save sinners this must needes magnifie the grace of God because the saved and the justified are nothing in the worke themselves onely sinners and the worst of sinners saved onely of grace by grace it is grace in God and grace in Christ the grace of God through Christ that makes such as are dead in sins to be quickned together with Christ and from this the holy Ghost telleth us that by grace wee are saved Ephes 2.5 Christ came from Heaven to doe his Fathers will that was to save all which his Father had given him not to loose any but to raise them up at the last day John 6.38 39. God chooseth Christ a body John 6.38 39 of which hâ— maketh him head and Saviour and send him into the World that he might rederme his body by satisfying justice so that he might save the whole and raise them up at the last day at his redeemed body and all this the worke of Gods free grace through Christ for Christ doth acknowledge that his worke of redemption was his Fathers will and his word was to perfect the designe of his Fathers grace that all God had given him might be redeemed through him and justified by his Fathers grace in the death of Christ God commendeth his love and grace to â—e Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love to us in that whilst wee were sinners Christ dyed for us Marke it the satisfaction that Christ gave to the justice of God for sinners was so farre from being any diminution to Gods grace that it is a commendation of it or an exaltation and glory of it for it exceedingly commends the glory of Gods love and grace that Christ should dye because we were sinners there lyes the emminency of Gods love it is Christ the gift of his grace dying for sinners this makes all the worke grace grace in God sends Christ to dye for sinners whom otherwise must dye eternally in sinne can there bee any thing but grace in this in the Apostles account Christs dying for us when when we were sinners doth much demonstrate the love and grace of God and surely so it doth Thus doth God save his people by grace and satisfie his justice in Christ Now Christ having satisfied his Fathers justice fulfilled and kept the Law to the utmost for all his elect body he bringeth them to the throne of his fathers justice as well as the throne of his grace and there God as a just God doth justifie head and members Col. 2.9 10. For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily And yet are compleate in him As if God should say Christ hath satisfied my justice as God Man and though my justice were the justice of a God yet him in whom the fulnesse of the God head dwelleth bodily hath fully satisfied it and all his members are compleate in him I have received full satisfaction for them in him and in him doe sully acquit and discharge them of all guilt and unrighteousnesse before me to all eternity for yee are compleate in him That iâ— compleate in his compleatnesse For he was made sinne for you which knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5. last that you might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Marke it the end of Christ being made sinne was that in him his elect body might bee made the righteousnesse of God that is that Christ might bee our righteousnesse as the gift of God so that Christ being our righteousnesse wee might bee righteous in the righteousnesse of God and so compleate in him namely Christ as Christ is the righteousnesse of God to his people So are they all compleate in him and in this the righteousnesse of God Saints are justified at the throne of Gods justice and taken up into his bosome of grace for in union with Christ there can be no condemnation Rom. 8. Thus doth free grace in God accomplish and finish its worke of salvation for all his elect through Christ God doth this worke in Christ that it might be all free grace and that he might take off all boasting in the creature by the Law of faith Rom. 3.27 whom hee chooseth from all eternity to be heires of glory hee chooseth them in Christ Ephes 1.4 whom he calleth out of nature into his grace he calleth in Christ Rom. 8. latter end Such as he redeemeth he redeemeth through Christ and makes him to bee redemption to them 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 3.24 Them which God justifies and makes righteous he justifieth and maketh righteous in Christ Rom. 4.25 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 10.3 4. Rom. 4.25 Gal. 5.4 So Christ he is made sanctification to his people 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 8.10 8.10 And when Saints are taken up into their fulnesse of glory then they reape the fulnesse of their union with Christ John 17. latter end John 14.19 Rom. 8.17 So that this whole salvation is the worke and gift of Gods free grace wrought in Christ Now that it might be free grace in God and onely free grace which begins carries on and perfects this worke of Salvation in all the parts and degrees of it this is the will of God That the hand which taketh receiveth applyeth and oppropriateth thiâ— free gift of Gods grace to the soules of his Elect body should bee the hand fo saith so that as it reignes in the soules of beleevers Rom. 3 24 37. 