is unsearchable for finite creatures can never search or finde out the infinitenesse of an it finite God So in Psalm 147.5 Psalm 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great power and his understanding is infinite God is infinitely great he is so in power in understanding in working in all he is that is God is infinitely what he is he is finite in nothing nor can he be confined by any thing because Lee is the infinite God of whom all things are his infinite power gives bounds to all things but can be bounded by nothing Jer. 23.24 Jer. 23.24 Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord God is infinitely great in knowledge as well as power what can be hid from the al-seeing eye of an infinite God Our God is infinitely full he filleth heaven and earth he filleth all with his infinite power and greatnesse The vastnesse of Heaven and Earth can make no dimention to the infinite fulnesse and greatnesse of God Heaven is his Throne and the Earth his Foote-stoole and all filled with the infinite fulnesse of his power and greatnesse Fifthly Attribute 5 God is an eternall God Eternity is properly and truly the Attribute of God and of none but God God is from everlasting before every thing and on whom all things depends he is to all eternity without beginning or end and therefore must needs be an eternall God Isa 41.4 Isa 41.4 Who hath wrought and done it calling the generations from the beginning I the Lord the first and with the last I am he The Lord himselfe telleth us that he called the generations that he was first before all beginning of beings and that he abides for ever and is with the last that is Isa 43.10 as if God had said I am the eternal God So in Isa 43.10 God calleth the people to be his witnesses that before him there was no God formed nor shall there be any after him Yee are my witnesses saith the Lord and my servants whom I have chosen that ye may know and believe me and understand that I am he before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after me God confirmes the former Scripture by this that he is first and last that is he is eternall hee is before all beings and all other beings depends on him so that nothing can be after him If he should cease to be there could be no beings because all have their beings from him therefore God must needs be eternall that is the first and preserver of all beings Isa 44.6 So likewise in Isa 44.6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God As if the Lord had said there is none that is first and last but me and therefore no God but I it is onely the attribute of God to be eternall and that am I. I am first and last I am eternall that is I am God there is no God besides me therefore none eternall none is first and last besides mee I am onely the eternall God and I am truly so for I am the first and last God only is that high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity Isa 57.15 There is no everlasting but God and he is the everlasting God Moses doth acknowledge God to be so Psal 90. beg in Psalm 90. beg Before the mountaines were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God That is thou art the everlasting God that wert before the World was thou didst bring forth the mountaines thou hast formed the earth and the whole World Thou wert everlasting before the World was and it was thy everlasting power that made the World and thou art the same God still and remainest what thou art From everlasting to everlasting thou art God So the Prophet in the 102 Psalm 12 27. But thou O Lord Psa 102.12 27 shalt endure for ever and they remembrance unto all generations but thou art the same and thy yeares shall have no end thou art the everlasting Lord the same for ever thou art what thou art without end there is no end of thy being God for thou art the everlasting God Of old hath God layd the foundation of the earth Psal 102.25 26. and the heavens are the worke of his hand and though they perish and wax old as a garment yet the Lord he endureth for ever he is from everlasting for he must needs be before that which is made by him and he is to everlasting for he indureth when the heavens the earth wax old as God had nothing to make him God so there can be nothing to ungod him he is the same yesterday to day and for ever he is the eternall God he made all things of nothing but not any thing can make him nothing or lesse then he is for he is the eternall God and so the Apostle Paul sets him forth in the 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amongst other Attributes the Apostle gives God this the King or God eternall to whom is glory due for ever and ever as he is the everlasting and eternall God for this is an Attribute and a glory onely due to God Sixtly God is an omnipotent Almighty alsufficient God Attribute 6 he doth what he will his word is a Law he maketh all things with a word God said Let there bee light and there was light Gen. 1.3 the whole creation hath its forme light and being from the will and word of this Almighty Omnipotent and alsufficient God there needs no more then a word from God to make day and night heaven and firmament morning and evening to gather the waters together and to make dry land to cause the earth to bring forth after its kinde to make Sunne Moone and Starres to rule in the Heavens and to give light in their courses to cause the waters to bring forth abundantly of moving creatures after their kinde and the earth to bring forth living creatures after his kinde Cattell and creeping things and beasts of the earth I the powerfull word of this omnipotent God made man after his owne Image and gave him dominion over the fish of the Sea the fowles of the ayre over the Cattell over the earth and over every thing that creepeth upon the earth all this power flowes from the Word of an omnipotent God God said let it be so and it was so to all this 1 Gen. In this faith Isaac blesseth Jacob in the 28 Gen. 3. And God Almighty blesse thee and make thee fruitfull As if he should say if the Almighty God say but the word thou art blessed for he is the Almighty
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
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
