that it is the mind and wil of God he should so serve and worship him for uncertainty of Gods minde will make unsetlednesse in mans worship hee that believeth not that God is pleased with what he doth cannot be steady in that service to God He that worships an unknown God that is God in such a way as hee knoweth not whether God will approve of or not will not bee long known by that worship If faith cleares not up the will of God to the soule in its way of worship and serving God the soule walkes in the darke and hath trembling in it suitable to darknesse and trembling joynts cannot be steady in the way they walke the uncertaine soule will goe with every one that pretends to set it right but when faith hath cleared up Gode will to the soule then it moves steadily Faith is a steady eye and it makes God its object so that where faith lives the soule is steady in its motion and though it may as God comes nearer to it goe from lower to higher former yet in all it goes nearer to God and is more and more clear in the mind and will of God more steady and spirituall in its worship and service of God that is worships God more purely more out of the flesh and more in the Spirit according to that Gospel-worship our Saviour speaks of in John 4.24 God is a Spirit John 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth In spirit because he is a Spirit in truth because he is the true God Now none but the believing soule can worship God either in spirit or truth for he that believeth not his worship to be according to God cannot worship in truth because he knows not the mind of God who is the God of truth nor can it be in the spirit for the Spirit is light and makes knowledge of God therefore it is only the believing soul that can worship God in spirit and truth and no other souls can worship God truly or be true to the worship and service of God which it doth professe It was faith made the three Children and the Prophet Daniel in the Booke of Daniel so emminently steady in their worship and service of God and truly it is want of faith that makes the unsettlement of souls in this thing and such as are so zealous to have multitudes to worship God whether they know and believe it to be Gods minde or not may bring many pretenders to God but not any whit more of worship and service to him Faith makes men true to the worship and service of God and force makes men true to the wil-worship of man for as hee that believeth will not swerve from what God hath revealed to him so such as worship onely by the rule of mans will and power is always ready to worship in what manner soever man will have him and this makes him as uncertain in his worship as man is who is his rule for worship but the soul advantaged to worship serve God in spirit and truth is the believing soule for what faith fixes of God in the soule that the soule is steady to God in and alwayes ready to worship and serve God with it therefore concerns such as would be steady in their worship and service of God to doe nothing in his worship and service but what they can doe from a principle of faith believing it to be the mind and will of God concerning their souls in their worship and service of him and in this faith the soule will be steady to God and it may say as the Prophet David O Lord my heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise My heart is fixed on thee my joy is continually in thee and my praise and worship shall be alwayes to thee according as thou hast by faith sixed my heart on thee so shalt thou have fixed worship and service from me Soules thus fixed are rarely found nor are they ever found but where faith liveth and as faith growes so the soule fixes This is a benefit and advantage fixed to saith in the soule for they alwayes goe together and the want of either is the want of both but sure I am where both are they may truely be called benefits and advantages to the soule for that soul is advantaged above all the unsteady soules in the World whatever they pretend to besides A seventh benefit of Faith in the soule is this Faith it makes a ready submission in the soule to the will of God that soul which believeth in God and liveth upon God for alit hath or hopeth for doth not quarrel with or dispute against the will of God nay though Gods will be never so opposite against the will in man yet where faith liveth and bareth sway in the soule there the soule layes downe its owne will and readily submits to the will of God this was Josephs case in Matth. Mat. 1.24.25 1.24 25. there God bids him to take unto him his wise though she were with childe Now in the 19. verse his minde was to put her away privily because he would not make her a publique example but when God by the Angell had revealed his will to him he forsakes his former resolutions and doth as the Angell of the Lord had bidden him Now observe it was faith in Joseph made him thus to submit to Gods will for had not he beleeved the Angell of the Lord when he told him in the 20. verse That which was conceived in her was of the holy Ghost doubtlesse he would have keps to his former resolutions to put her away privily but believing that the thing was of God and of it was the will of God he said Take unto him Mary his Wise he through faith makes ready submission to the will of God And in the 2. Matth. 