Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

-, I Wlryl and h01v to. t'rufl · i11 God. <'; the ufe of felfdevifed finful me.2n1; whe.n he hath promifed a bldtlng to no fuch means, but threat· neJ them with a curfe. 4· Thinking wt 'trujf God, when it is fame falfe revelation of the DeviJ, or fomc ddution of deceivers, or fame c\ream, or fanc.y pr br:~in-lick proud conceit of, qur own which indeed we believe, and ground cL! Trufl upbrl: fa<lJ-Iofe do 1ha1 are dduded by falfe Proph«; and fa!Ce Teachers, and phantafiical fanties of their corrupted imaginations. 6. When men in pre~ • 1 • :"' fu~pri~': ~~d carnal f~1CuJi~r will ,raG~J.Y·.vtntme their f~ls . in rh;, daTk~ffS, of untertainty· (as welt ·~ 1h tlie'he~lta: of· a lloly' ltte } and can away all the ftiife of thetr ln11edb!J ftlre, and all the neclf: faryfear'ind carethat(Hhdhb to th~if.t~ovew, acd 'fler{wa.lte theinftlv.cs611at they are.in;no great dangtr, ·~r that their cue will do no good, and cJ.II all thi",A trujling Gv4- with tifei r fllvation. 7· A prett:nding to truft God for that which is contrary to his NJ..ture: as ro' to've .J th~ wicked w'irhcomp!a– ctncy; or to take rhem into Ht:aven. 8. A pretending to trujf Gt·d for that which is contrary to his W11rd : as to fave che unregenerate and unholy: And fo [ not·believiug him J it tiM: is uken fOr a brlicviilg~ in 'him, Or 1ru{iinf. him. 9· Pretending to believe: and trujf him .ftO( that whicl1 ireirher his– Natute or his W1•rd did ever declare to Qe.his Will : in matters which' he'ha_ch kept ftcn:t, 0r never gJ.ve us any revdation of: fuch is that which fome call A partic:ilar faith: As to tielieve.in prayer that fomc particular never promifcd {hall be gramed, becau(e we ,ak,_ it, or becau{C we feet a Hrong pofWalion that it will be fo. o r particular ?· 5· ~· But i1not fitib a particula_r faith and trujf Divine and jjlid? Anfw. To exptCT any par· Fa1th. · ticular mercy which Gods Namre, or Wo.,d, or fYork.f{[o tdl us that he ·irviO give, is found and warN ram~bta -: And tocx~d: any particular t-hing whicn by infpirati11n, prophecy, or true extraordinary re· vtl<J.tilhz~ rhall be made known tous: t~or this is a woa.l ot' God : But all other br/icf and rocpe£1Jtion ! (. is but filf-prornifing and frlfdtctiving. And wife men will not tafily ta!<e themfclvcs tor Prophers, " 1 nor fake any thing for an infpiration, or divine e:xtrt~ud-inary revtlation 1 which bringcrh not the telli· · mony of cogent evidence. I ,, . Dirtll·l· §. 6. I V. There are three Great U[e; and benefits of1his 'tmft in God, which highly commend it to us,.and make it nectlfary. J.lt is nctdfaiy to our Ack.,.nowledgement and Humuring -ofGud.' It is a cordial praCtical confefllon of his Po"wer, and Wifdom and GoodndS and Truth: For whc.re·aoy one of rhc::fe are wanting, there is no ground of rational Trull. And the greater the d.mger or affault againfi us is, the more Gud is a~k.,.nowledged and honoured by our Trufl : F'or then we dtdJ.ti<!, th.it ntY creature, or impediment can- dHippoint his will; but that his Power is above aH Power, and his Wifdom above all '\Vifdom,. and his