answerable promise that assures comfort the one holding forth the good to be done the other the good to be received Fourthly it is of particular good things And this may serve to hint and point out one considerable difference between the Covenant of grace and the promises The Covenant that is as the entire Vintage of the heavenly Canaan And the promises they are as the severall clusters of blessing that is as a glorious constellation of many celestial bodies in the firmament of the Scriptures and they are as so many single stars shining in their proper orbes that is as the totall summe in the Inventory of a beleevers estate and they are as the distinct particulars which make it up All the sweetnesse beauty worth that are diffused throughout the promises are collected in the Covenant as the scattered light in the creation was into the body of the Sun Gods Stipulation of becoming ours and of making us to be his Jer. 31. 33. comprizeth every thing that is desirable from the first of goods to the last and is both the basis and the spire the corner-stone and the top-stone of every Christians happinesse Fifthly and lastly is added the evils that he will remove And this takes in all the privative mercies and blessings which the promises of the Gospel do hold forth to beleevers which though they be not the resplendent part of their happinesse are yet of so necessary a concurrence unto it as that without them it can never be absolute or entire True happinesse consists of a double branch of an immunity or freedome from evils and the enjoyment of good both which are tacitly couched in every promise but in many most expresly and fully set down Psal 84. 11. to them that walk uprightly the Lord God is a Sun and a shield c. A Sun to give life and a shield to preserve life given A Sun to make fruitful in all good and a shield to protect from all danger Isa 25. 6 7 8. the felicity of the Church is described by a feast of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined that the Lord will make unto his people in mount Zion but to render these dainties the more pleasing he promiseth also To take away the face of the covering to swallow up death in victory to wipe away all tears from their eyes Blindnesse that may hinder the clear knowledge death that may interrupt the perpetuity sorrow that may diminish the sweetnesse of this blessed estate shall all by a powerful hand be removed and done away CHAP. III. In which the excellency and preciousnesse of the promises is demonstrated in three particulars HAving shew'd what a promise is the second thing that falls under consideration is The great worth and excellency of the promises which in divers respects will appear to be such as if compared with the choicest of earthly comforts the one will be as a sovereigne elixir full of spirits and the other as the unactive and saplesse dregs Or if with the richest treasures of the world the one will be as so much refined gold and the other as so much impure drosse What Job saith concerning the power of God If I speak of strength lo he is strong may truly also be said of the riches of the promises if ye speak of worth lo they are precious indeed SECT 1. Christ the root of the promises First the promises do derive a preciousness from the root and principle from whence they spring They are as so many beames of Christ the Sun of righteousnesse and do impart a light which discovers his excellency evidenceth our propriety and effecteth in us a blessed purity They are the desirable fruit of the tree of life not of that tree of life in the beginning of the Bible which stood in Adams Paradise on earth but of that in the end of the Bible in Saint Johns Paradise in heaven not of that which was guarded with Cherubims and a flaming sword that it might not be touched but of that in the midst of the City of God free for every beleever to put forth the hand of faith and to take and eat of the fruit of it both as food and medicine They are the crystal streams of that river of life which proceeded out of the Throne of God and the Lamb Revel 22. 1. Whose waters in time of drought never fail but with their overflowing plenty satisfie the thirsty with their cooling vertue allay the heat of the wearied and with their sweetnesse cheere and revive the drooping and dejected spirits And now methinks I cannot but make a pause and stand a while admiring both a beleevers happinesse and Christs bounty each of which are of such transcendency as that they better suit with an holy wonderment then with the most lively and full expressions Oh! how happy is every beleever whose light is the love of Christ shining in the raies of the promises whose food is the tree of life that continually yields fruit both new and various whose cordials are the waters of life not sparingly given to a bare sustentation but freely flowing to a delightful satiety Well might David in a rapture say Lord What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels Psal 8 4 5. And well also might Paul as one standing upon the shoare and fathoming the sea of Gods mercy cry out O the depth of the riches of God! Rom. 11. 35. And most joyfully may every heire of the promise say My lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Psal 16. 