God doe prove him to be the faithfull God for unfaithfulnesse and God are inconfistant they can no more be together then light and darknesse in truth there is no comparison to be made of the vastnesse of their disagreement God and truth are one for God is the God of truth hee is a faithfull God There is exceedingly more of the glorious Attributes of God which would abundantly take up the Meditation of a spiritual soul but I intended only a short touch of some of them which might leade to and carry on the designe I drive at which is the establishment of soules by beleeving in God in this God assisting you may have some small helpe to the understanding of what God is in himselfe the improvement of it for establishment I intend in the conclusion this for the opening part of it shall bee all to the first of the three things I proposed in the beginning of the Booke namely To beleeve in God in what hee is in himselfe For the other two To beleeve in what God doth and in what God saith as the word and workes of God wraps up the salvation of his people in them I shall here put them both together under this consideration Namely a briefe collection with its proofes of the whole designe and worke of God in the salvation of his people And it is this To manifest the glory of his free-grace in the full redemption of his people through Christ and in their receiving and applying it to themselves by believing First The great designe of God in his saving worke to his people is to glorifie or to manifest and declare the glory of his owne eternall originall free-grace and rich love The free-grace and rich love of God is God himselfe that God which is an incomprehensible and inexpressible Essence the true and perfect God who is first without all cause of being an immutable God and of infinite great Majesty an Eternall Omnipotent and Almighty God This is the God of Free-grace now the designe of this God in the salvation of sinners which is the worst and most miserablest piece of the whole creation in it selfe to all eternity is to glorifie or to manifest the glory of his owne free-grace For this take the testimony of the holy Ghost by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 3.23 That hee might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mereie The holy Ghost in the former part of that Chapter pleadeth the soveraignty of God not any piece of clay could finde fault with the Potter what ever hee made it nor any creature with God Now in this verse hee telleth us if any be made vessels of honour and heires of glory it is that God might make knowne the riches of his glory it s his mercy and free-grace As if the holy Ghost had said God accounts of his grace and mercy to be the riches and excellency of his glory Now to make it knowne that this is his great designe God silleth heaven and earth with this his glory the redeemed in Heaven and the redeemed in Earth shall be one in Heaven at last and therein ages to come even to all eternity be swallowed up into the exceeding riches and glory of his grace Ephes 2.7 And the holy Ghost in this and the verse before it telleth us that is Gods end and designe in raising us up together and making us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus If wee observe this Scripture it holds forth this that all the kindnesse wee receive from God it is his grace in Christ and Gods designe in the manifesting of this his free-grace in Christ is to shew forth the exceeding riches and glory of it the whole worke of salvation will cleare up this truth for if we consider all the subjects of salvation we shall finde no object for any thing of God but his free grace and rich love the pollution of faine man in his naturall condition could not be an object of preservation to the holy just and pure eyes of an omnipotent God nothing but free-grace and rich love in God could looke the lookes of life to souls dead in sinnes and trespasses And if thus then it plainely appeares that Gods great design in the salvation of sinners is namely to glorifie or to manifest the glory of his owne eternall rich love and free-grace God will have soules live by his grace that hee might manifest the life and glory of his grace that grace which giveth life appeares in the life it giveth so that every saved soule is a monument of the riches and glory of the love and grace of God and the wise God layde his designe sure when hee made choise of the salvation of sinners to manifest the glory of his free-grace by In the next place I shall hold forth how God doth accomplish this great end and design of his Namely by making the whole frame and worke of salvation to flow from and to depend upon his owne free-grace so as there is nothing in the whole worke of salvation from first to last but the free-grace of God Ephes 2.5.8 Even when we were dead in sinnes bath quickened us together with Christ. By grace are yee saved The time speaks grace when dead in sinnes this is a season only for grace and that the grace of God too appearing when not only in sinne but dead in sin past all recovery as from selfe if doing could prevaile yet here is no life to doe withall this is onely a time for a living love in God to act free-grace in If ever salvation comes to soules dead in sinne it must be by grace the grace of God saves of it selfe without any cause out of it selfe and this is the true salvation of soules dead in sin by grace yee are saved to be saved by grace that is to be saved in the salvation of God the whole worke to be of his free-grace not any tittle of it of our salves Rom. 3.23 24. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace Marke it there is all selfe under sin but saved justified and acquitted soules from sin are the fruits of Gods free-grace though selfe come short of the glory of God yet free-grace makes perfection that justifies this is the salvation of God to justifie freely by his grace Rom. 5.21 That as sinne hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Jesus Christ Here sinne and selfe hath its reign but it is to death but all the parts of salvation is the work of Gods free-grace grace reignes through righteousnesse in Jesus Christ The righteousnesse of Christ to saved soules or Christ made righteousness to such souls what is it but the reign of Gods free-grace that is grace is supreame the grace
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
