taken the fupply, and I will craft upon him for it. Though I feel no fuch thing; nay, though I feel the contrary, yet I do not caft away my confidence: Though fig. trees bloffome not, though olives faile, and bindes are game, yet if my fupply appears in any word of premife, I take heart and fay, yet my condition is good, all is well and fure; My God hath undertaken it for me, and in his Word will I truft, which is good and true, he will not faile me, I fhall have what foever is good, and that too in a good time: This only in general. SECT. II. Quest. 2. To what fates that there are two eminent states Sol. of our life. 1. One is piritual, which refpects all the exigencies, varieties, windings, turnings, changes, defections, eclipfes, tryals, and hardships of the foul: Whatfoever accidents may befall an holy foul about the heavenly condition, that appertaines to the fpiritual ftate; all the fupplies of grace, of ftrength, of comfort, of affurance, of affiftance against temptations, corrections, troubles, all enlivements and quicknings of the Spirit about all forts of duties and fervices, active or pa five. 2. Another is temporal, which is not onely the terme of our natural breathings, but alfo the fundry and manifold occurrences which befal us in the employments of our life; all the accidents, and interruptions, croffings,checkings, contrarieties, either in our bodies, or calling, or wealth, or persons, or children,or fervants,or good name, Briefly, the temporal ftate comprehends all whatsoever may weaken; or waft, or diftract: All or any of our temporal.comtentments, delights, defires, ends; as alfo all our temporal fupplements for the being, or well-being of this poore and fhort life of ours, as health, ftrength, friends, food, liberty,eftate, peace, and quietneffe, &c. Now then living by faith extends to both: The juft shall live by his faith, laid the Prophet, Hab. 2.4. of the Jews in the temporal ftate; and, I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, faid Paul in Gal. 2. 2. fpeaking of his fpiritual state. So that faith bears up foul and body, and is both for hea ven and earth: It ferves to fetch in the blood of Chrift, the redemption by Chrift, pardon of finne, Gods favour, all grace and comfort to the foul. And it ferves to fetch in allo health to the body,riches to the estate, plenty, peace, friends, what not? When I am fick,I yet trust in God for health, when poor, I yet trust on God for fufficiency, when under reproach, I yet traft onGod to clear my innocency,when under discomforts and forfakements,I yet truft onGod for favor and countenance: In all my diftreffes and reproaches, I have yet his Word for my fupplies and helps, upon which I reft,and thus I live by faith: fo. far as the promifes extend, fo far doth living by faith extend. SECT. III. Quest. 3. Now more particularly what it is to live by faith. on Chrift. Sol. I will tell you what I think of it, It is an boly work and : courfe of a beleeving perfon, wherein he doth depend on Christ, and make nfe of h m for all the conditions and exigencies of the foul a.. bout its pritual ftate. For the opening of this defcription, will touch opon three things. $10 To live by. faith in Chrif 1. The particular conditions and exigencies of the foul by rea. Three things fon of which it hath need to live by faith. 2. The fulmefe and fitnesse and fidelity of Chrift, for the supply and help of a beleeving foul. 3. The conjunction of both thefe together, which is the very living by faith on Christ. First, the particular conditions and exigencies of the foul :you must know this, That to live by faith prefuppoftth two things on our part, defect and infufficiency: Ff 3: There There is fomething lyes upon us which should not, and we cannot help our felves, and therefore we go abroad by faith; this is to leupon the market. 1 Now there are many things which dy upon our fouls. 1. The fenfe of guilt; this is a great matter, it makes the very heart oft-times to tremble; it is an heavy burden when a man finnes against an holy and just God, the leaft of them provoking and damnable: This is a time of trouble, for alman fees much in debe, and nothing in fock, he is not able to pay a farthing, allthar ke is or can do, can never snfwer divine Juftice. This is one exigence now which makes a man capable to live by faith, to look out to Chrift, and to try what he will do for him a niilerable finner as you fhall Heare. 2. The fenfe of unrighteou/neffe: Why,God requires an holy conformity to his divine will, in heart, and in life, that our nature should be as he requires, and our wayes as he commands, but when the foul is able actively to reflect on it selfe, and look on God, and then to compare what it is and hath done, with what it fhould be, and fhould have done; It is a mazed at its own unrighteousneffe, and this is much increased, for it knows that no unrighteous perfon shall go to heaven; It knows that God will not pronounce unrighteous judgement; He will not acquit a man as righteous who hath not righteoutneffe, nor fhall he ever ftand in judgement before him. Now this is another exigence which puts the foul upon the life of faith. 