Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	blessing_n	child_n	parent_n	2,162	5	9.2185	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77357	The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge: now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The second volumn. [sic] Viz. 1. Grace for grace; or, The overflowing of Christs fulness received by all saints. II. The spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities. III. Evangelical repentance.	Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.; Yates, John, d. ca. 1660.; Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.; Adderley, William.	1649 (1649)	Wing B4446; Thomason E471_2; ESTC R205749; ESTC R24233	190,835	267

that he beleeved more plainly expressed in the 18. v. Who aginst hope beleeved in hope that he should become the father of many Nations according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be Aggravated and inlarged in this 19. verse The Matter that he beleeved was inclosed with many difficulties he beleeved that he should be the father of many Nations and that in his seed all the Nations of the world should be blessed herein he had an eye unto Jesus Christ but now his owne body was dead being about an hundred years old and Sarahs wombe dead yet notwithstanding sayes the text Being not weak in the faith he considered not his own body now dead nor yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe You will say Obj. How can this be tht the Apostle here sayes Abraham considered not his own body being now dead when we read in the 17. Chapter of Genesis and vers 17. unto which Story this Chapter relates it is said That Abraham fell upon his face and laught in his heart and said Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred yeares old and shall Sarah that is ninety yeares old beare Did not Abraham here consider the deadnesse of his own body and the deadness of Sarahs wombe why does the Apostle say thus then Some answer it thus Answ That the Apostle here speakes of the first giving out of the promise unto Abraham which we read of in the 12. of Genesis but that cannot be he was not then an hundred years old He considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old and so t' is said he was an hundred years old in the 17. Chapter of Genesis and the 17. verse therefore it must relate unto that Others they answer it thus That Abraham hideed at the first did consider his owne body and did doubt through unbeliefe but afterwards Abraham recollected himself and got over that unbeliefe but the Apostle he speakes the contrary in the 20. verse He staggered not at the promise through unbeliefe Others they answer it by labouring to sind out some mysticall interpretation of those words Shall a child be brone unto him that is an hundred years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old beare as if Abraham say they had said thus Lord thou hast some secret meaning in these words I pray thee speak it out unto me and tell me plainly thy meaning and therefore say they God answered to that purpose in the 19. verse And God said Sarah thy wife shall beare thee a son indeed I meane according to my words Sarah shall beare thee a Son indeed But we need not straine for any mysticall interpretation or expression when Abraham sayes Shall a child be bron unto him that is an hundred years old In that seventeenth of Genesis and the seventeenth they are words not of Doubting but words of Inquiring Abraham desiring to be further satisfied and rightly to understand the meaning of the promise and rightly understanding the meaning of the promise sayes the Apostle He did not much mind he did not throughly mind he did not stand poring upon or considering the deadnesse of his own body or the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe There are three things especially considerable in these words Frist of all That Abrahams body and Sarahs body are dead after God gives out a promise of a great seed of his Secondly That notwithstanding this yet Abraham beleeved is commended for it He being not weak in the faith considered not his own body being now dead And thirdly That in all this he had an eye unto Jesus Christ as I shall shew you afterward Accordingly I would take up three observations thus First When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham he does first of all put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the means that do lead unto it Secondly That then and then especially it is the duty of all the children of Abraham to trust in God And thirdly That no difficulty can stand before faith true saving justifying faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ I begin with the first at this time When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham Doct. to beleevers he does first put the sentence of deathupon it and upon all the means that do lead unto it A promise of a great seed like the starres of heaven and the sand upon the sea-shore is given to Abraham but before it is fulfilled Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs wombe dead the sentence of death put upon the mercy and the means that do lead unto it and herein Abraham is held forth for our example it was written not for his sake alone at the 23. verse but for us also to whom it shall be imputed at the 24. verse And as thus it fell out with Abraham so it falls out