1 John 3.23 it might appeare to be of grace and not of workes Rom. 3. ◠〈◊〉 27. 1 John 3.23 And this is his Commandement that 〈◊〉 should beleeve on the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ The will of God appeares in his Commandement and that is to beleeve in the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ to beleeve in Jesus as a Saviour and a Redeemer to save and redeeme his people from their sins Matthew 1.21 And she shall bring forth a Sonne and thou shalt call his name Jesus for hee shall save his people from their sinnes This is to beleeve in the name of Jesus to beleeve in Jesus as the Saviour of his people from their sinnes this is the will and commandement of God in this sense in Scripture Rom. 3.1 we are often said to be justified by faith Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ That is not by faith as a meritorious grace to merit justification for then it were of works which would destroy the nature of faith and the designe of Gods free grace but by faith as an appropriating and applying hand to lay hold on the salvation of Gods free grace through Christ in beleeving of Gods Word and worke of Salvation by his free grace through Christ so as to cast the salvation of our eternall soules Rom. 5.1 upon Gods free grace in the satisfaction and redemption of Christ therefore Justified by faith wee have 〈◊〉 with God through our Lord Jesus Christ That is by faith laying hold
on Jesus Christ as our Lord Jesus Christ so the soule comes to be at peace with God and to finde God to be reconciled to it and is thus justified in its owne bosome by beleeving in Christ that is the soule doth now beleeve all that God hath said concerning Christ and what Christ hath done and suffered for finners 2 Cor. 5. last and doth by faith apply and appropriate this to it selfe my Lord Jesus Christ saith a beleeving soule whom God made to his sinne for mee Isa 53. that I might be the righteousnesse of God in him upon whom God hath layd all my iniquities and the chastisements due to my sinnes Col. 2.19 and by whose stripes my soule is bealed So that now I stand compleate before God in him Thus by beleeving and appropriating Christ to our owne soules wee come to be justified in our owne spirits and to be at peace with God in beleeving God to bee as peace with us we come to be at peace with him that is all hard thoughts of God they are gone with unbeliefe now the soule beleeveth in God through Christ it findeth God to be a gracious loving reconciled Father and is now at peace with God or at peace in God full of peace by beleeving in God through Christ this is the justification that faith giveth the soule it lives upon the peace of God in Jesus Christ and quiets the soule in this that God is at peace with it through Jesus Christ and in this sense through the whole Booke of God wee must understand those Scriptures wherein it is said we are justified by faith Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law Gal. 2.16 but by the faith of Jesus Christ even wee have beleeved in Jesus Christ That is knowing that God doth justifie all through Christ by his free grace in beleeving and not any by workes we doe beleeve in his free grace through Christ and are thereby justified not of workes no not by faith as a grace for then by workes but of his grace through Christ laid hold on and apply by faith the Apostle Paul in Rom. 3.22 Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all that beleeve the righteousnesse of God is the grace of God in Christ or the grace of God making Christ our righteousnesse which righteousnesse of God by Jesus Christ we apply to our selves by beleeving in the grace of God which hath made Christ our righteousnesse and in Christ as hee is made righteousnesse to us righteousnesse is the gift of grace but if faith as an act in us could justifie us then righteousnesse and justification would not be of grace but as faith is onely a hand to lay hold on Christ the righteousnesse of Gods free grace and this faith the gift of God not of our selves Ephes 2.8 So it hath its place and worke in the great designe of God the Salvation of his free grace So in Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 The holy Ghost doth not there say that by beleeving which is a worke of grace in the soule the soule doth put an end to the Law that is satisfie it and make it selfe righteous no for then righteousnesse would be of the Law but Christ he hath put an end to the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth that is by beleeving in Christ as our righteousnesse there is an end put