3. The times of defertion, when all the comfortable evidences of the Chriftian state are drawn off, as it were, when the Lord confines himfelfe and all to his promife: The poor foul hath no fpark of comfort, it hath no glimpfe of divine favour, if it can finde God to be his God, and Chrift to beits Chrift in the promifes, well and good, but there is no feeling, nor handling any fenfible tokens. This is another exigence. 4. The times of contrariety; when the Sunne feemes to be darkened, and when mercy feems to be angry, and when fidelity feems to caft off, when mindfulneffe leemes forgetful, God feemes not to regard us, but to fight against us,and Chrift who did call to us to come unto him,doth seem to go away from us: O this is a ftrong exigence of the foule, and if ever, now must it live by faith. 5. The time of weaknesse: when a man fees that his work is great, and his ftrength is fmall duties many, power little, affections dull, not able to do for Chrift, not able to fuffer for Chrift, cannot pray, hear, receive, obey as he fhould, as he would. This is alfo an exigence of the foul wherein it needs to live by faith on Chrift, just 6. The times of corruption: when a mah feels finne afresh, he had thought finne had been dead long ago, and all conficts had been paft, but now he perceives linne to rife like an armed man, and like a flood, even ready to beare down the foule with that hideous infolency, and violence of wicked thoughts and inclinations; yea, fo great is this, ftorme, that as chey laid to Chrift in another cafe, fo here, Master help,orat we perish. elle 7. The times of temptation, which like a croffe winde, beares the hip almoft under water: The gawers of dark of hell to open themfelves against the foul, and the powers of darkneffe fall in upon it with all the cunning of unbelief, and excitation to blafphemy: To deny God, to flight his Word, to let go our confidence in Chrift, fo that the poore fqul is almost brought to dult and death by reafon of them. This is allo another exigence for the foul to make ufe of Chrift, and to live by faith, no 8. The times of contradiction: when the mouths of wicked and foolish men, like Tharp rafors, wound and cut off a mans good Nam, when their hands, like claws of Lyons, reare a way the prey, they take away the innocency of the upright, and the eftates, liber tes, friends, all the earthly encourage ments of the righteous, I lay this may alfo be an exigence, for the foul to live by faith in Chrift, and to make up all in him a lone. 2. Now, as he who lives by faith, is (in the acting of that life) till fenfible of fome, one of thefe exigencies or traits of his foule; fo in the fecond place le must be able to Bebold a furable fulneffe in Chrift, He must know two things. First, that Christ baih enough in him to answer all these. Sc- Secondly, that Chrift is appointed of God, and willing to do it; therefore I pray you remember. Fift, that Chrift bath enough in him to answer all the exigencies of the faule: Thy foule cannot be caft on any fea, But he is there as a fure fhip and harbour; It cannot be caft upon any streight or trouble whatfoever, but Chrift is able to relieve it. 1. For the fenfe of guilt: Why, in this there is that in Chrift which can take it off: His blood is good payment, and it was shed for the remission of fins; He can make perfec peace, and fatisfie to the utmost As the leaft finne needs his merit, fo the greatest doth not exceed it: If Chrift would but offer up his foul for thine, his merits for thy trefpaffes, his precious blood for thy bloody crimes; Why, God will be pa cified, for his blood is the blood of atonement of reconciliation, of blotting out, of peace &c. 2. So for unrighteoufne fe; Why,there is that in Chrift which can prefent the righteous unfpotted, unblameable; which can prefent thee glorious without pot or wrinkle, as the Apostle Ipeaks Eph.5. He can finde an ample garment without any rent, an obedience which was perfect, which God will accept, for which he will justifie thee; Though thine own rightconneffe (for matter of judicial Juftification) be as filthy regs. 3. The like may be faid in a proportion to all the other exigencies. Though thou be weak in grace, feeble in duty, yet he can make all grace to abound, and he can ffrengthen the feeble knees, and he can comfort the mourning (pirit, and he can open heaven againe: He can open thy eyes that thou fhalt fee thy God again; yea, and as thou haft done formerly, as thy God, yea, he can conquer the bufieft corruption, and put by thy ftrongest temptation, and ftand by thee in the bittereft oppofition. 2. Nay, and Chrift is both appointed of God to be, and do all this for the beleever, and is very willing. He is made union of God, (faith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 1. 30.) wildome, righteousnese fanctification and redemption: therefore is he called the horn of Salvation, the fuftifier of his people, the Standard to which we fhould repaire, the firengib of them that truft in him, in a word, |