as winde there is no truth in them so that as a reasonable creature I am at a losse what to believe of when to believe any thing that man shall say Is it so Reason Would you believe truth if you could find it why then looke up to God ponder his word if you find any promise that answers your wants believe in him he will make all good that he hath said you dare not trust men because they have so often deceived you let me returne the argument backe upon you therefore trust God because he never deceived you nor any that ever trusted in him take his word into thy armes of faith as fulfilled already for not a tittle of all that he hath spoken shall fail what God promiseth to give his people is as really theirs as though they had it in possession and they may build upon it he will not deceive them nay he cannot for he is God and cannot lye this is one argument to reason the truth of God because it is an act of reason to put trust in truth and to choose truth to trust in A second argument to reason is the Almighty omnipotent and infinite power of God and me thinks this should be a strong argument with reason because reason is so apt and prone to trust in power Darke and corrupted reason makes the powers of the world to be an argument against faith when faith would have the soule trust upon God and to walke in the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse Why sayes this sinfull reason all the powers of the earth will be against us and come as a flood upon us and devoure us if we should doe so Well if power bear so much sway in reason then to sanctified reason it will be a good argument to beget trust in God to plead the power of God Isa 40.15 and so on Isa 40.15 so on there you may read of the power of God That it is so full and great that all the Nations of the earth are but as the drop of a bucket and the small dust of the ballance all power compared to God is vanity and lesse then nothing Now sanctified reason here is power for thee to trust in that power which is all power and commande all powers that fountaine which giveth forth all power and can draw all into himselfe againe when hee pleaseth that power that doth in heaven and earth what ever pleaseth him That power with whom all things are possible Matth. 19.26 It is not possible for thee to trust in this power for any thing which is or can be impossible to him could corrupted reason but find a glimpse of this amongst men it would adore it and make a god of it Oh then let sanctified reason admire this God and rest upon him who is really that power with whom all things are possible God hath an infinite power he can doe for us exceeding abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke Ephes 3.20 What thinke you of this Ephes 3.20 Reason you thinke your thoughts are very vast and that you can aske very much yet in all this you are exceeding abundantly below what the Almighty Omnipotent and Infinite power of God can doe We can want but as finite creatures but hee can give as an infinite God the flesh we feare is finite flesh the God we trust is an infinite God If power can sinckâ— the scale with reason then when God appeares to it all flesh will prove lighter then vanity lesse then nothing Job mentions some of the acts of Gods power in Job 12.7 so on and 26.5 so on Job 12.7 so on Job 26.5 so on How he rules in his whole creation the Beasts the Earth the Foules that in his hands is the soule of every living thing and the breath of all mankinde That with him is strength and wisdome that hee looseth the bond of Kings he leadeth Princes away spoyled Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering The pillars of heaven trouble and are astonished at his reproofe So goes on to set forth Gods power and greatnesse and in the last verse of Chap. 26. Lâ—â— these are parts of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him but the thunder of his power who can understand When he had spoken all what he said before these sayes he are but part of the ways of the insinite great God and a very little part of that omnipotent power that is in him it is but a very little that wee can conceive of God the great thunder of his power cannot be understood by us it is too great for us hee is the great God and infinitely great in power Psal 24.8 10. So the Prophet David in Psalm 24.8 10. Who iâ— the King of glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battle The Lord of Hosts is the King of glory This is his glory he is Lord of Host the strong and mighty God infinite in power And in Psalm 29.4 8 Psal 29.4 8 9 10. 9 10. He shewes what power God hath in his voyce how full of Majesty it is That it shakes the Wildernesse that is the Whole world and that he is King for ever This is the King of glory this is our God of power Now here is power for sanctified reason to live upon and it is the power of the God of truth which will for ever be as truly power as hee is truly God so that if either truth or power may be arguments with Reason here is both in God which if believed on will for ever prove powerfull truth and truth in power because it is God in both The third argument for faith which I shall offer to sanctified Reason is the eternity and immutability of God That his truth is eternall truth and his power is unchangeable and immutable power you shall never finde him lesse then God and that is insinite all more then can be conceived or expressed Reason will choose a tocke to build upon because it is a sure foundation and will abide why now let me tel the best of reason that this is God he is the eternall Rocke of Ages from everlasting and will abide to everlasting there is no shaking this foundation nor destroying what is built upon it time did not make it nor can time make it lesse then it is Reason what can you aske for perpetuity that is beyond eternity Eternity is God and what God is is eternall every thing besides God changes but nothing can change God Psal 41.13 he is the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting Psalm 41.13 Israel's God is an eternall God alwayes God Psalm 48.14 Psal 48.14 For this God is our God for ever and ever There it no end of 〈◊〉 being God and that his people sindes and confesseth Psal 93.1 2. Psal 102.12 and so shall every soule that trusteth in him The Prophet Isaiah in his 26. Chap. ver 4.
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
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
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
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 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