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
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
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
and excellency of Gods free grace of Jesus Christ and the redemption of his grace yet he believeth not any thing If this unbelieving soule should heare the Spouse in the Canticles say that Jesus Christ her Beloved is fairer and fuller of beauty then all the beloveds in the world Hee would not believe but thinke that the world is a more beautifull Beloved then Jesus Christ and upon this consideration unbelievers choose the world for their Beloved as by faith soules close with and center in Christ so by unbeliefe soules leave Christ to embrace this present evill World The reason is this faith sees the beauty and believes the reality of Christ and the free grace of God so rests and centers there but unbeliefe that sayes there is no such grace in God nor any such riches of glory in grace no such beauty in Christ nor such necessity of being saved onely through his blood and therefore rests and centers their eternall soules in something below God and Christ this is another true property and perfect evill of unbelife in the soule Another evill of unbeliefe in the soule is this It makes men inordinate in their pursuites after the World and so likewise in their sorrow upon their disappointments or losses of the World it makes men seeke their heaven here and looke upon nothing in God as enough to repaire the losse of the World An unbelieving soule cannot live upon God day by day for its daily bread if the barns be not full it believeth it shall starve the fulnesse of God cannot satisfie it If the heart be empty of faith the hand must be full of the World or there will be no quiet in the bosome and therefore unbelieving soules will in their inordinate pursuite after the World venture soule and all upon this foundation of unbeliefe men create their owne happinesse in themselves and shape their owne felicity in their owne braines and pursue their owne fancies with a violent zeale of spirit Now if God disappoint them if hee cracke their foundation throw downe that building which they have raised in their owne fancies as a habitation for themselves to rest in then they are as inordinate in their griefe as they were before in their pursuite and both these the fruit of unbeliefe unbeliefe makes them seek felicity out of God and the same frame of spirit makes them to be as men without hope when as the world proves empty though God be everlasting fulnesse Unbelieving soules have no eye to see that more exceeding and eternall weight of glory which is in God in Christ in heaven for Saints and therefore they so eagerly pursue a dying glory and are such livelesse hopelesse undone soules when that sailes them If there be no heaven in the world such soules thinks there is no heaven at all if their owne heaven faile them then there is not heaven enough in God to satisfie them It is worthy the observing how unbeliefe in Job did make him break out into passion upon this very consideration Job 3. beg Job 6.8 How he quarrels with the day of his birth and makes it his request to God that he would cut him off What is the matter with Job now this language had not hee heard to fall from his lips formerly why now Job is stripped of the worlds riches hee would be cut off from the world if the comforts of the world dyes then he would have no longer being in the world If it be thus with Job when the sunne of unbeliefe which is dying in him doth but appeare how is it then with those that live in unbeliefe and have no acquaintance with God at all their disappointments is their hell and they say of God as those evill spirits did of Christ That he is come to torment them before their time Thus we see that unbeliefe is so potent an evill in the soule that it unjoynts the whole frame of the soule leaves it so loose that every blast shakes it and overturnes all the joyes and comforts of it that which is not fixed in God is apt to change with all that is changeable and living only in changeable vanity is alwayes in a troubled sea where it can finde no place to cast the anchor of hope on because it sees not God This is another certain evill of unbeliefe The last evill which I shall mention of unbeliefe is this It is a sinne which hath all other sinnes in it and keepes the soul in a readinesse to answer all the temptations of Satan with obedience It was unbeliefe that made the children of Israel to murmure against Moses and to doubt of Gods making good his word to them Exod. 14.10 11. And they said unto Moses Exod. 16.2 Exod. 17.2 because there were not graves in Aegypt hast thou taken us away to dye in the Wildernesse They distrusted God as well as Moses and therefore they murmure at the worke of God by Moses It is unbeliefe makes the anger so that it is a teeming sinne it brings forth more sinnes then it selfe and keeps the soule in a readinesse to entertaine all sinne the unbelieving heart it is a treasury of obedience to the Devill hee is sure never to faile of service from that soule which doth not believe in God nay the Davill can have no service from any soule 1 Chron. 21. beg but so far as unbeliefe lives in the soule Had not the Devill found unbeliefe in David he had never prevailed with him to number the People when his heart began to doubt the strength of God then was a time for the Devill to tempt him to try his owne therefore sayes he number the people Know how strong the arme of flesh is that thou maist have something to trust too this is as true a touch-stone of unbeliefe in the heart as any liveth when the soule by faith sees enough in God it is not solicitous to have an account of the fulnesse of flesh but distrust in the former puts the soule upon enquiry after the latter for satisfaction and thus unbeliefe keeps open house for Satan at all times it is the chiefe engine by which he upholds his kingdome and his credite no sinne so neare and deare to him as this it is his second selfe where ever it beares sway it maintaines his lawes and his Image See an emminent example of this in Judas Matth. 27. Matth. 27.4 5. Who when he had betrayed his Master went and hanged himselfe Satan by his Engine of unbeliefe drew him through the one sin to the other he did not believe in Christ therefore he betrayed him nor did he believe there was grace enough in God to pardon the worst of sinners therefore hangs himselfe So the Devill first perswaded Eve in Gen. 3.4 Gen. 3.4 5. 5. Not to believe what God had said and then he knew hee was able to effect his owne ends to make her disobey God and obey him in eating the forbidden fruit