14. there by saith he readily obeyed God Mat. 2.14 In taking the young Childe and his Mother by night and departing into Aegypt which in the 13. verse was the command of God to him by the Angell the second time because Hered sought the Childes life thus Joseph believing God is ready to submit to all the will of God It was thus also with Peter and Andrew in Mat. 4.19 20 Mat. 4.19 20. when Christ called them to follow him he promising to make them fishers of men the Text sayes They streighway lift their Nets add followed him Had not they beleeved in Christ they would never have followed him but they did it streightway Faith it made them readily willing to obey the call of Christ saith it is the day of Gods power in the souls and it makes his people â—â—iling people unto his will This made Joshua readily obey all the commands of God in his besieging of Jericho as appeares at large in the fixt of Joshua he beleeved the word of God in the 2 verse That God had given Jericho into
beleeveth in mee hath everlasting life To beleeve in Christ is to beleeve in God as our God and the effects of this is eternall life here is full establishment indeed here is life for ever eternity cannot shake this beleeving soule it is so established by beleeving in God as its God in Christ I intend to take this fundamentall establishing truth into particulars the which will give further light into what I aime at and clearer testimony to the generall truth That Saints are established by beleeving in God as their God I meane an applicatory apropriating faith and beliefe in God By beleeving in God as our God by which we come to bee established I meane this First To beleeve in God in what he is in himselfe Secondly To beleeve God in what he doth namely in all his workes Thirdly To beleeve God in what hee saith in his whole Word And in all these so farre as God is communicable to beleeve him to be our God Beleeving thus in the Lord our God we shall certainely be established First To believe in God in what he is in himselfe God in his Essence is incomprehensible and inexpressible so Exod. 3.14 When Moses asked God what hee should tell the Children of Israel his Name was if they asked him Gods answer to Moses is I am that I am and so tell the children of Israel I am hath sen◠me unto you that is I am so what I am that I cannot be fully expressed I am God Jehovah I am all God and nothing but God but this pure and eternall Essence is pleased so farre as is either fit or needfull for his people to know him to make known himselfe by his Attributes and in his word workes and miracles for the strengthening of his peoples faith and establishing them in himselfe And in this worke I shall take up Gods method and first looke into the Attributes of God for some discoveries of his Essence wherein hee doth make knowne himselfe to his people that they may believe in him in what he is in himselfe you must not expect I should be so large in this as to expresse all the Attributes of God that is a worke too large for a dying life or a dying man the fulnesse of that will fill eternity all that may be attributed to God which can be attributed to none but God and that all is exceeding large I shall onely mention some precious corner-stones for believers to build upon so that they may certainly bee established As first God is the only true and perfect God true Attribute of God so as there is no true God besides him and perfect so that all perfection is in him and nothing but perfection in him so in God as in none but God and therefore onely to be attributed to God I shall in this and all I write of God produce his word for my authority Isa 46.9 I am God and there is none else I am God Isa 46.9 and there is none like me God in this Scripture speaks positively in the verse before this the people worshipped and bowed downe to false Gods to images of God the Lord complaines of this in vers 5. To whom will yee liken me and make me equall Verse 5. and compare me that we may be like As if God had said you can liken me to nothing for there is nothing like me I am God and there is none else the true God your false Gods cannot be like me So in Isa Isa 45.33 45.22 Looke unto me and be yee saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Marke the Scripture salvation in in me saith God I am the God of salvation If the ends of the Earth be saved they must looke unto me for I am God and there is none else That is there is no other true God no God that can save but me God proves himselfe to be the only true God by being the only saving God God in truth is the God of salvation That God which can save must needs be the true God and so there is no other God but our God hee is the true God and a God of truth all God and all truth this is a proper attribute of God for it can be attributed to none but God Againe God is perfect he is a perfect God he is all perfection in himselfe and all that is perfect is from him hee is that perfection to which there can be no addition hee giveth life and breath to all things Acts 17.25 Acts 17.25 Neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing hee giveth to all life and breath and all things God is perfect hee needeth nothing