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
all accomplishing his owne will in the giving in to his people the fulnesse of his pâ—â—mises made to them this the soule by faith is assured of and therefore waites patiently and is not moved from its beliefe of God though his present dispensations speaken some other thing to his fleshly understanding Now if this hee the workings in the soule as doubtlesse it is then faith is an exceeding great benefit in this very thing for a soul fixed on God in his word and promises is in a measure in Heaven already it is as rest in God and is filled with the joyes of God in its rest it lives above â—â—tward appearances even in what God in and what God saith noâ— doubting but that all his workeâ— shall make good his word to that what ever his owne flesh or any other shall speake contrary to the Word of God that faith beates downe in the soule and keeps up the soule in a steady expectation of Gods making good all his promises and a patient waiting upon God for his 〈◊〉 time the troubled unfixed soules of unbelievers could they speake would set forth the exceeding benefit of faith in this particuler that which fixeth the soule in God leaves it in the full possession of all good now this is the true property of faith it is that gift of God which gives the soule singly and purely up to God to live onely in him and upon him and from hence flowe this benefit to the soules of Beleevers Againe Faith in God is a benefit to the soule in this namely That By Faith Saints are weaned from the World When a soule by faith sees its interest in God in that more exceeding and eternall weight of glory then and not till then hath it a low esteeme of all the dying vanities in the World that iâ— as the Wise man computes vanity all things under the Sunne Faith is such an eye as can read that love which is in Gods heart and behold the glory of that love as an heire of God a joynt heire with Christ and a Citizen of the new Jerusalem and in this vision is the soule in all its affection centered in God and so truely weaned from the World and it is nothing lesse can doe it there is such a naturalnesse a congruity and onenesse between the World and our owne fleshly hearts that nothing can breake off this league and mount up the affections of the soule but an Almighty power the indwelling of God in the soule by saith through which the soule dwels in God and is continually feasted and satisfied with fuller love and richer glory then the World can give the soule now being made spirituall sees God and to be the onely fountaine of love the single object worthy of love and its eternall portion of love and so is carryed in its love and affections above the world into God and Christ being thus swallowed up into God the soule in its love joy pursulte and rest becomes crucified to the World and the World to it it looks upon the World as a dead thing and its heart is truely dead to the World this is a true effect of faith see this in the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 2 Cor. 5.1.2 5. begin For wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernaclâ—were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands but eternally in the heavens This is the worke of faith in the soule to assure the soule of its interest in God this we know sayes this Apostle that God is our interest himselfe is our eternall habitation so that when ever these clay walls shall crumble into dust we shall be no loosers by it for the dissolving of them is nothing else but the possessing of our full interest in God Now marke the effects of this faith in the 2. verse For in this we groâ—ne earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven The knowledge of interest in God which is the proper worke of faith in the soule it makes the soule not onely weaned from but also a weary of the World it groanes earnestly to be uncloathed of the flesh to be absent from the body that it might be fully present with the Lord faith weanes the soule in the whole lumpe from the World it would leave it wholy it groanes to be uncloathed of the body that it might leave the World in all it is the disappointments of the World doe many times make worldlings out of love with sonte pieces of iâ— but it is onely faith that weanes any soule wholy from it and that because faith in God manifests the fulnesse of God to the soule and the soules interest in that fulnesse so that it rests in God nâ—â— onely as its interest and so better to it then all the World 〈◊〉 as a better interest so that being made wise in Christ its wisedome the soule makes choyse of God as having seene the dying glory of the World and the living glory of God by a spirituall eye of faith it is thereby made dead to the World and alive to God Christ he speakes to a believing soule in the spirit and tels the soule It is your Fathers good will to give you the Kingdome and that the Kingdome of glory to he joynt heirea with me in glory the soule believing this becomes dead in its love to all the Kingdomes of the world and to a world of King lomes Christ tels the soule further that in your Fathers house are many Mantions and I goe to prepare them for you your building in God is ready when ever God shall uncloathe you of your flesh the soule in believing this hath its heart where its treasure is it in now risen with Christ and gone to Heaven and in its affectionâ— doth manifest it selfe to be Crocified with Christ to the World wâ—â—nerâ— from all lower glories because liâ—ing in the glory of God thâ—â— is in God where all glory centers and from whom all gloryen have their originall so that when the soule is at the 〈…〉 doth not thirst after narrow streames whom over dâ—inkes of thin fountaine of life thirsts no more that is no more after fatilfaction in any thing but God it hath all in God therefore weaned from all below God doubtlesse this is a rare benefit of faith in the soule it is rare in its appearance and for such soules that with Demas forsake God and imbrace this present World what ever they have professed and though never so long under a profession of God and godlinesse yet they never truly knew God in the spirit nor did they ever live in God by a true and lively faith for if they had it would have wrought this effect in the soule to have weaned their hearts from I and have Crucified their hearts to the World had they ever tasted God in truth the would never have forsaken him for tenne thousand Worlds For the life of God in the