to the Law the Law is no righteousnesse but Christ is righteousnesse and the fulfiller of the Law for all that thus beleeve on him faith is only the hand to lay hold of and to appropriate and apply Christ to the soule whom is Gods righteousnesse and the sulfiller of this Law for all that so beleeve on him Beleevers should be exceeding tender of preserving the glory of Gods grace for it is by grace that wee are saved and onely of grace that we are what we are and for this very cause was faith made the hand to lay hold on grace grace in God hath not made a hand to destroy it selfe we must be very watchfull in this thing and make the grace of God to bee the tryall of faith for that faith cannot bee true which doth not advance the free grace of God the highest pitch of faith in which it is very glorious is to apply the grace of God to the soule and to cast the soule upon the free grace of God to unselfe the creature to trample its best workes under feet as drosse and dung and resting full in the grace of God through Christ desiring onely to be found in him Not having our owne righteousnesse which is of the Law Phil. 3.8 9. but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.8 9. True faith it lifts up free grace in God by seeking his righteousnesse by faith it aimes no higher but to be a hand to receive the gift of grace Gods righteousnesse the Lord Jesus Christ The true worke of faith in the soule is to bring in Christ and cast out the Law as that Schoole-Master which keep◠the soule under feares till Christ came and to acquaint the soule that it is a Childe of God through Christ Jesus Gal. 3.25 26. John 6.40 47 Gal. 3.25 26. and that in Christ it hath everlasting life John 6.40.47 Thus beleeving in Christ the soule is strengthened in the inward man Christ dwelling in the heart by faith Eph. 3.16 17. Ephes 3.16 17. and establishing the soule in its union with Christ that soule which beleeveth in Christ as the gift of Gods free grace in whom God giveth eternall life 1 John 5.10 11. hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 John 5.10 11. Hee is sealed up to the love of God in beleeving the record of God that saith he loveth it freely and hath given Christ for it now the soule beleeves this word of God and rests upon it take Gods word for its eternall salvation this is the true office of faith in the foule to lay hold of the Salvation of Gods free grace in Christ declared by his word and to apply and appropriate 〈◊〉 to it selfe so as to rest and depend wholy upon it for Saivation and herein the soule comes to have the witnesse within its selfe by beleeving thus on the Sonne of God That it might appear◠to be the will of God that all which are saved of his free grace by Christ should be made partakers of this Salvation in themselves by beleeving in him and the salvation of his grace I shall of at two things to consideration First The Covenant of Gods free grace And secondly The promulgation and spreading abroad of the Gospell First Gods Covenant of free grace in Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. and Heb. 8.8 9 10 11 12. In which God doth freely ingage himselfe To
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
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
Gods shaking worke makes shaking hearts and trembling soules but had they faith in God concerning these promises they would stand still and be quiet waiting believingly for the salvation of God in the peacefull reigne and righteous government of Jesus Christ were God but believed in what he sayes all the temptations of Satan and the doubtings of our unbelieving hearts would be silenced and brought to nothing what exceeding folly is it in our hearts that GOD whom never deceived any that trusted on him should be distrusted by any and not believed by all he is the God of truth so is his word the word of truth and not any soule that ever tryed God by trusting him upon his word but found him so The Apostle Paul Rom. 8.28 tels us that all things workes together for good to them that love God This takes in all things as the other generall did all times so that put them together and it amounts to this that all things and all times are filled with Gods love to his people and so worke all together for the good of all his God loves his children as dearely upon their beds of sicknesse as in their most perfect health and his love in both makes both worke together for good to his people upon this account the Apostle knew both how to want and to abound and in all estates to be content such a presence of God is in the word of God promised to his people and God thâ—â— believed on doth quiet and establish the heart in all conditions all carnal feares are the fruits of our owne darknesses 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of faith open to see the loving kindnesse of God at he haâ—â—â—â—nifested it