hee knowes no want hee is the fulnesse of all things and filleth all with himselfe he is the fountaine and giver of all life and breath and all things All that makes up perfection is alwayes in God and goeth forth from God into all things life and breath which comprehends the whole they are in the whole creation the breathings forth of Gods perfection God bounds all but none can bound him Perfection only lives in God he giveth bounds to all things else but can receive bounds from none to the creature God saith what have you that you have not received But as for God himselfe he is simply and absolutely perfect simply purely perfect 1 John 1.5 nothing but perfection altogether perfect 1 John 1.5 God is light and in him is no darkenesse at all So perfectly light that there is not the least shadow of darkenesse in him what is God is perfectly light or the light of God is perfect for God is altogether perfect nothing can be said to be perfect but God and God cannot be said to be any thing but perfection light and to darknesse at all is perfect light and this is God for GOD is perfect Another attribute of GOD Attribute 2 God the first without all cause which proveth the former is this That God is the first being without all cause this is truly an attribute of God which can be attributed to none but God for he is the first the only and without cause and the only cause of all things else not any thing gave God a being but God giveth being to all things Revel 1.8 Rev. 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Marke it I am the first you cannot produce any thing as the cause of my being for a cause must be before an effect and if 〈◊〉 be the effect of any cause then I cannot be Alpha the beginning but the proceed of some other first but this I am not for I am Alpha and Omega both first and lust I am first in my selfe without all cause and I am the first of all causes for I cause all to be I am the Almighty which gives
beleeving is that in our power is it not the gift of God is it not above the reach of humane reason and understanding is it a worke of nature or grace To this I answer Answer and acknowledge that Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 But take this with it this God is a God of free grace which giveth Salvation to his people and the hand of faith to lay hold on his salvation all in his owne grace and therefore I tell my owne soule and others of beleeving in God because he is a God of free grace I know faith is the worke of Divine power it is not of our selves therefore I say againe God is a God of free grace stay not in selfe lye at the throne of grace as that poore man in the Gospell Lord I beleeve helpe thou my unbeliefe Me-thinkes he speakes thus Lord I beleeve that thou canst helpe me against my unbeliefe that thou canst destroy the unbeliefe that is in me and make me to beleeve upon thee to establishment and I thinke this is the language of the Objection which saith Faith is the gift of God is it not the same with this Lord thou canst make me beleeve in thee it is thy worke to destroy my unbeliefe and to helpe my soule against it This is all I say God is a God of free grace and faith is the gift of his grace he waites to be gracious to give his free grace and all the gifts of it freely to those that need it nothing in creature but want makes it an object for Gods grace for he gives all freely without price and without money Now if faith be the gift of God as thou doest acknowledge then lye at the throne of his grace if thou wantest know all he hath is for those that want waite on him and tell him he can helpe thee against thy unbeliefe But you demand whether faith were not above the reach of humane reason and understanding I acknowledge Yes when it is under its naturall darknesse so that the soule it lives in nothing but nature as it fell from the first Adam So The naturall Man descernes not the things of God neither can be because they are spiritually discerned But when God comes to worke the worke of his grace in any soule he doth not destroy his owne first and pure worke of nature in the man the fall from grace corrupted the reason and understanding of man as it did the whole man so the restoration to grace doth restore the first image of God in the reason and understanding of men though faith as it leads to God and pitcheth the soule upon God be above the light or reach of reason in it selfe yet when God workes faith in the soule and so takes the soule up to himselfe to live in him and to rest on him God doth not thereby destroy reason and understanding in the man that were to make him a Beast No God doth inlighten and convince the soul in its reason and judgement though when it was in its corrupted nature it could not discerne the things of God nor understand the worke of his salvation of free grace in Christ through beleeving so as to choose God for a portion and to rest on the salvation of his free grace yet when God shall inlighten the reason and judgement of a man by his owne spirit so that now it is spirituall reason and judgement then by the spirit of God in it it comes to apprehend and to close with the salvation of Gods free grace in Christ through beleeving it is now reason and judgement sanctified and made light