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bearts hard, and our corruptions bursting forth upon us, which makes our hearts bitterly to grieve, and ftirres up extreame loathings of our vile natures, and caufeth the foule to lie groveling with moft friving and fervent importunities at heaven gate; Why, here are now the very things that we would bave, yet we are not many times fenfible that these things are answers.

4. We muft diftingu fh 'cwixt nothing abfolutely, and nothing comparatively. Why, it is true, that the Holy heart hath fuck an extream abomination of finne, and fuch an high thirst of heaven as nothing

grace, that the prefent aufwersore and more which I would

there yet fomething

bave, the prefent grants are not fatisfying of my defires, yet fomething is got by every faithful feeking; there is not one faithful prayer, which thou haft difpatched to heaven, but it delivers thy meffage, and is returned with a blef fing. 2

Either it gets more additions to fom grace or other, or more alienation from fome finne or other, or more difpotion to fome duty or other, or more refolution to feek, or more strength to waite.. Like the many Bees which go out, every one comes home with fome thing, one with honey, another with wax; fo every faithful prayer flies up to heaven and gathers fomething or other from the good promifes, and though not fo much as thou defi rest, yet alwayes more then thou deferveft, though not so much as to fari fie, yet as to help.

5. Suppose that yet you are not answered, it is then a finne to murmur and quarrel, but it is thy duty to wait.

I obferve this.

1. That God never gives thee fo large an almes, but that thou needeft the next houre to become a farther Peti tioner.

2. That God is pleafed to make the beggar to stay fometimes at door; he doth not alwayes prefently give what he intends certainly to beftow, but as his own free grace is the treasury. of Our gifts and fupplies, fo his own wifdom is the difpenfor of the time and feafon.

Now then, as the goodnesse of the promile fhould draw us to boleeve, fo the fidelity and certainty of it thould cause us to

wait

wait and expect: God doth give thee leave to urge him, but he likes it ill to baften him; if God doth promife, then it is thy duty to believe, and if he stayes, then it is thy duty to wait, for God dorb wait that be may be gracious, and blessed are all they that wait for him.

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CHAP. XVII.

Of living by faith.

Aving formerly fhewed unto you what it is to beleeve in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and earnestly pressed upon you to get faith in him. I now proceed to another Ufe, which (fuppofing that by this time you have attained unto faith) fhall be to excite and perfwade you then to live by that faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift.

Beloved, there be two offices of faith,

One is to breed conjunction and acceptance, and this is done when the heart is upon good,and choife, and deliberated grounds effectually inclined to consent and take whole Chrift upon his own terms.

Another is to breed dependance, and this is done when the beleeving foul makes continued ufe of that fulneffe and vertue which is in Chrift touching the continued exigencies of its ftate and condition in this life. As it is with a woman, the first gives her confent, and becomes a wife, and then being a wife,fhe looks upon her husband as the onely perfon to fupply her, direct her, comfort her, provide for her and hers.

So is it with faith, first it doth efpoufe the foule to Christ, it takes him as Lord and husband, and then it cafts all the provifions of the foule upon him, all the fupplies and helps, it trufts on him for righteoufneffe, on him for pardon of finnes, on him for grace, one bim for

Strength,

ftrength, on him for comfort, on him for eternal life,

&c.

Now because this is a point of fingular confequence, give me leave therefore (and it matters not, if now and then I make a little digreffion) to unfold thefe particulars, that you may the better understand and be affifted, how to use that faith in Chrift, which you have to live upon him by

it.

1. What it is (in the general) to live by faith.

2. To what ftates the life of faith may extend.

3. What it is more particularly to live by faith on Chrift.

4. What arguments and enducements I have to presse not only the getting of faith, but also the living by faith on Chrift.

5. In what particulars the Beleevers should live by faith on

Christ.

6. What things oppofe the life of faith.

7. Tryals, if fo that we live by faith.

8. What good helps may be found out to affift, and more and more to encline and enable the beleeving heart ftill to live by faith.

