth bea kinde to Zion doe they neglect their duty to protect the praise-worthy Yet feare not God will he kinds and faithfull too he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings all the powers is Heaven and Earth must obey him for thy incouragement and matter for thy faith to build on to the establishments of thy â—â—â—rit take into thy bosome and seriously consider what followes First Isa 43.1 confider Gods interest in his people Isa 43.1 〈◊〉 now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and hee that â—â—â—med thee O Israel feare not for I have redeemed thee I have â—â—led thee by my Name thou art mine Observe the end of God is this Scripture is to keepe up his peoples hearts above feare and the way God taketh is this to let them know his interests is them why sayes God I have not onely created thes but I have redeemed thee also thou hast not onely my first but also my second creation upon thee the new creature thou are my redeemed one my image so that thou bearest my name thy 〈◊〉 myee looke upon thee as the redeemed of the Lord thou beareâ— my Name and thou art mine my interest thou art Jacob my servant Isa 44. â— and Israel whom I have chosen Marke the Scriptures Thâ—â— art my chosen interest my redeemed interest my new creaâ—â—â— interest my servant whom I have chosen to beare my names theâ— are thou mine Now why shouldest thou feare Doest thou think I will let my name be blotted out I am God not Men I cannot Iyes I cannot hee changable if I choose thee to love thee to make thee my redeemed one upon whom I will ingrave my Nature as a holy God in the new creature and so proclaim thee to the World to be mine I will never cast thee off againe nor out of my love and care thou art mine and I am thine my love thine I am thine as I am a God of free grace in Christ I am thine my power is thine that is it is all for thee as I am 〈◊〉 Omnipotent Almighty alsufficient and Eternall God so 〈◊〉 I thy God therefore feare not none can pluck theâ— out of my hande Zâ—â—h 2.12 Gods Church and people are his inheritance Zach. 2.12 And the Lord shall inherite Judah his portion in the holy Lâ—â—â— Gods people are his inheritance in that Land where they are God so accounte of them that is though Heaven and Earth be the Lorde yes he counts his people his inheritance that which he most loves and priseth so that hee will never cast them off nor destroy them God useth these tearmes meeâ—ely to speake â—o our capacity that he might tell us we are to him that which 〈◊〉 count most deare to us so as never to part with them but to use our utmost power to preserve and keepe them as our Name and our Inheritance we are exceeding tender of these and doe our utmost to preserve them so sayes God my Church and people are to mee exceeding deare as tender as the apple of my eye all my power shall preserve them they are my Name and my Heritage nay the Church and people of God is Gods habitation and his dwelling place not as a confined God but as a glorious God and loving Father Ezekiel 37.26 27 28. Ezek. 37.26 27 28. God Covenants to set his Sanctuary and his Tabernacle in the midst of his people for evermore That is I will dwell amongst you for ever you shall be my delight and my habitation for evermore I will walke among you sayes God and will be your God and you shall bee my people Levit. 26.12 I am your God you are my interest Lev. 26.12 I will live in you and walke amongst you as in my Heritage and the people which I have chosen to beare my Name so the Apostle Paul writing to the Church of God at Corinth 2 Cor. 6.16 2 Cor. 6.16 telleth them that they are the Temple of the living God the people whom God had chosen to dwell in and to walke in them as their God and they as his people Wee see then this is the Churches interest in God they are his people whom he ownes for his dwelleth in them sets his Sanctuary and his Tabernacle in the midst of them walkes with them puts his Name upon them makes them his owne Inheritance and is as tender of them as of the apple of his eye and this God declares to his Church and people that they should not feare for hee hath power enough to preserve his owne interest and love enough to answer all their wants Gods people they are the sheep of his pasture Psalm 100. Psal 100. Hee feedes and keepes them as his owne peculier interest the children of Zion finde bread enough in their Fathera house Psalm 134. last Psal 134. last The Lord that made Heaven and Eerth blesse thee out of Zion As if the Psalmist had sayd God as a God of blessngs dwelleth in Zion that is his heritage his throne where he sits and blesseth So in the 146 Psalm last The Lord that reignes for ever Psal 146. last even the God of Zion and the 147 Psalm 12. Praise thy God O Zion Psal 147.12 The Lord is for ever thy God O Zion therefore praise him this iâ— Gods interest he is the God of Zion and so he reâ—gties forever there he wraps up the glory of 〈◊〉 grace and there he right in his power and greatnesse for over This doubtlesse is ground of great establishment to our souls concerning the Church and people of God though in the wildernesse amongst ravenous beasts and subtle foxes that seekes to destroy the tender vines yeâ— eveâ— here they are Gods interest his inheritance his chosen and redeemed ones in whom he dwelleth and amongst these golden Candlesticks he walkes so that his Church