with all the children of Abraham with all beleevers when God intends to give any speciall or great mercy by fulfilling his promise he does first of all write down the sentence of death upon the mercy and upon the means that do tend unto it The Saints and People of God lsa 62 12. they are called the Redeemed of the Lord not onely because they are redeemed from hell and from wrath but because that they have their mercies and blessings in a way of Redemption there is a line of that great mercy of Redemption that runnes through all the mercies which they have they have Health redeemed our of the hand of Sicknesse they have Liberty redeemed out of the hand of Straitnesse they have peace redeemed out of the hand of Warre they have Assurance redeemed out of the hand of Doubting and Vnbeliefe they have Mercy redeemed out of the hand of Misery they have Joyes and Comforts redeemed out of the hand of Griefe they are the redeemed of the Lord whatsoever great Mercy or Blessing they have they have it in a way of Redemption Thus it was with Abraham And was it not thus with Joseph I shall not have time to speake of the Patriarchs all of them Joseph you know had a promise by way of vision Gen. 37. That his sheafe should be higher then all the sheaves and all the sheaves of his Brethren should bow down to his the Sunne and the Moone should bow down before him his Father and mother this promise was afterward fulfilled when his Brethren went down into Egypt and bowed before him there and his Father went down into Egypt but first of all Joseph is sould into Egypt the sentence of death put upon the Mercy the promise did bring forth but it had a sore and a hard labour first And was it not thus with the People of Israel they had a promise of great increase like the sands upon the sea and that they should be brought

into his soule Answerable to that a chaine of gold is hung about his necke Joseph a poor stranger brought as low as ever man was Answerable to that he is made next in the Kingdome to Pharoah Beloved if the dead Mercy rise as your bodies when they rise they rise in glory So when the Mercy rises it will rise a glorious Mercy And as it shall be the greatest Mercy that ever you had so it shall be the surest That is most certain that is certain after uncertainty Whose assurance was like to Thomas's Oh! sayes Thomas My Lord and My God two My's My Lord and My God it came out of doubting A Tree that stands after shaking stands the most firmly Assurance after doubting is the strongest Assurance surest Assurance As 't is the greatest Mercy so I say it shall be the surest Mercy if ever the Mercy rise And then againe Lastly As the surest so it shall be the sweetest Mercy The children of Israel they had wholesome meat and water and drinke but the sweetest water was that which they had after no water water out of a rocke that was like hony And a Mercy that comes out of a rocke that comes from out of the sentence of death from under death it shall be the sweetest Mercy You know what the Father of the Prodigall sayes when his son was come home he cals his friends together Lak 15.32 Come sayes he and make merry with me for this my son was dead and is now alive Cals his friends together and speaks thus unto them So shall it be with the Soule when the Mercy lost is found when the Mercy dead is raised then the Soule shall call in his friends Come O my friends Come I le tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soule here here is a Mercy dead and 't is now alive Come make merry with me O my friends this my Assurance it was even dead and 't is now alive Oh! this Blessing this Blessing it was dead but 't is now alive Come and make merry with me O my friends for this Mercy was dead and 't is now alive Thus I say if this Mercy rise that hath the sentence of death upon it it shall be the greatest Mercy it shall be the surest and it shall be the sweetest Mercy that ever you had in all your dayes And therefore who would not waite upon the Lord who would not waite upon the Lord when the sentence of death is put upon the Mercy and upon all the manes that do lead unto it Oh! my beloved in the Lord that you would but possesse your hearts of this one Truth this Mercy how quiet would your Soules be under all the distempers and the troubles of the time Nationall distempers Personall distempers When you look upon the troubles that are abroad yet your hearts would be quiet and you would say well but yet notwithstanding we may be in the way to the greatest Mercy that ever England saw why should we be thus discouraged Oh! my Soule waite upon God this is Gods way he never gives any great Mercy to any of his people but first he does put a sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it And therefore notwithstanding all yet we may be in Gods way Therefore Oh! my Soule waite on him Thus much for this time Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe THe words as ye heard the last day are spoken concerning Abraham Preached-at Margarets New fishstreet March 2. 