6. to whom such precious promises are given as exceed both in glory and certainty all earthly performances whatever being in Christ from whom they all come Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. SECT 2. The promises the root of Faith Secondly the promises may be said to be great and precious in respect of that proximity and peculiar relation which they have to the most excellent and noble grace of faith above all other graces whatsoever They are the precious objects of precious faith as the Apostle stiles it 2 Pet. 1. 1. True it is that the quickening influence and vertue of the promises doth reach every grace of the Spirit whereby they are both facilitated and strengthened in their several motions and operations by them hope is kept alive in its expectation of Good patience is supported under difficulties holinesse is perfected love is inflamed and a blessed feare of God is preserved But yet all this is not done by the immediate intercourse which these graces have with the promises but by the intervention of faith which first feeds upon them as the Manna of the Gospel and then communicates the sweetness and vertue that it draws and receives from them in a suitable manner to every other grace As the root first sucks the juyce and sap from the
or no stead Though they use the precepts of the Word as a lamp to guide their feet yet they stumble though they use the promises as a staffe to support them yet they fall though they beg and pray for strength yet they are feeble to what end therefore should they be much in the use of such helps as they cannot finde either to relieve them or better them Such expostulations and complaints I shall onely answer with a suitable story related in the lives of the ancient Fathers which is this One of the fraternity came to the old Father and complained Father I do often desire of the ancient Fathers some instructions for the good of my soule and whatsoever they tell me I forget all The old man had two empty vessels and bid him bring the one and poure water into it and wash it cleane and then poure out the water and set it up clean in its place Which when the young man had accordingly done he demanded Which now of the two vessels is the more cleane The young man answered That into which I poured water and washed it Then replied the old Father So is the soul which oftentimes heareth Gods Word though it remember not what it hath heard yet it is more cleansed from sin then that soul that never comes to heare And so may I say to them that complaine they ruminate often upon the promises in their thoughts pleade them in their prayers read them in the Word but yet finde no benefit or fruit from them that in so doing they are not onely more holy and free from lusts then others who neglect them but far better then otherwise themselves would be should they not be imployed in such spiritual and blessed services CHAP. VIII Containes five other positive Rules for the right application of the Promises SECT 1. Rule 6. Continue in a holy waiting upon God THe sixth Rule or direction is to abide and continue in a holy waiting upon God untill he who is the maker of the promises become the fulfiller of them Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God saith the Psalmist untill that he have mercy upon us Ps 123. 2. Some promises are like unto the Almond-tree which putteth out upon the first approach of the spring and bringeth forth an early fruit they are not long pleaded ere they be fulfilled and have their blessings like ripe fruit to drop into the mouth of the eater Others are like to the Mulberry-tree which is slow and backward in the imparting of its sap unto the branches they are long before they bud forth into any appearances which may discover any step and progresse to be made in order to their future accomplishment so that they who are the inheriters of them though they need not to fear their failing the appointed time yet they need patience to expect and waite their fulfilling The great promise which God made to Abraham of multiplying his seed like the stars of heaven Gen. 15. 5. did for two hundred and fifteen years continue its motion like to a slow-paced planet having in all that tract of time gone little of that course which it was to finish for Abraham was seventy five years old when the promise was made and an hundred years old when Isaac who was the first blossome of that promise was born Isaac was threescore yeares old before Jacob was borne Jacob was an hundred and thirty yeares old when he went into Egypt and then there were no more then seventy souls that had issued from the loynes of Abraham But yet in the latter two hundred and fifteen years When the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworne to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt Act. 7. 17. They that were but seventy at their going into Egypt were at their coming forth six hundred thousand three thousand five hundred and fifty the males onely being numbred from twenty years old and upward besides the tribe of Levi which was forbidden to be counted Num. 1. 46 47. Seeing therefore that there is oft-times a long intervall between the seed-time and the harvest of the promise between its making and its fulfilling it is necessary for beleevers to waite upon God who is optimus opportunitatis arbiter one that can best date and time his own promises and to expect with patience the appointed time of the promise which at the end shall speak and not lie Though it tarry waite for it Hab. 2. 