in the flesh of his Sonne and in his written 〈◊〉 these seares would vanish and our hearts would be fully 〈◊〉 â—â—ed by living on the fulnesse of God I have mentioned bâ—â—â—â—â—â—ety Teâ—ts of Scripture but I beseech you receive them and 〈◊〉 whole into the armes of faith they will prove cordials to 〈◊〉 hearte and establishment to your soules beleeve it GOD is worth the trust if faith open the everlasting gates and let this King of glory in his presence will make all such to be gloriâ—â—â— soules he dispels all darknesse and so all feares he fixes 〈◊〉 soules aâ— believe on him in the Lord Jesus Christ and layes them to rest in his owne bosome so as no thing or time no not Hâ—â—rulty iâ— selfe can either shake or disquiet them My whole design in this is to be an Advocate for faith in God therefore give me leave to mention one 〈◊〉 and two Rules which are subservant to this glorious end The caution is this He wary that you check not the spirit of God when it comes â—â—om God about this worke The Rules are these First Nourish all your experiences of God Secondly Be diligent in observing the workings of GODS Proâ—idence But first a little of the Caution Be wary that you cheek not the spirit of God when it comes from God to worke over and to seale up your soules in the beliefe of himselfe GOD and Christ hath promised that the spirit of God shall beare witnesse with our spirit that we are the Children of God now this promise is fulfilled many times in the hearing of the Gospel in reading of his Word or it may be in the immediate workings of himselfe upon our soules O be careful to entertaine this spirit wel a wound here may danger eternal life But it may be you wil say how shal I know the spirit of God from the dâ—ltisiâ—ns of my owne heart and the temptations of Satan I answer Try Gods Spirit by his Word and you shal finde them both centre in the manifesting Gods free graâ—e in the salvation of the worst of sinners through Christ in believing Now the delusions of our owne hearts wil lift up selfe not God and Christ and the motions of Satan wil be to distrust God as it was to our first Parents Does God say the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye sayes he It is not so God doth but delude thee â—â—te and thou shalt bee as God knowing Good and Evilâ— By this we may distinguish what spirit speakes in us and as the word and spirit of God beares witnesse each to other so doth Satans contradicting what God sayes confirme the truthes of God for were it not truth he could not oppose himselfe being the Father of lyes so that when I would lay hold of truth I would observe what Satan sayes to choose the contrary wel then if God by his spirit make knownâ— a Christ crucified toâ—â— and bid us believe on him through this Christ for everlasting salvation have a care of checking this spirit if the Dâ—vil and our owne darke hearts in which by nature the Prince of darknesse rules doth contradict the testimony of Gods spirit in this truth that is the fuller confirmation of the truth if in any streight or condition whatsoever God shall by his spirit bring to your hearts any suitable promâ—se or place of Scripture be exceeding watchful that you check not that spirit this spirit is a free spirit it is as the winde blowes where it pleaseth this iâ— Scripture advice try all spirits if they be of God that which comes from God wil leade thee to God quench not the spirit which leades thee to God in himselfe in his Sonne in his word and in his workes for that spirit which thus leadeâ— thee wil bring thee to God whom wil establish thee Oh prize that spirit that prizes God and tels thee his grace is free and rich his râ—demption ful and compleate his word true and faithful his workes great and glorious and the injoyment of him to be eternally with him if this spirit be deare to thee it wil seale thee up in this beliefe that thou art deare and neare to God in Christ and so establish thy soule by believing in the Lord thy God Now a little of the Rules First Nourish all thy experiences of God this wil much advantage faith in the soule we are apt to trust experimented creatures much more if spiritually wise shal we trust an â—â—â—â—â—mented God I have been large in the particulers of this beâ—on I onely mention it here by way of Rule for doubtlesse such souls as nourish their experiences of God doe thereby nourish and increase faith in God if such as have fought Gods battles doe preserve and nourish the experiences they have had of the powerful presence and loving kindnesses of God in those dying and difficult workes surely it wil nourish faith in their soule to trust God if ever hee shal bring to any more such workes againâ— Surely Shadrach Meshach and Abednego did never feare to follow GOD through the fire after they had experimented the power of his presence with them in the fire nor Daniel the Lyons Experiences are to faith as oyle to the fire it increaseth the flames where they meet in any soule