1645. And they hold forth three great Truths unto us The First is this That when God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham he does first put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs wombe is dead when God had promised him a great seed The Second is this When God is thus pleased to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the meanes that do lead thereto Then and then especially 't is the duty and commendation of all the children of Abraham to beleeve in God and not to stand poring upon the meanes and the deadnesse thereof He considered not his own body being dead nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe The Third is this That no difficulty can stand before Faith true saving justifying Faith carries the Soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ Thus it was here with Abraham he being not weak in Faith he had an eye unto Jesus Christ I have done with the First and my desire is now at this time to dispatch the Second When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing Doctr. or the meanes that do lead unto it it is the duty of the children of Abraham then to trust in God not to stand poring upon or considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Thus it was here with Abraham God made Abraham a promise that his seed should be like the sand and like the starres for multitude But Abrahams body is dead and his wives body is dead Notwithstanding Abraham considered not the deadnesse of the meanes And in all this he is held forth for our Example as you heard the last day As he did therefore so must we do The Doctrine is somewhat large I shall break it asunder into three parts and endeavour to cleare up these three Propositions unto you for the proof of the whole First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Secondly That when all means faile 't is the duty and commendation of the children of Abraham then to beleeve Thirdly That so to do is exceeding pleasing to God and most acceptable First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes the straitnesse or scantinesse narrownesse or deadnesse of the meanes is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Abraham being not weak in Faith considered not his own body being dead If he had considered he might have been hindered in his Faith Ye reade of Zacharias that good man Father of John the Baptist that when the Angell brought him tidings of a child in way of his speciall Mercy he would not beleeve it And in the 1. of Luke and the 20. verse ye reade how he was punished for it Behold thou shalt be dumbe and not able to speak untill the day that these things shall be performed because thou beleevest not my words But what hindred him what kept him off from this work of beleeving you shall find at the 18. verse too much attendance unto and considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Zachary said unto the Angell Whereby shall I know

that are given to worldlinesse So the sight and beholding of the deadnesse of the meanes is a great snare and temptation to those that are given to doubting and those that are given to unbeliefe Does the meanes therefore lie dead before thee at any time Soule man or woman go to the Lord and say thus Ah! Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding this same dead meanes away away to the promise when all meanes faile now beare thy selfe at length upon the promise go unto Jesus Christ throw thy self now at his feete and say Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee if I perish I will perish here Do this and live And thus I have done with the Second Proposition And so much for this time Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak or weakned in faith he confidered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe THe words are spoken of Abraham and they hold forth Three great Truths as yee have heard First That when God intends any great mercy or blessing to the children of Abraham he does first put the Sentence of death upon the blessing or mercy and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it Secondly That then and then especially 't is the duty of all the children of Abraham of all beleevers then for to trust in God Thirdly That no difficulties can stand before Faith true saving justifying faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ I have done with the two former and am now to speake unto the third No difficulties can stand before Faith Doct. 3 True saving justifying Faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ Abraham had a promise given him that his seed should be as the starres of Heaven and that in his seed all the Nations of the world should be blest Upon this promise Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs body is dead Now Abraham beleeves Being not weake in Faith he considered not the deadnesse of his own body And in this he had an eye unto Jesus Christ for this was imputed to him for righteousnesse and herein he is held forth as an example to us that beleeve with a justifying faith in this chapter So that where ever there is true saving justifying faith it carries a man through all difficulties through all naturall discouragements For the clearing whereof I shall deliver my selfe in these foure things First I will shew you That the way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties and naturall discouragements this as a rice unto all the rest Secondly That true saving faith will carry one through all these Thirdly That nothing else can do it And Fourthly What it is in true saving justifying Faith that does is How this Faith comes to do it First The way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties or naturall discouragements No sooner does a man