3. Now if you aske what waiting is It is not any particular grace as varnish is not a particular colour but it is the companion well-nigh of all graces and therefore in Scripture we shall finde it to be joyned to the chief of graces so as by its conjunction with them to adde a perfection and lustre to them It is joyned with faith Isa 28. 16. He that beleeveth shall not make haste With hope Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. With patience Jam. 5. 7. The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it With submission and contentment Isal 37. 7. Rest in the Lord or be silent to the Lord and wait patiently for him With perseverance Hos 12. 6. Keep mercy and judgement and wait on thy God continually All these graces thus coupled with waiting is a beleever to exercise in his pleading before God the performance of any promise and to take heed that he let not his faith to end in diffidence his hope to languish into despaire his submission and patience to turne into murmurings his perseverance to expire in backsliding and to say as that wicked King This evil is of the Lord why should I wait upon him any longer 2 King 6. 33. A good heart though it will not let God wait long no not at all for its obedience yet it will wait as long as God sees good for his promise saying only with David Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 119. 49. SECT 2. Rule 7. Make choice of some special promises to resort to in extremity The seventh direction is To single and cull out of the many promises which God hath made for pardon holinesse protection provision some one or two of every kind which we may resort unto with speed in any extremity Weak and infirme persons besides the many Physical herbs distilled waters magisterial powders costly electuaries with which their closets are plentifully furnished have usually some peculiar cordial which in the day they carry about them and at night set at their beds head to prevent and repell fainting sits so should beleevers besides those promises of all sorts with which they are to store themselves have in a constant readinesse some few special promises which upon every occasion that may befall them they may quickly have recourse unto both for support and comfort And here though I shall
not prescribe and limit any in their choise but leave them to the free use of such Scriptures and promises as themselves by experience have found to be full of life and sweetnesse yet it will not be amisse to recommend the use of some few eminent promises of divers kinds out of the full store-house of the Word which may serve as so many meet cordials to revive the spirit of drooping Christians amidst the several kindes of necessities that may afflict them Are any burthened with the guilt of sinne so as that their soule draweth nigh unto the pit of despaire What more joyful tidings can ever their eares heare then a proclamation of free mercy made by the Lord himselfe unto beleeving and repenting sinners What more glorious and blessed sight can their eyes ever behold then the Name of God written in sundry of his choice attributes as in so many golden letters for them to read The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne Exod. 34. 6 7. He is the Lord who only hath jus vitae necis the absolute power of life and death in his hands but he is the Lord God merciful who far more willingly scattereth his pardons in forgiving then executeth his justice in condemning like the Bee that gathers honey with delight but stings not once unless she be much provoked He is gracious not incited to mercy by deserts in the object but moved by goodnesse in himself his love springs not from delight in our beauty but from pitty to our deformity He is long-suffering bearing with patience renued and often repeated injuries which he might by power revenge upon him who is the doer He is abundant in goodnesse grace overfloweth more in him then sinne can do in any Sin in the creature is but a vicious quality but goodnesse in him is his nature He is abundant in truth as he is good in making the promises so is he true in performing them when men deale unfaithfully with him he breaks not his Covenant with them He keeps mercy for thousands former ages have not exhausted the treasures of his mercy so as that succeeding generations can finde none there are still fresh reserves of mercy and that not for a few but for thousands He forgives iniquity transgression and sinne not pence but talents are forgiven by him not sinnes of the least sise are onely pardoned but sinnes of the greatest dimensions And as this promise in which the Name of God is so richly described doth fully answer the hesitancies doubts and perplexities of such who fear their iniquities for number to be so many for aggravation to be so great as that sometimes they question Can God pardon sometimes Will he ever shew mercy to such a wretched Prodigal So likewise may that blessed promise made unto beleevers Hos 14. 