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
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
not simply in themselves to be rested upon the highest degree of men are but men so vanity 〈◊〉 and must p rove a lye to that flesh which trusts in them The Psalmist in Psal 103.15 16. shewes the vanity of all flesh in man the top of the whole creation As for man his dayes are as grasse as a flower of the field so he flourisheth For the winde passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more This makes good the Wise mans truth that all things under the Sunâ—â—re vanity For if man the chiefest piece of the whole creation be so light as a flower of grasse which is withered dead and dry by a puffe of winde so made nothing that the place it was in shall know it no more then surely vanity is a girdle about the loynes of all created beings then of necessity they must crack under any weight that is laid upon them and prove a lye to all those hoped for contentments that flesh lookes for from them they must prove like Jonahs Gourd because of that worme of vanity that is at the root and they will leave the soule as the Gourd did Jonah arguing for its peevish folly saying it doth well to be angry though it hath committed a double evill First in trusting to vanity and then to be angry that it appeares vanity In the 46. Isay beginning there the Prophet shewes how the Idols of Babylon could not save themselves but they and them which trusted in them were led into captivity together I shall offer but one Scripture more to this truth and that is in the 17. Jer. 5 6. Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the Heath in the desart and shall not see when God commeth Here we see is the curse of God upon trusting that in flesh which is onely proper to God this is his glory which he will not give to another and the curse of God will soone blast all flesh that is but grasse so that it shall prove vanity and deceive all that trust in it thus I hope the truth of the argument appeares by Scripture and sure I am the experience that every soul hath had of the vanity of all things besides God doth add much testimony to this truth and if thus give me leave to aske sanctified Reason if it can justifie it selfe to be reason in choosing vanity to put trust in and laying the weight of eternity upon that which hath not a moment of its owne or a dram of sufficiency to answer that weight if not then to this sanctified Reason I dare affirme that God is the onely object for a soules bellese and that there is no other eternall and sure foundation to build upon and this is the maine scope that I have in all the arguments to hold this forth to sanctified Reason that God who is the onely true Almighty Omnipotent infinitâ— eternall faithfull experimented God and an inexhausted fountaine and treasury of mercy and grace is the onely foundation of trust and confidence and that all things besides God will prove vanity under such a weight so that the light of God in the reason of his people that which sanctifies reason might from these arguments that suites with right reason leade the soules of Saints out of their owne flesh and all other vanity to cast themselves onely and eternally upon the free grace of God in Christ by beleeving in God to the establishment of soules is my end in all this and I trust thus dealing with sanctified reason will appear to be in the way to that precious end I have done with the Arguments I trust the Lord will make them his and blesse them to the end they are intended In the next place I shall offer by a few particulers in some measure a discovery of the evill of unbeliefe of not trusting of God and in God of not trusting all upon God and making him our all in all and this discovery hath one and the same end with the former arguments The first evill which I shall hold forth of unbeliefe is this That it doth as much as in us lyeth make God a lyer For proofe consider that full Scripture to this purpose in the first Epistle of John 5.10 He that beleeveth not God maketh him a lyer because hee beleeveth not the Record that God giveth of his Sonne This Scripture holds forth plainely this that not to beleeve the Record of God is to say in the unbeleife of our â—earts that God is a lyer truly unbeliefe can speake no other language nor give no better title to God for not beleeving the Record of God is a denyall of the truth of that Record and so consequently the truth of God for the Record of God cannot bee false so long as God is true and that unbeliefe which sayes the Record of God is not true doth in the same breath say that God is not true now not to beleeve the Record of God is to say it is not true for this carryes the strength and basses of all reason along with it to beleeve that which we judge to be