If any other profitable and pertinent enquiry may hereafter fall in for the better information and direction, befides thofe particular heads which I have now propounded unto you, you shall have a view of them likewife but for the prefent I can think of no more: Now the God of mercy, and Father of all confolations dire& and bleffe their deliveries fo unto you, that you may not only have that precious faith, but live by faith, nay, and die in faith, and fo receive the end of your faith, even the (alvation of your foules.

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To live by faith, what.

Queft. 1.

V V

SECT. I.

7 Hat it is (in the general) to live by faith. 105

Sol. Iwill not now ftand on the feveral kindes and forts of life, viz. That there is a life of vegitation which the trees and plants do live, and a life of fenfe, which the beasts and cattel do live, and that there is a life of reafon and knowledge which man doth live; and that there is a life of faith which the Chriftian either doth, or fhould live.

Neither will I stand upon the oppofition ewixt the living by farb, and diving by works, one being legal life, and upon our felves; the other being an evangelical life, and upon Chrift.

Nor now of that oppofition 'twixt the life of faith and the life of fenfe, the one being a life in band, the other in promises; That depending upon our eye, this upon our seave, (that is) fenfe dwelling on what it can fee, and fab on that good word which it doth hear.

These things being paffed over, I conjecture, that to live by faith, may be thus described.

It is an heavenly and duriful committing of our whole perfons, and of our whole estates unto God, with a pioni depending upon his faithful and good promises in Chrift, for futable and feafonable (upplies in all our exigendes occurrenees and changes whatsoever.

Here are divers things obfervable.

First, to live by faith, is to commit all to God: It is as it were to intruft him with our felves and ours: know (faith Paul) whom I have beleeved, and I am per/waded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, 2 Tim. 1.12. As if he should fay, I have put my very foul and life into the hands of Chrift, who I know will look to it, take care of it for ever. David makes this to be the putting of our felves under God, as ut Shepherd, Pfal.23.1. and as our Keeper, Pfalm. 121.5. Mark this, a man lives not by faith when he undertakes to be himself, the Lord of himself, or a God to himself, when

he

he trufts to his own heart, or will fubfift by his own arme, or when he puts his confidence in any arme of flesh. O no, faith gives God the bonour of our beings and (afeties, and refignes up all to be, and to be difpofed as the Lord pleafeth; If he will have me to enjoy, well; if to want, well; if to abound, well; if to be abafed, well; I would be as he would have me to be, and I would be eftated as he would have me to be eftated; If he thinks good to beftow a faire eftate upon me, I defire to be bumble and thankful; If he thinks good to limit me to a meane eftate, I defire to be humble and contented; If he keeps me in a free condition, I defire to love him; if in a perplexed condition, I yet defire to fear and ferve him: though I would be careful and diligent, yet I would not be anxious and vexing; I dare to truft him with my foul, to preserve, fanctifie, uphold, comfort, fave it; I truft him with my body, to preserve, enable, change, and difpofe it; I trust him with my whole eftate, to give it, alter it, increase it, leffen it, keep it bleffe it, as may make moft for his glory and my good.

Secondly, To live by faith, is to depend upon God for all. You'all conjecture, That

Fitft, God is an alfufficient goodnese, he is goodneffe it felfe; And whatfoever good the creature is capable of, or doth actually participate, he is the fole caufe thereof; meanes which be next at hand and neare our eyes, are but pipes and Rewards, but God he is the fountaine and Lord. 1

Secondly, he hath put all Covenant good for his fervants into promifes. The promifes are nothing elfe but a deed of gift, fealed with the truth of God: There hath God freely undertakeh whatsoever belongs to grace or glory; to this life, or to that which is to come; doeft thou want this or that Why, whatfoever is fit for thee to have, that. I promife in the Name of my Sonne to give unto thee, faith God:

Now to live by faith,is to caft anchor at heaven gates, it is to caft the foul upon Gods promiles in Chrift, to rely on God for any good which God hath promifed, and undertaken; this I want, and this God hath promifed; he hath under

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