5 6 7. exceedingly support such who mourne under their want of holinesse and complaine of the weaknesse of their grace fearing that the little which they have attained unto goes rather backwards then forwards God himself having promised that he will be as a dew unto them which shall make them to put forth in all kindes of growth They shall grow as the lilly and cast forth their roots as Lebanon their branches shall spread and their beauty shall be as the Olive-tree they shall revive as the corne and grow as the vine What more comprehensive summary can there be either of Gods goodnesse or of a beleevers desires then there is in this one promise wherin he hath promised to make them grow in beauty like the lilly in stability like the Cedar in usefulnesse like the Olive whose fruit serves both for light and nourishment in spreading like the vine and in their encrease like the corne God himselfe being both the planter and waterer of all their graces To them who are full of fears through the approach of dangers which they have no hope to avoid or power to overcome How full of encouragement and comfort is that promise of protection and safety When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Isa 43. 2. Water and fire are two evils in which none can be with their nearest friends without perishing with them Who can save a Jonah when cast into a boisterous sea but God And who can walk in the fiery furnace with the three children and not be consumed but the Son of God In the prison one friend may be with another in banishment he may accompany him in the battel he may stand by him and assist him but in the swelling waters and in the devouring flames none can be a reliefe to any but God and he hath promised to beleevers to be with them in the midst of both these that so in the greatest extremities which can befall them they may fully rest assured that nothing can separate God from them but that he will either give them deliverance from troubles or support them under troubles Martyres non â—ripuit sed nunquid descruit saith Austin He did not take the Martyrs out of the flames but did he forsake them in the flames Lastly to them the meannesse of whose condition may seeme to expose them above others to hunger cold nakednesse evils that make life it self far more bitter then death how full of divine sweetnesse is that blessed promise of provision The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing Psal 34. 10. The Septuagint renders it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great wealthy men of the earth who like beasts of prey live upon spoile and rapine who think that in the hardest times that can come they shall be eaten up last they shall be bitten with hunger and perish by famine when they who fear the Lord shall be in want of nothing The widows little barrel of meale in the famine yielded a better supply then Ahab his storehouse and granary her cruse had oile in it when his Olive-yards had none Oh! how securely and contentedly then may a beleever who acts his faith in such promises lay himself down in the bosome of the Almighty in the worst of all his extremities not much unlike the infant that sleeps in the armes of his tender mother with the breast in his mouth from which as soon as ever it wakes it draws a fresh supply that satisfies its hunger and prevents its unquietnesse SECT 3. Rule 8. Consider of the examples to whom promises have been fulfilled The eighth direction is in the making use of any promise to parallel our condition with such examples which may be unto us as so many clear instances of the goodnesse and faithfulnesse of God in his giving unto others the same or
the promises to be effectual unto us both for support and comfort He alone it is who is the mighty worker of that noble and divine grace of saving faith by which beleevers are enabled to lay hold of the promises and by them of Christ in whom they all meet as so many lines in their common centre He it is who opens the eyes of the understanding and fills the heart with an heavenly light by which the worth and preciousnesse of those things which are given of God in the promises are judged and discerned He it is who brings to our remembrance the faithful sayings of the Gospel and makes them to be as words spoken in season to him that is weary He it is who teacheth beleevers to plead the promises in their supplications unto God and when they know not what to pray for as they ought maketh request for them with groanings that cannot be uttered He it is who by way of obsignation doth seal and ratifie the promises unto the faithful and that in a peculiar and transcendent manner In the assurance and security which is given for outward things we only have the wax sealed with the impression and sculpture of the seale the signet sealing is not at all looked after if the one be safe it matters not though the other be lost But in the confirmation of the promises beleevers do possesse both they have the holy Spirit who is as the seale sealing and the graces of the Spirit which are as the seal sealed and printed upon their hearts The Spirit by his special testimony doth assure them of the certainty of their salvation and seale them up unto it acording to that of Paul Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God and heires with Christ The graces of the Spirit which are his lively image and impresse upon their soules do also evidence and confirme the same thing according to that of the Apostle Hereby we know that we are passed from death unto life because we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3. 