in righteousnesse but also preserved by his power and in him have a defence about all their glory Hosea 14.4 God promiseth to heale the backe-sliding of his people and to love them freely This is a precious promise indeed that Gods free love will heale the backe slidings of his people it is a signe he will keepe his interest in them if he loveth them freely and that free love doth sanctifie them and heale their back-slidings nay God doth promise to doe it so the this people may plead his promise to them when they finde their owne wants See what care God takes of his Church and people whom he loveth freely Isai 27.3 Isa 27.3 I the Lord doe keepe it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keepe it day and night See what care God takeâ— of his Vineyard to keepe it day and night so that none can hurt it and to water it every moment that it may be very fruitfull in the spirit God will make his Vinyard holy it is his owne he will manifest his interest in making it like him and then hee will preserve it as his owne never leave nor forsake them keepe them day and night safe in his free love and protection so that not any shall have power to hurt them Wicked men though very industrious cannot be so watchfull to harme the people of God as God is to keepe them from harm he is a God that neither slumbers nor sleeps he takes care of his people day and night yea every moment there is no feare that he will loose his interest for want of care nor can he loose them for want of power for he is an infinite omnipotent God and there is no God besides him therefore care and power in God is sure defence to all his peoples glory who are his interest Isa 30.18 The Lord waites to be graclous to his people As if he had said God stayes for opportunities to doe his people good in his heart and hand is full of mercies and hee waites to shew forth the riches of his grace to them God there exalts himselfe to shew mercy to his people And the Prophet David makes this ground to exhort Princes to give glory to God by reason of his power and protection to his people in Ps Psalm 29.10.11 29.10 11. The Lord sitteth upon the flood saith he yea the Lord setteth King for ever the Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace It is the Lord that is King it is he that reignes and only can blesse with peace and whom will he thus blesse why his people his inheritance in the world therefore Princes and earthly powers commit folly to thinke they can curse where he will blesse for the Lord sitteth King for ever and all earthly powers are made by him and for to be his foâ—tstoole so that hee can kicke them downe when he pleaseth and if they meddle with his annointed chosen heritage hee will reprove Kings for their sakes That is as they are his foote-stool so hee will trample them to dust if they touch the apple of his eye God will preserve his interest his people when as he shall turne the world to its first lump of darknesse and were it not for this his interest that is in the world the world would soon have a period And in Psal 112.6 Psalus 112.6 Surely sayes David a good man hee shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance It is the righteous man that is Gods interest whom he hath in everlasting remembrance of mercy Psalm 125.1 So in Psalm 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be moved but abideth for ever Mount Zion that is the Church and people of God which is Gods interest it cannot be moved this mountaine can never be overturned it is fixed in God hee takes care of it as that whereon he hath placed his Name to abide for ever So in Psal 133. last Vpon the mountaines of Zion there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore Zion is the place where God commands his blessings life for evermore to dwell God dwels in Zion as a God of blessings the life of his Church and people for evermore Psalm 147.2 3. Psalm 147.2 3. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem he gathereth together the out-casts of Israel Hee healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds This is Gods care over his inheritance in the World his chosen people hee buildeth them up and gathereth them together hee healeth the broken-hearted and bindeth up the wounded that is he maketh them what they are and supplyeth all their wants he makes them his people and takes care of them as his people and upon this his interest hee doth expostulate the case with his people how they should thinke that he should forget them Isa 49.14 15 16. But Zion saith the Lord hath forsaken mee and my Lord hath forgotten me Why sayes God can my people argue this thing with me Can a mother forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are continually before me Mark it God puts the case as home as possible creature-affections could carry it can a tender mother forget the sonne of her womb and the child of her breast yea it is possible for she is a creature but what then I am God I will not forget my people why sayes God you are my people my interest I cannot forget you I have graven you upon the palmes of my hands you are continually before me you are engraven in my hands and my heart too my eternall love hath done it and eternity cannot wipe it out you are ever before me as my interest I can never forget you my thoughts are ever upon you for good and my care is ever over you for protection my right hand is over you and my left hand is under you my loving kindnesse doth embrace you for ever you are the jewels I have chosen to glorifie my free grace on to all eternity you perhappes have found man false what iâ— that to me though they seek to serve their corrupt ends on you yet my end is pure to preserve my glory in you as my interest you must not judge me by men the World is their interest but you are mine And when they sleight and trample you under foote to close with the World then wil I sleight and trample them under soot in the preservation of you that are my peculiar interest I will not give up my people whilst I keep my being and I am God from everlasting to everlasting and there is no God besides me I will keep my people as my being for it is the designe of
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