goodttt{s and fidelity conf\:ant and invincible. Whereas Dijfrtijt is a denying of God in fOmt of his atrriblttes; ~r a fufpe~i'ng of h~rn. 2. lt is necelf~ry to o_ur fdves, for the quiet, and peace and comfort of our:mmds, which c:lfe Will be le(t unavoid.tbly to continual difquietncfs and pain, by_ vexatious fears, and gric:fs, and cares, unlefs ltupitliry or deccir fhould eafe them. 3· It is necdTary t.o prevent the· errors and linful mifcarriage of our lives. for' if we Tmjf not in God, we (hall fpend all our thoughts and laQou_rs_Jn t~e ufe of finlill means; we lhaH be trultH ing idOlatroufly to the creature, and we (hall be fh1ftmg tor. our fdves by Jyes or any unlawful means, and lnfe our felrJn by .(aving .ollr folvu, as fromGod, or tnthout Gud. . . ~· 7 • Hence it is that 7'r'!Jf 1n ~od_1s fo frequently and ear~eftly cornma.n~ed m the Scnpturcs, and fuch bleffings promifed to 11, as 1f 11 were the fum of Godhnefs and Richg1ou, Jer. 17· 5· 7• Curfid. be the man that trujltth in mau, and m.:zk._eth flcfh hi1 1arm, and whofe Inart dtp:Jrteth ftum tbe Lord~ ]Jlcj]ed;. the man that trujlrth in the Lor4, "'uJ whofe 'hope tbt Lord i<•. Prt>v. '.6. >O· Who fo trujlerh ;,. tiJ<Lord, happy is he. Pfalm 2·12· Blc§cdare aU they_ that put rbm trufl rn IJtm, So Pfal. 84."!2· & 34• 8. 0 tajle and fee tlw the Lnrd i< good: ble!Jed ~theman tbattrujletb in him. Pfal. 32· 10. & 57 . 1 • & 86. 2· & 22· 4, 5, 8. Safety,ftabilitj, comfort, fol~ation, aU rmrci;J arc promo/fd !o them. th~t trttll i11God. Pfal·34·22· &3.7·3>5•40· &91·2,4• &!2)·1· lfa.so•. 10· So fatth mChrtfi 1s called 'frujl : Mmh.12.21· Ephd. I· 12, I3· . And idolaters and worldling• are dcfcribed by 7rttjli 11 g in their Idols, and their Wealth, Pfalm ll)' 8. & 135· t8: .Amos 6. ·,, Mar. !G· 24• .Prov. u. 28, & 28. 26• ~· 7' Dirdli0111 for a quieting and comforting Trull '"God. Dire&. J, Let tby foul main tl!< d"pcft irnpref!ions of the AUmighti~tt{i, 1Yi[d11m G,.dncji, andf•ith· fulncfs ofGod, and how certainly aU ~erfonJ, things and tvtnts a:e in hH power, and_ h~r:' impottJlt all the wurld iJ to refifi him, and tbat mthmg can burt thee, but,by.~l! conftnt: Tire prmc1pal means tcr a confirmed confidence in God, is to k.,.now him, and.to know that :tll thmgs thJt we can fear, art no· thing, and can do nothing, but by his command, and motion, o.r per.milllon. I am not atrlid of a Bird or a Worm, becaufe I know i< is too weak for me : And 1f I rJghcly apprehend how much all creatures are too weak for God, and how fufficient God is to deliver me, his Truft would quiet me: lfa. 4'· 10· Ftar thou not, for I am with thle z be not difmayed, for I am thy Go~: I wiU jlr6ngtten thee, yea, I will hrlpthee, yea, I wiU uphold thet---So v. 13, 14· &43· J. &44· 2. 8. Ptal. 9· IO· They that k_ttow thy name, will pnt their ttu}f in thee: lfJ, 51•7,8. Heark,_en tmto me.ye tbat k_now righteoufnfji, the ptflple iJt wb fc heart Umy/--aw: Fear ye not the reproach of men, nczthtr be -afraid of their reviling!, for the motb jhaU ea~ them up lik$ a garment , tbe TYorm jha/1 eat tb~m /i~ WooU.

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