14. It is therefore a direction of great importance unto all who would gladly reap profit and advantage from the promises to keep firme and to strengthen their communion with the Spirit who is the only Counsellour to instruct them how to manage the promises to the best improvement of them the most powerful Advocate to furnish them with arguments to plead at the throne of grace their right unto them and their interest in them the most effectual Comforter to support their hearts with confidence to fill them with joy while they waite upon God for the performance of his promises unto them If he be grieved by our carelesse demeanour towards him it is not any promise that can make us glad if he be provoked to withdraw and suspend his light there are no irradiations from the promises that can free us from the darknesse of desertion if he be made to turne our enemy by voluntary defections from him none of the promises can speak peace unto us How vaine and ungrounded then are the presumptions of those who build their hopes of heaven and salvation upon the promises of mercy yet neglect all communion with the Spirit of holinesse Who rest in the testimony of their own spirit misguided by false rules and cheated by Satans subtilties look not at all after the testimony and witnesse of the Spirit without whom all the promises of the Gospel are but as deeds and instruments with Labels hanging at them without seales to confirme them which do not operate or convey any thing of right unto those that are possessed of them SECT 5. Rule 10. Be truly thankful for the least dawnings of mercie The tenth direction in the right use of the promises no lesse weighty then any is To be truly thankful for the least dawnings of mercy for the smalest pledge and earnest of comfort which the promises at any time do afford unto us The Angel rebuked and reproached those who despised the day of small things Zach. 4. 10. who with mournfull eyes with unbeleeving and misgiving hearts did look upon the poor and meane beginnings of the rebuilding of the Temple as such which were altogether unlikely to terminate in a glorious structure and to have the top-stone thereof laid with shoutings and acclamations of joy And no lesse are those Christians to be reproved who esteem any of the consolations of God to be small who if they be not at first filled with the spiritual suavities of the promises take little or no notice of the support and sustentation which they receive daily from them who if they presently enjoy not what they hastily desire can neither thankfully accept of any pledges of mercy which God hath freely vouchsafed them nor patiently waite for the sure performance of the promises which he hath made them It is the usual method of God to fulfill his promises by certaine steps and degrees to make his salvation to break forth like the morning which begins in an imperfect twilight but ceaseth not till it grow up into a bright day The first glimmerings of peace and comfort which spring from the promises are accompanied with great mixtures of darknesse but yet they are of a growing and prevailing nature and therefore are not to be despised but to be thankfully acknowledged and rejoyced in as the happy earnests of an ensuing day in which the soul is as full of spiritual serenity and joy as the firmament is of light when the Sunne is in its verticall point In the bestowing of his favours God deales with beleevers as Boaz did with Ruth he first gave her a liberty to gleane in his fields then invited her to eat bread at his table and to dip her morsel in the vineger and lastly gave himself So God first in a sparing manner and at some distance makes a discovery of his love and good will unto them then in a more familiar and friendly way he encourageth them by his promises to draw neere unto him and to taste how good the Lord is to those that fear him And then as the complement of all he gives his Spirit into their bosomes to assure them of his love and their interest in whatever might make them perfectly happy After that ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise saith the Apostle Ephes 1. 13. But the ready and speedy way to obtaine all this is to be truly thankful for the least appearance of mercy that shines forth from the promises and to count it worthy of all acceptation to receive it with such joy as the morning was wont to be anciently saluted when the people went out and cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Welcome such light To such God speakes as our Saviour did to Nathanael Joh. 1. 50. Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the fig-tree believest thou thou shalt see greater things then these Art thou
Prophet Their lines are fallen unto them in pleasant places yea they have a goodly heritage Psal 16. 6. SECT 3. Five assertions directing to the right understanding of temporall promises The third particular is the giving of rules for the right understanding of the nature of temporall promises and the manner of due applying them unto our selves which I shall set down in these five subsequent Assertions First that God declaration in his promises of giving temporall blessings is not absolute but carries with it a tacit condition and limitation of expediency The great and utmost end of all the promises is one and the same with that which is the chief end of man the fruition of God and communion with him in everlasting blessednesse Now the means that are subservient to this end are either such as are of absolute necessity and do immediately prepare and dispose the soul for the obtaining of it Or else such as are lesse requisite and have onely a remote and consequentiall tendency thereunto and that not of themselves but as they are over-ruled by God who makes Omnia cooperari in bonum all things to work together for good to them that