in the Lord so that now it seeth a beauty in the grace of God and Christ the gift of his grace now it is no more its owne under its corruption but Gods in his renuing grace by which in Christ he hath redeemed it out of the power of Satan and the region of darknesse into his owne marvelous light though â—t first it may onely fee men walke as trees yet God will not leave it till he makes it see plainely God is light and in him is no darknesse at all So that as God commeth into the reason and judgements of his people they have light in the Lord the worke is neverthelesse but the more a worke of grace in God that he doth thus sanctifie and inlighten the reason and judgements of his people carrying on the worke of his salvation in the soule God is not bound to worke thus for the whole worke of his salvation is free but that hee chooseth to worke thus I thinke is the experience of all Saints that ever had reason and judgement in which Saints have much joy and by which doubtlesse the glory of Gods free grace is much manifested and declared and therefore I shall in the next place hold forth some grounds and reasons to the sanctified reason and judgements of Saints why to beleeve in God why to take his word and to rest upon the salvation of his free grace Grounds for faith from reason First Because there is truth in none but God and his Word by God here I meane Father Sonne and Spirit all truth is in this Fountaine and what ever truth is in the creature it is a streame from this fountaine so much of truth so much a beama of God in any soule It is one of Gods Attributes which we have mentioned to be a God of truth which is the true God I shall adde little to the proofe of it only a Scripture or two Psal 18.30 As for God Psalm 18.30 his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tryed be is a buckler to all those that trust in him As if the Prophet had said I have tryed God by trusting him and I find him true and perfect in all his words and wayes his word is perfectly true if her say he will be a buckler to you you may trust him he is a tryed God of truth he never deceived any foule that trusted in him his truth reacheth to the clouds Psalm 57.10 sayes the Prophet Psalm 57.10 It is boundlesse truth it is the truth of God whom is all truth So Psalm 117.2 The truth of the Lord endureth for ever That is God is for ever a God of truth hee is nothing but truth not doth he speake any thing but truth not any soule can be decalved by believing what he sayes he meanes what hee sayes for he is the God of truth Now I would argue with reason and aske it whether it would choose truth or untruth to believe in Doubtlesse this will be the answer of a rationall man I doe choose truth for this it my misery I know not what to believe there is so much untruth is the world nor can I finde any man or sort of men to trust all men are so false If mens words promises or engagements were any safety wee have had enough of them but men forget their words
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
be no want and thou art our Father therefore wee pray thee answer all our wants according to thy wisdome and thy glory these are the breathings and motions of true and lively faith in the soule it carryes Saints thus to God as to a Father in all their wants and makes them much with God in the opening their wants to him because God is their Father Now what ever keeps the soul much with God must needs be a great benefit to the soule and this is faith that which carries the soule in all its wants to God and keepes the eye of the soule steady on God as a Father therefore a great benefit to the soule A fifth benefit of faith in the soule is this By faith Saints doe chearfully undergoe sufferings for Christ and choose them though grievous to the flesh rather then finne This is so truly the benefit of faith in the soule that none but such soules as believe in God can doe thus Saints doe this by a strength out of themselves even in God which they have in God by believing By faith in God Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3. chose Nebuchadnezar's firy furnace rather then to worship his golden Image which hee had set up Faith made it easier to them to suffer for God then to sinne against him though the Furnace was heat seven times hotter then before Nebuchadnezzar gave them their choise saith taught them what to choose These believing soules counts the flames of sin to be more dreadfull and fuller of smart then any flames which the Tyrant could cast them into they had faith to trust in God and that carryed them above the commands of sinne or the feare of punishment in the disobeying of man The same effect of faith we find in Daniel in the sixth Chapter of his Booke vers 10. Dan. 6.10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his Chamber and prayed three times a day Hee knew what snare was laid to catch him in yet he omitted not his duty he chose rather to be cast into the Lyons mouths then to keepe his mouth shut from making Petitions to God Thus faith in God kept him close to his duty though it led him into the snares of death Faith leept up the Apostle Paul's soule to this pitch in Acts 21.13 Acts 21.13 when â—s fleshly relations would by teares have perswaded him