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
purified a body for himselfe will never be a head without a body for he is 〈◊〉 head as can both purifie and preserve his body yea he is such a head as is sensible of the sufferings of his body as Christ hath taken his people into all the relations of love so they shall surely finde the fulnesse of his love in all those relations Christ will be a King of love to his Kingdome a Husband of love to his Spouse a loving head to his body and all his Brethren and Sisters shall finde him a Brother of love Nay he is a loving Redeemer so full of love that he became sinne for us to make us righteous so full of love that he would beare all the stripes due to our sinnes so that we might be healed in his stripes What doe you argue from hence Why that he will never cease to love his people nor will he ever lose his interest in them or be failing of his love in any relation to them he will certainely preserve them alive for whom he hath dyed to give live Because I live sayes Christ you live also John 14.19 John 14.19 You are my body I am your head I have life in my selfe and give life to my body for I cannot be a head to a dead body what life is in me is your life for that is your interest in me and this is my glory and the glory of my Fathers grace through me That whom ever beleeveth in mee hath everlasting life John 6.47 John 6.47 John 14.1 Now sayes Christ let not your hearts bee troubled you beleeve in God beleeve also in mee John 14.1 Beleeve in God through me I have an interest in you as God hath and I will be very tender of it for I dyed to purchase it and I live to maintaine and preserve it and assure your selves as certaine as I live you live I live that in me you might have eternall life and that God in me may fulfill all those promises which he hath made unto you of my peacefull Kingdome and of the righteousnesse of my reigne in you and over you therefore consider them they are Gods promises made in me not one tittle of them shall faile they are your portion your peculiar interest take them and live upon God in them for he will make them all good in me you are Gods interest and mine and these are your interest in God through me Feare not little flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome the Kingdome of grace and of glory of righteousnesse and peace where none shall be able to disturbe or distroy you I intend here to gather up some Scriptures together which holdeth forth this righteous and peacefull Kingdome of Christ in the Earth Aâ— first Jer. 23.5 6. Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the day is come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the Earth In his dayes Judah shall bee saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE This is a promise of the righteous and peaceable Kingdome of Christ this righteous branch and King in the Text is meant of Christ for this is his Name The Lord our Righteousnesse which is Christ whom is a God made righteousnesse to us now behold Christ our King and righteousnesse his day is come saith the Lord when he shall reigne in righteousnesse amongst his people and shall execute judgement and justice in the Earth and in his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely it shall be a Kingdome of peace and safety for the Lord our righteousnesse shall reigne a righteous reigne must needs produce a peacefull Kingdome therefore Christ the righteous is called the Prince of peace when he shall execute his judgement then will justice be done in the Earth then Judah shall be saved from the hands of the spoyler and Israel shall be kept in safety I this will make a Kingdome of peace indeed and this is the peace that Christ our righteousnesse will bring in the dayes of his glorious reigne amongst his people in the Earth so in the 11. of Isaiah Isa 11.1 to the 10. from the 1. to the 10. verse There is a Prophesie of the peaceable Kingdome of the Branch out of the Root of Jesse which branch is Christ it is said the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and it shall be a spirit of Counsell and might and knowledge and the feare of the Lord so that he shall judge the poore with righteousnesse and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth That righteousnesse shall be his girdle and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reynes Now observe what is the fruite of the reigne of this righteous King why it is peace in all the holy Mountaine neither Wolfe nor Leopard Lyon or Beare Aspe nor Cockatrice shall hurt or destroy in any part of it but this King of righteousnesse will make the Wolfe and the Lambe dwell together the Leopard to lye downe with the Kid and the Calfe and young Lyon together and a little child to lead them the Cow and the Beare with their young ones to feed and lye downs together and the sucking child to play at the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child to put his hand into the Cockatrices Den. What is the meaning of all this Why it is a description of that glorious change which the righteousnesse of Christ in his reigne over the Earth shall have upon the natures of his and his peoples Enemies those Beasts of prey though they remaine Wolfeâ— and Leopards Lyons and Beares Aspeâ— and Cockatrices yet the righteousnesse of his reigne shall be so glorious that it shall chiane up their devouring nature and take off their strength to mischief his righteous government shall over awe them and be as a hooke in their nostrills so that a young childe a little strength shall lead them for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea God shall be knowns to reigne over all the Earth it shall be covered with the brightnesse of his glory his enemies shall know and tremble and his people shall know and rejoyce Isa 42. beg So the same Prophet in the 42. Isa beginning speaking of Christ sayes of him A bruised reede shall be not breake and smoaking Flax shall he not quench for hee shall bring forth judgement unto truth he shall judge and give judgement in truth hee shall set judgement in the Earth and the Isles shall waite for his Law He shall reigne and command the whole earth they shall all waite for his Law and then shall the whole Earth be filled with judgement when the righteous childe Jesus shall reigne So the Prophet David speaking of the reigne of Christ under Solomâ—n his Type in