love him And of this kinde are all temporall blessings prosperity riches health freedome and the like All which do as I conceive come no further under the verge of a promise then as they conduce to the happinesse of the other life this life being onely a way and passage unto it As the wildernesse was to Israel to bring them to Canaan Because therefore none can know what is that measure of these outward comforts which most tends to the furtherance of their eternall happinesse which in and above all things ought to be eyed by them It being haply more for their spirituall good to have many advantages of this life in a lesse degree rather then in a greater to want them rather then to enjoy them They cannot then in their supplications to God seeke the absolute performance of his promises in temporall blessings but must refer themselves to his wisdome and faithfulnesse so to order and measure out the comforts of this life unto them as may best stand with the welfare of their everlasting condition without which all earthly happinesse is no other then a splendid misery But it is much otherwise in the blessings of grace and holinesse which are things so essential to a beleevers fruition of God as that without faith he cannot please God Heb. 11. 6. without holinesse he cannot see God Heb. 12. 14. without being born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 3. And being therefore so intrinsecally good in themselves so absolutely also necessary unto salvation they are in prayer to be most absolutely sought as considered in their essence but their degrees are arbitrary God giving to some a lesse to others a greater measure of grace according to his pleasure The second Assertion is that the fulfilling of temporal promises is disjunctive God either giving the blessing it self or that which is equivalent unto it The promises of God are all made in Christ and derive their certainty and stability from him in whom they are made not from us to whom they are made they are all ratified with the same oath and purchased by the same blood And though they are not equally precious in regard of the things promised yet they are equally true in regard of the certainty of their performance onely the manner of their fulfilling is different In the spiritual promises God gives the things in kinde for how can they be otherwise made good What is answerable in worth or excellency to grace the least drop of which is of more value then the whole creation In temporals God gives the things themselves or makes a compensation some other way If riches be asked of him in prayer and yet denied he makes it up in contentation which brings that satisfaction with it that riches cannot yield If health be prayed for and not granted he gives strength to beare the crosse by putting under his everlasting armes If deliverance in trouble be desired and not obtained he gives the divine consolations of Martyrs which that Noble Landgrave of Hessia said he found in his long and tedious imprisonment And in thus doing God doth not break his promise but change it to the better It is said of our Saviour Heb. 5. 7. That in the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared That which Christ prayed for was deliverance O'Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Mat. 26. 39. Was there then any defect in Christs faith in that he did not obtain the thing prayed sor Or how was his prayer heard did he not die the death of the crosse was he not buried in the grave Yes but yet he had from God an answer of supportation though not of deliverance He was strengthened in his agonie by the appearance of an Angel Luke 22. 43. He was assured by Gods promise of victorie over death though not of freedome from it He under-went the darknesse of the grave but not the corruption of it Psal 16. 10. The third assertion is that temporal promises are to be expounded with the reservation and exception of the Crosse God in the Covenant of Grace which is the adequate measure of his obligation to believers hath kept to himself this prerogative of chastening the delinquencies of his children with rods Psal 89. 33. of withdrawing his favours from them when they with-hold their obedience to him of exercising the severity of a Father as well as the indulgency of a Mother And therefore beleevers when they want the staffe of many outward comforts in their hand and feel the smart of the rod of affliction upon their back they are not to suspect Gods fidelity in his promise but to reflect upon themselves and by a serious disquisition to consider from whence the suspension of any good things that he hath promised doth arise And if Christians under Gods reâ—ukes did make this their chief task they would be so farre from charging him with unfaithfulnesse as that they would more wonder that God is pleased to vouchsafe them any thing that are Prodigals that justly deserve nothing In the midst of their deepest trials they would say as the Church did in her extremities It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed Great is thy faithfulnesse O Lord Lam. 3. 22 23. The fourth Assertion is that temporal mercies in the promises are onely to be obtained by a well regulated prayer in which God is sought after a right manner and the mercies begged for a right end First the manner of seeking God must be in faith James 1. 6. Let him ask in faith nothing wavering But the faith here required is not the faith of a