upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods; for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

(2.) By the mutability and disappointment of the creature, God teacheth his people THE EXCELLENCY OF THE LIFE OF FAITH. David, when he learns it in the school of affliction," publishes it for the use and benefit of after ages. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. He had before entered a caveat against 'creature confidence, Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man; and gives the reason of it, there is no help or salvation in the best of men-nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help: alas, he is but a little breathing clay; and when that breath goeth forth, he returns to his earth: when the breath is gone, there is nothing but a little lump of clay remaining; in that very day his thoughts perish; when the man dieth all his counsels and plots and projects die with him; and having thus put in his caution against creature dependance, and given in the account of the vanity thereof, he shews the difference between trust in a dying man, and a living God: trust in God is only able to make a man happy: they may seem happy, who have the great men of the world to trust to; but he only is happy who hath the God of heaven to trust to; Blessed is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help. Why so? Because while they that trust in princes shall be disappointed, he that trusts in God shall never be dis

appointed: for he is Jehovah: whose hope is in the Lord, or in Jehovah, his God: He made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; and he that gave being to every creature, can give being to his promise also. Can any thing be too hard for a creating God? and as he can, so he will, for IIe keepeth truth for ever: Heaven and earth may pass away, but not one jot or tittle of his promise shall pass away till all be fulfilled. Men may prove unfaithful, but God will never prove unfaithful; he keepeth truth for ever-Faithful is he that hath promised. And thus the soul comes to see the sweetness and excellence of a life of faith, while others are mocked, abused, and slain, by disappointment. from the second causes; he is kept in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on God, because he trusteth in him: He liveth indeed, that liveth in him to whom always is essential.

The excellency of a life of faith discovers itself in these four particulars-It is a SECURE life-a SWEET life-an EASY life-and an HONORABLE life.

(1) The life of faith is a SECURE LIFE-He shall dwell on high, his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks: How securely doth he dwell, whose fortifications are impregnable, inaccessible rocks? In the Hebrew it is, He shall dwell in heights, or in high places, munition of rocks; or rocks so high that none can scale them, rocks so thick that no breach can be made in them, rocks within rocks, munition of rocks; and rocks so deep that none can undermine them: surely a

person thus defended on every side, need not fear storming.Objection, aye, though rocks may be a good fence, they are but ill food, a man cannot feed on rocks; rocky places are barren, though impregnable; he may be ftarved, though he cannot be stormed! No! the words following relieve that fear also, Bread shall be given him; he shall have bread enough, and it shall cost him nothing; it shall be given him and whereas a rock is but a dry fituation, without either springs or streams, and thereupon a man might be exposed to perishing for want of water; thirst will slay as well as hunger; therefore it is likewise added, His water shall be sure; he shall have waters which neither summers heat nor winters frosts shall be able to dry up; never-failing waters shall fill his cisterns from day to day; His waters shall be sure. Under such an excellent metaphor is the security of a life of faith described; and this metaphor is expounded in another place. Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks: walls and bulwarks shall not be their salvation; but salvation their walls and bulwarks. How safely do they dwell who are walled about with salvation itself? the bulwarks are salvation, and that salvation is Jehovah; for so it follows, Trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength; or the Lord Jehovah is the rock of all ages: his place of defence is the ammunition of rocks; and the Lord Jehovah is those rocks, a rock of ages; ages pass away one after another, but the rock abides,

and abides, for ever; in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. He that rained manna in the wilderness, will give bread; and he that fetched water out of the rock, will be a never-failing fountain; his waters shall be sure...

(2.) It is as SWEET as it is SAFE. Is it not a sweet thing to fetch all our waters from the fountain, from the spring-head, before they be degenerated or mudded by the miry channel? Why, all my fresh springs are in thee, saith Faith to God. Is it not sweet to be fixed and composed in the midst of all the mutations and confusions that are under the sun?, Why this is the privilege of him that liveth by faith; No evil tid ings shall make him afraid, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord and again, Thou wilt keep him in perfec peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee: Heb. in peace, peace: that is, multiplied peace; pure, unmixed peace; constant and everlasting peace is the portion of him that liveth by faith, so far as he liveth by faith; unless sense and reason break into disquiet, he liveth in a most sweet and immutable serenity.

(3.) It is an EASY LIFE. It is an easy life to have all provisions brought in to a man without any care or trouble; why such is the privilege of a believer; he hath a quietus est, a supersedeas from all his cares. In nothing be careful, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Faith leaveth a believer nothing to do but to pray and give thanks: to pray for what he

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wants, and to give thanks for what he has; that is all he hath to do. It is true, believers must labour and travel in the use of means, as well as the rest of the sons of Adam: but it is without care, without anxious, heartdividing, soul-distracting care. O that is the thorn,' the sting, which the sin of man, and the curse of God, hath thrust into all our labours, care and distraction; and this faith pulls out: so that now all the labour of faith is an easy labour, like the labour of Adam in paradise. Faith useth means, but trusteth God; obediently closeth with the providence of means, but sweetly leaveth the providence of success to God. Yea, faith can trust God when there are no means to nde

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use, and say; Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Faith can live upon God, when there is a famine upon the whole creation: The peace of God is as a court, of guard, to fence the heart from all surprises of fear and trouble: In nothing be careful, but in every thing pray and give thanks, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. As faith enjoyeth God in all things in the greatest abundance, so she can enjoy all things in God in the deepest want.

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