begin to looke after Christ but difficulties and naturall discouragements do arise and they are prest by Satan with much violence When the children of Israel began to make out of Egypt Pharoah doubles their taske and labours to make their way grievous and troublous And so soone as a soule begins to look after Christ Satan and the world labours to make his way troublous The Devill is the great hunter of Soules So long as the Game goes well with the hunter and he is going into his snare he makes no noise but if once the Hare or the Game begin to decline the snare and go another way then he hoopes and he hollowes and he makes a noise that he may scare it into the snare againe And so as long as men are going into the Devils snare he makes no noise but if once they begin to turne aside from his snare then he raises Town Country and a great noise is made to scare the soule in againe He knowes that a candle may be easily blown into light when 't is new put out Paul met with no buffetings of Satan till he had been taken up into the third heavens and seene the glory there So long as Paul went on in his Pharasaicall way he met with no opposition and so long as a man goes on in the way of the world or in some Pharasaicall Devotionall-way that is not the way of the Gospell he meetes with no opposition but when once the Lord takes him as it were into the third heavens and shews him the glory of Christ then Satan begins to buffer him Nature within us that stands and saies Will you go to Christ 't is impossible that ever you should get him And the world without Will you go to Christ you will lose all your friends Will you become a foole too What with the world and what with the flesh and what with the Devill the way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties And this will appeare yet further if you consider the Nature of Faith and the worth of it 'T is a grace a Gospel grace a precious grace whereby we do come to Christ I say 'T is a grace Nulla Virtus sine lapide When our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified they rould a stone over his sepulcher and when the Disciples came they said Who shall roule away the stone Mark 16 3 And as our Lord himselfe had a stone roul'd upon him so the more of Christ is in any vertue the greater stone and the greater difficulty is rould upon it every vertue and every grace hath one stone or other that is roul'd upon it but the more of Christ in any thing the more the greater is the stone that is roul'd upon it Faith is an excellent grace 1 Pet. 1.7 The triall of your Faith is more precious then gold sayes the Apostle what is Faith it selfe then It is the Intelligencer of the Soule the directrix or Queene-regent of all the graces it sits at the sterne and guides the whole Vessel 'T is that grace that gives a Being unto a Christian other graces the Well-being It is that grace that brings Christ and the Soule together It is that grace that covers the defects of all other graces Ephes 6.16 'T is called the shield a shield does not only cover the body but the rest of the armour Faith does not onely cover the Soule but the defects of all other graces There is an excellency in grace excellent things and jewels they are hard to come by Therefore by it we come unto Christ He that comes over the River must come from that side of the water if he will come to this And he that comes to Christ he must come from his old Customes and his own Engagements and his own Righteousnesse this is a hard thing I may say in some respects 't is harder to beleeve then to keepe the ten Commandements because there is something in nature towards

when as the Lord does thus prevent us with his grace and is at our bed-side with his grace when we lie sleeping and never think of mercy and grace an ingenious soul should say thus What is all this but a plain rebuke to the slothfulness of my duty Come up prayer up duty oh my soul be up sooner Yea through the Lords grace I will be up sooner at Heaven gate in duty than ever I was before His preventing grace teaches me thus much that I am not soon enough at Heaven gate with my duty Again 2. Duty Hath the Lord prevented any of you with grace and caused the Kingdom of Heaven to draw neer to you before you drew neer to it Do you do the like labour in your love to be like to Christ to be like to God We stand upon our terms when we have to deal with men upon our terms of State had Jesus Christ stood upon terms of State when he came to save sinners what had become of us We say we will forgive such a man for wrong done to us upon his acknowledgement Oh! but did Christ do so Did not Christ prevent us Beloved ye see how 't is with the water it moves downward but if the fire get into it if there be water in a pot upon the fire and fire get into the water the fire makes it move upward it moves according to the nature of the fire then So now if the love of Jesus Christ get into our hearts it will make us move like unto Christ How does the love of Jesus Christ move Oh saies Christ Father forgive them they know not what they do Luke 23.34 Christ did not stay for acknowledgement a poor and a low thing for a Christian Enough for a Heathen to say so I will forgive such a man for wrong done to me upon his acknowledgment Let our love be like unto Christs and labour to prevent others with our love as Jesus Christ hath prevented us Thirdly Then let all