him he makes this declaration of his faith in the first verse I shall not want this is strong faith What is the reasen of this 〈…〉 in the 〈◊〉 why hee telleth us it is his interestion 〈…〉 that he had of him my reason say 〈…〉 is this 〈…〉 my Shepheard therefore I shall not want But why are 〈…〉 fident may not you want though the Lord be 〈…〉 why sayes the Prophet I am confident up 〈…〉 maketh me to lye downe in greene pastures hee leadeth me bâ—side the stil waters he restoreth my soule he leadeth me in the paths of rightâ—â—â—snesse for his Names sake These are the experiences that I have had of God and doe you aske mee now why I am so confideâ—t Why sayes he I have not only received all this mercy and grâ—ce from God but God hee is the fountaine of all the mercies I receive and it is his owne bowels that moves him he doth a this to me for his owne Name sake not because of any worthinesse in me I could not then be confident but he leadeth me into and cloatheth me with his owne righeousnesse and all for his name sake to the glory of his grace This is the experience that I have of the Lord who is my Shepheard and upon this I am so established iâ— God that though I walk through the valley of the shadâ—â— of death I will feare no evill for thou art with me And I have had such often and ample experiences of thy mercy power faithfulnesse and goodnesse that though the way I walke in be as dark as death that my flesh can see no way out of it yet I will trust in thy power and mercy to deliver me upon the former experiences I have had of thee This I know it is thy free grace that hath chosen me to be an heire of glory from all eternity and all the experiences I have had of thee hath proved thee to be a God of free grace and that this love and grace shall as it is thy selfe abide for ever so that this is a ground of assurance to me my experience of thee that I shall be for ever with thee for so he sayes that hee shall dwell with the Lord for ever This Prophet had a great stocke of experience in God and in this place he makes the right use of them that for which I shall here gather them up together the Prophet David he acts for his owne soule and doth counsell other souls upon the experiences he had of God in Psalm 31.5 He commits his spirit into Gods hand That is casts himselfe wholly upon God and in vers 7. giveth the reason of it because hee had experimented God in his adversities that God had not shut him up in the hands of his enemies but set his feete in a large roome This experience of God makeâ— him commit his spirit to God thus hee acts for his owne soule upon experiences of God and in the 2. last verses of that Psalm he counsels Saints to love God and to trust in him upon this consideration the experiences that hee had of him as a faithfull God who preserveth his faithfull ones and plentifully rewardeth the proud doâ—r Therefore sayes he be of good courage fear not trust in God he shall strengthen your hearts all ye that hope in him as if he should say I have had such experience of God that I dare assure you if you trust in him he will not faile you So in Psalm 32.10 Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked Psal 32.10 but be that trusteth in the Lord mercyshall compasse him about I speake this sayes the Prophet upon experience that I have of God and when you know God experimentally as I doe you will say as I say Therefore in the 34. Psal 8. he cals upon Saints to taste and then they should experimentally know that God is good so good so kinde so gracious so faithfull and so omnipotent that the man is certainely blessed that trusteth in him he cannot but be a blessed man for he trusteth in God whom can never faile him God iâ— an experimented God for truth and faithfulnesse by all his people as in the 19. verse Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all and so goes on shewing the goodnesse and faithfulnesse of God to his people I sayes he upon the experiences that I have had of God I can boldly affirme that they are blessed that trust in him Therefore he giveth this counsell in Psalme 55.22 Psal 55.22 Cast thy burthen upon the Lord and be shall sustaine thee be shall never suffer the righteous to be moved The Prophet giveth this counsell to his owne soule and to other soules why sayes he we have had expecience of God how faithfull he is in preserving his righteous one those that put their trust in him they shall never bee moved Therefore why should we distrust and through unbeliefe take the burthen upon our selves as we have experimented God so let us trust him and he doth so indeed for in Psalm 61.3 he flyeth to God upon his former experience that he had of him For thou hast beene a shelter for me and a strang towre from the enemy I have had this experience of thee therefore in all streights and in all conditions I will trust in the covert of thy wings and in the next Psalm 7 8. verses he professeth that all the resuge he had was in God and saith he I have experimented God he is a sure resuge to his people He is my salvation my glory and the reck of my strength the Prophet tells us what God is from the experience that he had of him Psalm 145.17 18. The Lord is righteout in all his wayes and holy in all his workes The Lord is nigh to all them that call upon him in truth This is God upon experience and abundantly more then this dâ—th that Man of much experience in God set him forth to be Againe consider the most glorious experiences of God thâ—â— those three emminent servants of his Shadrach Meshach and Abednego had which is recorded in the third of Daniel wee may read in that Scripture upon what consideration the Funâ—acâ— was heat seaven times hotter then before for these three faithfull ones to be cast into it and in the 17. verse how they cast themselves upon God for their deliverance Our God say they is able to deliver us from thy burning firy Furnace and hee will deliver us out of thy hands O King Well marke the issue they deny Nehuchadnezâ—ar and trust in God this inrages the Kings fury and into the sire they are cast bound hand and foot Now God giveth them to know by experience what it is to trust in him for deliverance Hee maketh them to walke in the fire loosed from their bonds without the least harme and a fourth to bee with them whose forme wat like the Sonne of God This presence and
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