true and to deny beliefe where we judge untruth The old Serpent the Devill began in Paradise with this temptation to perswade our first Parents that what God had said was not true that they might eate of the forbidden fruite that death was not in the act as God had said But the knowledge of good and evill It was unbeliefe of God in their hearts that made them call God the lyer and what the Serpent said to be truth therefore chose to eate not beleeving they had eate to death as God told them and so in their hearts making God a lyer this is properly the fruit of unbeliefe to count Gods record untrue and so to act contrary to the recorded and revealed truths of God This is a horred evill that which Saints in truth cannot but tremble to thinke of to put the lye upon God reproach upon his perfection to trample his truthes under our feet as untruthes and to question the righteousnesse of the ever righteous God this is the spring-head of all evill the onely safe and retyring place for Satan he reignes no where so securely as in the unbeleeving heart where God is made a lyer that darknesse makes the Devill to be counted as truth so that there his lawes prevaile and he reignes as supreame Secondly Second evill of unbeliefe Unbeliefe makes men to deny and forsake their fairest professions of Christ and holinesse rather then to suffer for them and this is the true reason why so many Professours of Christ and holinesse in times of prosperity and publike owning of godlinesse doe forsake both Christ and holinesse in times of suffering for God and his wayes because these withering branches were onely in Christ by profession not by
faith these profess Christ for the gaine of an outward reputation but do not live in Christ by faith and in times of suffering the beauty of Christ is lost to such an eye and for want of an eye of faith by which the fulnesse glory and excellency of Christ is discerned these unbeleeving professors deny their profession and their Master too if it comes to suffering with Christ if on him they will sweare with Peter they never knew him and though they sweare yet they doe not lye for such as leave their profession of Christ and holinesse through unbeliefe and become unholy they may truely say they never knew him for whom ever truly knows Christ in the spirit will never leave him an eye of faith sees so much beauty faithfulnesse power grace and goodnesse in God and Christ that though sufferings comes as waves of the Sea yet will not leave God and Christ but cleave closer to him beleeving in his grace and goodnesse for support and deliverance but that soule which beleeves not in God and doth not by an eye of faith see fulnesse in him of power grace and goodnesse to support and deliver will never trust in him but with Deâ—â—â— imbrace the present World such as follow Christ onely for the Loaves will leave him at the appearance of his Crosse That forward Professor in the 18. of Luke 18. so on which justified himselfe in keeping all the Commandements from his youth yet could not part with his worldly riches and make Christ his portion much lesse take up sufferings because of unbeliefe he would leave his good Master as he called Christ rather then his goods which were indeed his Master through the unbeliefe of his heart all his faire profession and offers after Christ comes to nothing because of unbeliefe this Christ knew therefore makes discovery of the man by trying his faith or by manifesting his unbeliefe it is the beleeving soule that followes the Lamb wheresoever he goes it is onely faith by which the soule is able to take up the Crosse of Christ and follow him but unbeliefe leaveth Christ and his Crosse together though it have professed not to leave Christ though it should dye with him yet in the appearance of such a tryall the unbeleever denies his profession to save his outside from suffering this is the constant associate of unbeliefe and therefore God is pleased in his wisedome to let sufferings be the attendance to the profession of his name in truth that thereby he might discover even to the World the precious from the vile who live in him by faith and whom onely by profession thus doth God discover the evill of unbeliefe of which argument this present age hath not been wanting A third evill of unbeliefe Third evill of â—beliefe is this unbeliefe it questions with distrust the very power of God it doubts whether God be God or his power Almighty and Omnipotent can God give bread in the Wildernesse and can God bring water out of the Rock is there fulnesse enough in God to make a barren Wildrnesse fruitfull and to give food where there is no appearance of food nay can God make a hard dry and stony Rock to bring forth water can God worke both without meanes and against meanes is this power in God thus doth unbeliefe question and distrust the power of God So that proude unbeleeving wrâ—tch King Nebuchadnezzar in the 3. Dan. 15. Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands As if he had said is there any God hath power greater then I is there any God or any power in God that can deliver out of my hands when I have heat the Furance seven times hotter then before what power can preserve you from the fire of my fury and my Furnace We may finde unbeliefe in Sarah putting this very question in Gen. 18.12 Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe saying After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also If we observe the Scripture it amounts to this What now I and my Lord am old now all hopes in nature is gone can God now make good his word to me in giving me a Childe now we are both old this is the true question that unbelief makes can God doe this great thing Shee laughed in way of sleighting the tydings through unbeliefe concerning the power which should effect it So when Elisha the Prophet did Prophesie of that suddaine and great plenty in Samaria when they were at that time strongly besieged and in great wants 2 Kings 7.1 2. the Text sayes That a Lord on whose hands the King leaned answered the man of God and sayd Behold if the Lord would make windowes in Heaven might this thing be This is the proper language of unbeliefe thou talkest of too great things for God to doe are not we straitly besieged and all our provisions gone and doest thou speake of so great a plenty in so short a time which way should God doe this what shall he make windowes in Heaven and raine downe this plenty it can come no other way thus we see the great evill of unbeliefe how it questions the power of God and as it were ungods him for to make his deficient is to make him no God A fourth evill is this Unbeliefe is the seale of damnation he that beleeveth not is condemned in himselfe we have a full Scripture to this purpose in John 3.18 But hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Unbeliefe it seales up to condemnation because it casts off the salvation of Gods free grace now that which denies the one seales up the other not to beleeve in Christ is to put from us all possibility of salvation and to seale the soule up to a certainty of damnation reade the last verse of that third of John He that beleeveth on the Bon hath everlasting life and hee that beleeveth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth in him Whom ever beleeveth not in Christ the salvation of God shall never see life shall never live in the beholding of God reconciled to him but hath the wrath of God the seale of damnation abiding on him Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God As unbeliefe keeps the soule from God so it makes the soule unpleasing to God that there is no intercourse betweene God and an unbeleeving soule now what can be a more visible seale of damnation then this Separation of the soule from God which unbeliefe makes unbeliefe biddeth defiance to God and his salvation and so seales up the soule unto condemnation unbeliefe is so truly the seale of damnation that no sinne nor sinnes can damne any soule without for where faith in Christ liveth there Christ is the death of all sinne satisfaction for all sinne and the life of soules though all sinne be damnable yet no sinne nor sinnes can
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
these were dead souls in living bodies and God throws in his displeasure their living bodies into the graves of death Thus we see the Scripture is ful of proof in this that God is an experimented God these are the experiments that Saints of old have had of God and left them upon record for the use of after ages It is a great mercy that wee have these experiments of God but I doe believe no age that ever lived were without particuler experiences of God I am sure this present age is not without wonderful many and great experiences of God in his goodnesse faithfulnesse power mercy and grace to his poore hated and despised people I shall not here mention any particulers I trust providence hath a faithfull store-house for them and a time to bring them forth entire to the glory of God who is the living and eternall fountaine of all mercy Yet let me desire Saints for their establishment in God to look backe upon the foote-steps of his power and providence his faithfulnesse and righteousnesse in ordering of battles and disposing of victories even amongst the sonnes of men If you cannot looke many yeares yet looke but some moneâ—◠〈…〉 which you may see such glorious experiences of God that if you understand them they will fill your hearts with admiring God and the language of your lips will be as the servants of God in former ages to be telling forth the experiences of God whereever you come God giveth to his children some more and to some lesse experiences of himselfe but in these latter dayes God hath given such great experience