to omit duty that hee might wave bonds hee answers their solicitations thus What meane yee to weepe and to breake my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Hierusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ As if he had said your weeping is my greatest burthen you break my heart with that as for bonds and death for the Name of Christ faith in God will carry me through all that and I had father choose to dye at Hierusalem then to omit my duty and not to goe for feare of bonds Thus we see the choise of soules believing in God when sinne and sufferings are before them one to be chosen and the other left now none but a believing soule can doe thus for it is faith in God which keeps the soule close to God the pleasure of sinne though but for a season will leave such soules as have not their pleasure in God Now none can live in God with delight that doth not believe in God so that it is only the believing soule that chooses God for its delight and will rather choose sufferings then leave Godâ— Christ hath many which professe to follow him and to be in him but when hee tryes them by sufferings for his Name and his Truths they leave him and with Demas embrace the present world by which hee discovers them that they were onely of him by bare profession not truly in him by faith for then they would abide with him and accounted of Christ to be as worthy and as lovely with his Crosse as with his Crowne and would have chosen in all conditions to abide with Christ I as Moses to choose afflictions with the children of God rather then the pleasures and honours of Pharoah's Court to a believing eye Christ puts a beauty upon sufferings and a blackenesse upon sin so that the soule for beauty-sake chooseth sufferings rather then sinnes this is a precious advantage in the soule but the truth of it speaks this that there is very little true faith in the world this faith is accompanied with much love to God and Christ and that makes it the more rare and scarce to be sound but where iâ— is it makes a glorious soule and conversation Wee may finde many that doe choose sinne in love to sinne though sufferings be visible to the eye and shame at the heels of such courses but it is only the believing soule that to shun sin will choose sufferings and that out of love to God and faith in him This is a rare advantage for it makes the soule a rare soule such a one as is no where to be found but amongst Gods Jewels his little flock and peculiar ones this faith is always leading the soul of sin to take in Christ though sufferings comes with him nay chooseth to embarque in a storm with Christ rather then to goe with sinne in the most pleasantest calme that the world affords It feares not to be with Christ in troubled Seas because it believes he can rebuke them at his pleasure so that both wind and Seas shal obey him Faith knows nothing can bound God but God can bound the creature when he pleaseth Faith knowes if God say the word though the ship be split in the midst of raging Seas yet not the life of one man shall perish whom God hath promised to bring safe to shore and hereby faith perswades the soule to choose sufferings in communion with God thereby to avoid sinne which leades the soule from God the believing soule can see no happinesse out of God therefore refuseth to embrace any seeming pleasure which leads from God and this soule sees such full happinesse in God that it believes what ever sufferings it meets withall in communion with God that God in such communion will swallow up the soule in himselfe above all sufferings and in this saith doth the soule cheerfully undergoe sufferings for God and choose them rather then sin which is a greater advantage to a child of God in this world then if all the world were at his disposing A sixth benefit and advantage of true Faith in the soule is this Faith makes the soule steady in its worship and service of God when as a soule believes that it doth worship God according to his owne mind and will then it in not easily removed or shaken in its worship and service of God therefore sayes the Apostle let every one be fully perswaded in his owne minde that is what ever men doe in the service and worship of God let him fully believe
where faith liveth Faith in God assures the soule that all the Nations of the Earth are but as the drop of a bucket compared 〈◊〉 God and therefore where faith lives the soule cannot feare the stroak of all the empty powers of the world to be against it when as God is for it Psal 91.1 2 3. and it hath put its trust in God Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of his wings Whom ever lives in the bosome of God by faith knowes it selfe to be safe in the protection of God and so is above feare as it is in God God is the refuge fortresse and deliverer of such as trust in him therefore as he is all this and my God in him will I put my trust and surely he will deliver me sayes the believing soule therefore whom should I feare and of whom should I be affraid By faith soules live satisfied in God and above feare though all creatures faile as the Prophet Zephaniab in Chap. 3. vers last Though the Fig-tree and all other creatures and fruits of the earth should fail yet sayes he I will rejoyce in God joy