men waith upon others 3 Duty with all longsufforing and patience for their Conversion and the revelation of truth unto them Thou art a Parent and desirest thy Child may be Converted and hast taken a great deal of pains with him for his Conversion and yet it will not be Thou art a governour of a family and would'st fain have such a servant converted to Christ and hast taken a great deal of pains and yet it won't be A friend you have and you would fain that he knew such a Truth and much pains you have taken to beat such a Truth into him and he don't take it and you are ready to be angry but remember this The Kingdom of Heaven draws neer to us before we draw neer to it Grace must come to thy Childs soul first before it does come to Christ Mercy must come to the soul and the Lord must come and bring truths unto the soul What is then to be done Then be not angry with him wait with all long suffering and all patience and go to God go to God for thy Child go to God for thy friend go to God for thy servant upon this ground Because the Kingdom of Heaven must come to us first before we can come to it But Especially 4. Duty and Fourthly Trust in the Lord for ever Oh! all you that are the servants of the Lord upon this ground Trust in the Lord for ever Does the kingdom of Heaven approach and draw neer to us before we draw neer unto it Then say within your souls Doubting shall be no more Some there are that doubt of their salvation because of the lgnorance that is in them darkness causes fear they don't know the mercifull disposition of Jesus Christ and so they doubt of his love The Devil as he labours to change himself into an angel of light so he labours to change Christ into an angel of darkness But beloved ye have heard of the merciful sweet disposition of Jesus Christ he is willing to save sinners and the greatest sinners brings neer the Kingdom of Heaven to us before we draw neer to it Oh! wilt thou doubt again poor Christian wilt thou doubt again Some there are that doubt of their salvation because they are afraid their duties shall not be accepted prayers shall not be accepted Oh! if I could but be perswaded saies one that the Lord would hear my prayer and accept of my duty then I should know indeed I should be saved but I am afraid the Lord doth not hear my prayers and accept of my duties and therefore I fear I shall not be saved Man or woman where ever thou standst or art hear the Word of the Lord. Does the Lord cause the Kingdom of Heaven to approach and draw neer to us before we draw neer to it will the Lord be found of those that seek him not and will he not be found of you that do seek him Will the Lord come with his grace and make an offer of grace and mercy to a sinner and a great sinner and will not the Lord receive you when you do come unto him Think of this and surely then you will say Doubting shall be no more Some there are that doubt of their salveation because they cannot pray their hearts are dead pray I cannot and hear I cannot and reade I cannot performe duty I cannot and therefore I have cause to fear I shall never come to Heaven Well but though you cannot Man or Woman Christian pray as thou art able and hear as thou art able and reade as thou art able the Lord Christ is of this sweet disposition That he does canse the Kingdom of Heaven to draw neer to us before we draw neer to it Oh! therefore you that are the servants of the Lord Trust in the Lord for ever for ever trust in the Lord and let doubting be no more I conclude all with one word of Exhortation Applic. 2 and it is unto those that have not yet submitted unto this Kingdom of Heaven this Kingdom of Grace Is there a truth in this Doctrine That the Kingdom of Heaven grace mercy and free remission does approach unto us before we draw neer unto it and that because indeed we are not able to draw neer to it before it draws neer unto us Then all you that have not yet submitted unto this Kingdom of grace and the offer of grace and mercy in the Gospel when ever any offer shall be made unto ye take heed that ye neglect not so great salvation You see how 't is with the sea-man because the sea-man is not able to raise a wind or turn the wind when 't is raised he lies upon the sea-coast ready waiting upon the wind and when the wind turns then he hoists up his sailes for saies he now the wind is come about and if I lose this gale I am likely to lose my voyage I cannot turn the wind I cannot make the wind So

99. 101 What good a Christian receives hence 1 Jesus Christ is made our strength Page 104 2 We are moved to love him ibid 3 To live in dependance upon him ibid 4 To walk humbly before him ibid 5 To be fruitful Page 105 Application What infinite cause have we to advance the Name of Jesus Christ Page 106 How may this be done 1 By offering up our own christ to him Page 107 2 Account it a great honour to belong unto him ibid 3 Give not the worst but alwaies the best to him Page 108 4 Despise not the choice work of Christ ibid 5 Trust alwaies in him ibid 6 So to walk that the men of the world may speak well of the waies of God Page 109 7 Own Christ Page 110 8 Be willing to stoop to any work for Jesus Christ though it lie below your condition SERMON VI John 1.16 Doct. Whatsoever grace or holiness there is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in the Saints that is answerable thereunto Page 113 Proved Reason 1 Because there