of himselfe to the whole body of Saints that I trust he wil thereby establish his people through believing in himselfe as an experimented God this is the thingâ— drive at in my selfe and other Saints and therefore have I made so large a recitall of these experiences of God to the sanctified reason of precious soules And give me leave now to argue the case a little with sanctified Reason and to tell you that God is no new-found fancy or appearance which may prove good or evill to the soule upon tryall but God is the ancient of dayes from everlasting and a tryed God such a one whom Saints in all ages have tryed and found to be a faithfull gracious just righteous glorious and omnipotent God Now tell me the best of reason that which is most sanctified if God be not the best nay the only foundation to build our saith upon and if one so much experiment doth not captivate thy reason to himselfe I know it is a principle of right reason to trust that most which hath been most tryed and always found faithfull therefore have I been the more large to hold out God to sanctified reason as a faithfull God upon experience Now reason must either deny it selfe in its owne right principles or else choose God as the only object of faith If so then I may cease to argue for I have my end if otherwise it cannot be argued with as reason for it ceases so to be in denying its owne right and true principle But if any soule full of sanctified reason shall speake like it selfe and say I will trust my selfe where I find by experience there is most grace and goodnesse faithfulnesse and righteousnesse most power to preserve me and most fulnesse to supply all my wants then I say to such a soule all this is God and none of this is any where else but in God and that God is an experimented God in all this if thou knewest his dealings with thy own soule thou wils confesse him to be so his Saintâ— of olde have recorded some of those many and great experiences which they had of him Now here is that thou lookest for experimented goodnesse and faithfulnesse in God and that which God lookes for is that Now thou shouldst trust him upon all that experience which thy owne soule and other of his Saints have had of him If thou hast any thing to object make thy objection there is fulnesse enough in God to answer all that thou canst desire if all be answered then trust him that is all and doth satisfie all that trust in him with his owne fulnesse The fifth argument that I shall offer to sanctified Reason why to believe in God is this That God counts his faithfulnesse his glory and was never stained in it nor can ever be because he is the faithfull God a God that never failed any that trusted in him so sayes the Prophet David Psal 18.30 Psal 18.30 As for God his way is perfect his word is tryed bee is a buckler to all those that trust in him God is perfectly faithfull in all his words his workes and his wayes hee cannot deny himselfe to be God therefore can never be unfaithfull From hence the Psalmist in Psalm 33.21 Psal 33.21 saith that the righteous doe reigne in the Lord when he makes them to trust in him For they then joy in their desires as fulfilled for if God make them trust in him for it he will certainely accomplish it he will never be stained in his faithfulnesse Mal. 37.40 So in Psalm 37.40 God will save his people from the wicked because they trust in him That is God will preserve his owne faithfulnesse not any soule shall trust on him in vaine much lesse be deceived by relying on him So Psalm 48.10 This it the praise of God unto the ends of the earth that he is faithfull and righteous according to his Name he will never loose nor staine the name of a faithfull God So he sayes himselfe in Psalm 89.34 35. My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89.34 35. Once have I sworn by my holinesse that I will not lye unto David That is I will make good what ever I have said my Covenant and promises shall all be performed for I have sworn by my holinesse I have engaged that which is most deare to me and I will not forâ—eiâ—it And in Psalm 105.8 Psal 105.8 His Saintâ— beare witnesse to him that thee remembreth his Covenant for ever So in Psalm 119.89 For ever O Lord thy word is setled in beaven It is as sure as heaven thou 〈◊〉 so faithfull a God And in vers 90. Thy faithfulnesse is unto all Generations It never weares out or becomes unfaithfull it is the faithfulnesse of God that is eternall like himselfe Psal 119.160 Psal 119.160 Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth for ever That is God is true to his word from everlasting and his truth and righteousnesse abideth for ever not any that can challenge him with unfaithfulnesse his robe of righteousnesse is spotlesse this is his glory and so he values it And the Prophet Isaiah bears witnesse to it in Isa 34.16 Seeke yet out of the book of the Lord Isa 34.16 and