them hee speakes to the people in Chap. 3. vers 12. And when Peter saw it hee answered unto the people yee men of Israel why marvell you at this or why looke you so cornestly on us as though by our owne power and holinesse we had made this man to walke This Scripture clearly proves thus much that the Apostles were carefull that not so much as a thought should remaine in the peoples hearts that the lame man was made to walk by any power and holinesse that was singly or originally in them and therefore to put all that out of dispute they declare themselves nothing but Christ all in the worke in Acts 4.10 Be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom yee crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand before you whole Observe the care of preserving the glory of God and Christ intire that was in these faithfull soules for they make a full Declaration of the power which did the work at which they were so amazed Know all you and doe you make it knowne to all the people of Israel that by the Name and power of the Lord Jesus Christ this worke is done They had here a faire opportunity to gaine great honour to themselves from the people but faith in the soule makes it its businesse to lift up the Name and glory of God and to live upon that in all it doth By faith these Apostles were instrumentall in this worke and this faith keepes them true to the originall glory which they acted by namely God and Christ they wrought this great worke in the Name of Christ and by the power of God and their second worke is to keepe the glory of it upon its owne foundation namely God and Christ Now that they might more plainly shew God and Christ to the people in this great worke they throw downe all that stands in the way and first begins with themselves Looke not upon us as if wee by one owne power and holinesse had made this man whole God hath used us as instruments but in this God is originally all therefore looke upon God not us Thus faith in GOD throwes downe selfe and flesh that GOD in his glory may appeare that the soule might glory in what God is and not what selfe is this is a precious grace in the soule for it makes a precious soule a soule willing to worke for Gods glory and accounts this a full recompence to all its labour and worke that God is thereby glorified but withall is exceeding tender that nothing of selfe should share with GOD in the glory onely due to his Name Faith at this pitch is very rarely found in these latter dayes wherein mâ—n are lovers of themselves themselves more then lovers of God but where ever it is it is an exceeding benefit and advantage to the soule such soules doe the worke of Heaven on Earth lift up the name and glory of God in all they doe and are not contented in doing any thing but in which they may doe this throw downe the vaile of their owne flesh that the glory of God might appeare in them and by them all those fleshly selfeish carnall principles and practices that are in the hearta and lives of men they are the fruite and effects of unbeliefe in the soule the evill of which doth give demonstration to the excellency and benefit of faith saith that workes and rules in the soule and conversation to the throwing downe of selfe and to the lifting up of Christ in the World this is so great a benefit that none can prize it but they that have it it is more in the injoying then it can be in the desiring Another benefit of faith in the soule is this Faith in God keepes the soule in a steady expectation of Gods fulfilling and making good his promises though the acts of his providence may seeme to worke crosly Faith centers the soule upon God in his promiset and brings it to this pitch that though it cannot see Gods way of working yet having believed God in his word doth rest in this that all his workes shall and doe make good his word so that the soule when it is at a losse concerning Gods way of working yet it is at rest in the end of God made knowne by his Word and can argue thus with it selfe though in the actings of God he seemes to crossâ— his owne ends yet I know they shall all runne into his faithfull Word and what he there speakes he is now a doing though I am a stranger to the way of his working yet he will never be failing to his owne holy ends declared in his word and upon this account the soule is kept to waite quietly and to bee steady in its expectations of Gods sulfilling and making good his promises though the workings of his providence may seeme to act crosly Therefore sayes the Prophet I will trust in thee though thou killest mee Whatever thou deest I know thou wilt fulfill thy promises this was Moses faith at the Rad Sea and his counsell to the Israelites Exod. 14.13 Exod. 14.13 Not to feare but to stand still and see the salvation of God As if he had said I and you have received promises from God that he will be with us and deliver us out of the hands of Phareah and his Task-masters why let us beleeve these promises though his workings at this present may seeme as though hee meant to let Pharoah destroy us yet having his word to the contrary feare not his workes but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord all his workes shall accomplish the fulfilling of his Word therefore in faith be quiet and waite for it there is not any thing that is more truely the nature of faith then this to keepe the soule quiet in waiting on God for the fulfilling of his promises God exhorts to this in Psalm 46.10 Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God I will bee exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth That is you that have beleeved my word if it have spoken good to you be still and quiet in your spirits concerning the fulfilling of it for I am God I am faithfull and true though my workes seem contrary to your eyes yet they are but to exalt my name among the Heathen and in the whole earth that men may not trace me in my way but yet know I am God I will be faithfull to my ends and promises fixe you your eyes there and quiet your heart in them judge not my end by my wayes but my wayes by my end waite on the fulfilling of my word be still and know that I am God Faith in God makes the soule still and quiet in all Gods dispensations to it because it knowes that he is God therefore cannot be unfaithfull to his promiser but is in
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