is a blessed union between Christ and every Christian Page 115 Reason 2 Jesus Christ is our second Adam a common person between God and us Page 117 Reason 3 There is an incomparable love between Christ and a Christian ibid Reason 4 There is the same spirit in a Christian that is in Christ Page 119 Object How can this be Answered Page 120 Application 1 How many persons there are that live under the Gospel and have no interest in Jesus Christ Page 122 Instanced 1 In prophane people ibid 2 In meerly Civil and morral people ibid 3 In Hypocrites Page 123 Application 2 What a blessed thing it is for people to be in Christ Page 123 Quest What is our duty that flows from hence Answ 1. Be not proud of it Page 124 2. Improve it Page 125 1 By beholding it ibid 2 By imitating it ibid 1 By bearing witness to the truth ibid 2 By stooping to any work though below us ibid 3 By being much in prayer ibid 4 By not knowing our natural relations ibid 5 Having an high esteem of the Saints though never so low Page 126 6 So exercising one grace as that we may exercise another ibid 7 Being a lambe in our cause a lyon in Gods ibid 8 In sufferings 1 Not till we are called ibid 2 When we are called not to be put out of the way ibid 3 To have regard to other mens goods ibid 4 To be more sensible of Gods withdrawings than of al other pains ibid Application 3 How infinitely we are bound to God the Father for our Lord Jesus Christ Page 128 Gods two great gifts were 1 He gave the world to man 2 He gave Jesus Christ to the world ibid Application 4 Be contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all his sufferings SERMON I Romans 4.19 Text opened Page 152 Doct. 1. When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any special blessing to beleevers he doth first put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the means that lead unto it Page 154 Proved Reason 1 That he may be most seen therein Page 156 Reason 2 That the Saints may learn to trust to God alone Page 157 Reason 3 That they may be conformable to Jesus Christ Page 158 Reason 4 That their comforts may be the more sure and stedfast ibid Objections answered Page 159 Cautions 1Vnderstand this concerning great and spiritual blessings Page 160 2 The sentence of death may be put upon the blessing in another mans hand Page 161 3 It is much according to the life of the mercy that come afterward Page 162 Quest Why doth God first give the promise Answ 1 To shew us where the mercy lies Page 163 2 Because he doth not intend we shall have it presently ibid 3 That our hearts may be born up against all discouragements Page 164 Application Rest upon God in the darkest times Page 164 Quest How shall I know the mercy will revive again Answ There are two acts of faith 1 Reliance 2 Assurance Accordingly there are two objects of faith 1 A may be of mercy 2 A shall be of mercy A may be of mercy causeth Reliance A shall be of mercy causeth Assurance Reliance causeth quietness Assurance causeth joy ibid Waies to know whether mercies shall rise again or not 1 By the frequent visitings of the promise Page 167 2 By the first fruits of the promise Page 168 Encouragements to wait 1 If ever it rise it will be the choicest mercy we had in all our lives Page 170 2 It will be the surest mercy ibid 3 It will be the sweetest mercy Page 171 SERMON II Rom. 4.19 Doct. When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the means that leads to it it is the duty of the sons of Abraham to trust in God and not stand poring upon the means and deadness thereof Page 174 Divided into three propofitions and cleered 1 A meer rational considering of the means and the deadness thereof is a great enemy to beleeving cleered Page 174 2 When all means fail and seem to lie dead then it is the duty of all the sons of Abraham to beleeve cleered Page 177 3 Thus to beleeve when all means fail is exceeding well pleasing and acceptable to God cleared Page 180 Application What an encouragement is here to to live above hope and under hope Page 183 Object We are afraid to beleeve when means fail because God hath commanded us to use the means Answered Page 184 1 It may be God takes away the means to try thy faith Page 185 2 God doth never give to supply our lusts but to supply our wants ibid 3 If all the means fail faith is a means to a means Page 186 4 Look what way God is used to walk in towards you in that way you may boldly expect him ibid Object I should prosume if I should trust in God when means fail Answered Page 188 SERMON III Rom. 4.19 Doct. True saving faith carries the soul through all difficulties Page 192 Cleered 1 In that the wy to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties Page 193 2 True saving faith will carry a man through them all Page 195 3 Nothing but faith can do it For 1. Conviction of the good waies of God cannot Page 200 2 Resolution will not ibid 3 Morral vertues will not Page 201 4 Gifts and parts Gospel enlargments cannot ibid 4 What it is in faith that doth it 1 Faith shews the soul the invisible things of God Page 202 2 It tels the soul all things are it 's own Page 203 3 It shews a man greater excellencies in Christ than all difficulties Page 204 4 It enables the soul to leave the success and event of all to God ibid 5 It is that grace whereby a soul takes up the yoke of Christ Page 205 6 It teacheth man to pick out the love of God from under the anger