in the God of my salvation for the Lord he is my strength Here is living upon God above and without the creatures and this life is a life of joy which must needs be above feare Faith is a life in God as a God of salvation so a life of joy and this purely in God not because of any creature enjoyment that might goe along with God but in God when all these faile and yet this a life of joy a life above feare this is the life of faith in the soule and the benefit of such a life So the Church of God in Psalm 46. liveth by faith above feare as it liveth in God this is the Churches faith God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Now the next verse telleth us what is the effects of this faith in them 〈…〉 Therefore will not we feare though the earth he removed and so forth This is the benefit of faith in God it quenches and destroyes fleshly and carnall feare iâ— empties the soule of all but God so as it makes God all to the soule and to live only upon what God is Faith in its growth destroyes feare in its very being for as faith growes higher and higher so is the soule carryed more and more into God by which it liveth more on God and God in the sould destroyes that fleshly carnall feare that is the seed of nature in all flesh Faith at this pitch in the soule is an exceeding great advantage in times of tryall for where fleshly feare liveth as supreame there fleshly power commands the whole Now in times of tryall such soules will sayle amisse that have this power at the sterne If in stormes faith be not the Pilot soules will split on rockes but never arrive at God nay every calme will endanger the soule if faith guide it not to God so that as faith doth destroy carnall feare and keepe the soule close to God so it is a very great benefit and advantage in the soules of beleevers Againe Faith in GOD doth advantage the Soule in this Faith makes soules faithfull true to their trust and promises trusting in the true God to protect and carry them through all difficulties It was thus with Queene Esther Est 6.16 Shee promises Mordeeai and the Jewes that shee would first seek God to goe with her and then she would go in to the King the story telleth us that there was great difficulties in the way yet this beleeving soule was true and faithfull to her engagements and the trust that was reposed in her She sought God to goe with her and in God doth faithfully discharge her duty and trust though death and danger was in every step of the way Faith iâ— a vigorous grace in the soule it filleth with spirits and carryes soules in the wayes of the faithfull God though Lyons and Beareâ— lye in the way Thus faith wrought in this Heroick piece of the wâ—â—ker Sex depths of dangers could not make her unfaithfull to her God and Nation Faithfull Joseph is another proofe to this truth in Gen. 39. Gen. 39. his lew'd Mistresses temptations could not make him false to his Master and he giveth this for his reason hee could not be false to that trust his Master had committed to him nor durst he some against God faith kept him true both to God and man and that is the true nature of faith to be faithfull therefore faith James in his Epistle shew me thy faith by thy workes If thou hast faith it will keepe thee faithfull both to God and man what ever soule is false to God and man in that trust which God man hath committed to it I dare affirm it is the effects of unbeliefe men in trust prove false to trust as they thinke for fleshly advantages or upon some outward necessity but the true cause is unbeliefe for had they faith in God they would be faithfull to God and the trust committed to them Did they believe in God to owne them they would in that faith keepe true to God and owne him did they beleeve God to be the owner the author and preserver of all truth and faithfulnesse they would in this beliefe be faithfull to God true to their trust and trust the God of truth to preserve them for this is the effect of faith in the soule and I know no truer a demonstration of an unbelieving soule then to be false to God and man in the trust that is committed to it upon any pretended grounds whatsoever nor is any thing a truer effect of faith nor a clearer image of God in the soule then faithfulnesse to God and man In trust committed and in engagements given forth this effect of faith I confesse doth declare the present generation to be exceeding faithlesse but yet let God be true though all men be lyers for such a soule as lives by faith lives in God so in truth and cannot be false to God or his people to trust or their owne promises This is a precious benefit of faith it is not only a benefit to such soules in whom it is but also to that Land and people where such soules do dwell A further effect and benefit of faith in God is this It makes men deny themselves to lift up Gods glory and will not by any meanes take Gods glory to themselves though they have fair advantages for it See this fully proved in Peter John Acts 3.12 Acts 3.12 Acts 4.10 so on Acts 4.10 so on when as by faith in God they had to the wonderment amazement of the people been instruments to make the lame man walke so that all the people ran about him to see what was done Then Peter being affraid lest they should ascribe Gods glory to