F[d. 3'· >9 l'f•l-36• 7 P(al. 21. I lf•. 4o. 11 P[al. 41. B. 9· ... P fai.o6. 2, 3 Pr•~·· le. 26 I Cor.3 \0 John 1• 37 J olm IS· I~ HefM '4· 4 Marth :z8. :zo 3tb£ JL.if£ of jfattbChap.9.sea 6. 0 how great i• thy goodnefs which tholl haj/latd up f or them that f .ar thee, Jvl,~eh thou haft wroltght for them that truftin the~, before the fonr of~en !--Horv cxcdlent ti cL.I lcvi 1 g kji 1 dnefs,0 Lord !therefore the c~&ldren of men put theer trnfl under thejiJadow of tby wm,g.r. 2 • That faith (in confiderat10n hereof) retls upon God, and Chrifl:, and the Spiritof Chr\ft, to receive whatfoever may be good and profitable to the Soul : The J...or4 i1 my Shephml; I ]hall not want : ----- He ]hall lead hi• flock)zks a Jhepherd, he ]hall-gather the lambs with hi• arm, and carry them tn hts bofom, and]hall gewtly lead thofe that 1re with· young. What can _they want, who have God for their Father, Chrifl: for their Saviottr, the Spirit for thctr ~anchfier ~ Thou lfrael art my fervanr, Jacob whom I have choJm, the feed of Abraham my fnend: Thou whom I have taksn from the ends ofthe earrh,and called theefrom the c-hief men thereof,andf aid unto thee, Thou m·t myfervartt, !have chofm thee, and not caft thee away: Fear thou nM,for I am with thee; be not difmmd) for 1am thy God, !will jlrengthen thee,yea! will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with tin right han4 of my RighreMfnefJe. 3 . That faith hereupon fets an high price upon Chrifr, upon God in Chrifr, upon the Spirit of Chrifr : Thefe promifes are more worth than Kingdoms, Empires, the whole World, which made holy David fay, In the mu!tirude ofmy th<mghts within me, thy comforts delight my(uul; q. d. I have multitudes of thoughts, fome running this way, fome running that way; fome on this pleafure, fomc on that profit; but my fmd is only comforted in the thoughts of thee: Pleafur~s, profits, honours, all are vain and empty, and nothing is to be re/led on, to be delightecl in, but Jefu, Chrilt; yea there·s a full content in Jcfus Chrilt; let the world be filled with trouble and fcirrow,even now fatth carries a merry heart. · 4· Faith in thefe promifCJ doth greatly inlarge tqe heart towards God, and frirrcth up to earndl fiudy ofholinefs; if a Chrifrian be much in the Meditation of G<?ds fingular goodnefs in Chrift, it will even conftrain him to yield up himfelf wholly to God, in an manner of godly converfation : Examine,O Lord,and ]»"ove me,t>) my- rccns a•1d my heart, for thy loving k.fndnefs i4 before mine eyes, and l have walksd in thy trmh. 5. Faith ever runs to thcfe promifes in allllraits, and here it findes comforts: Nature: teacheth 111an and beaft in troubles and frormes to make to a fr1clter; the child runs to the armes of the mother , the birds to their nefts, the conies to the r~ck_, (o muft the foul have a fanauary,an hiding place, when danger and trouble cou1es; now where can it take up a, furer and fafer refuge, than with God and Chrifr, a!le\ the Spirit of Chrifi? indeed God itd ares not look at, but in Chrijl; and the Spirit proceeds not but from ehrij/, to Chrij/; therefore it runs immediatly; it is Chrifl, who of God is made ;u-taM wifdom, and righteoufnef•, andfanC/ification, and redemption. Came (faith Faith) let m out to Chrijl, arld •f he receive tti not prefently, let UJ flay a little; he isf"ll of bow< I, andun– dernt{J toWardJ poor jinnerJ, he k.!ept open houfef or a/f.comtrs, he mvites all, ·ent.crt4ttis all, tJ!dJimiers,young finnerJ,great finntrs,lef; finners; his promife iJJure too: hitll that cometh unto me, I will m no wife cafl out. Thus faith,takestHe Believer offfrom felf, eivillife. eltate, friends, and hangs the foul alone upon that true friend, the Lord Jefus Chritl, who hath manifefte(\ the greatnelfe of his love to poor finncrs,bydying for them,and fen– ding his Spirit to fanEl ifie and comfort them. 2. For Prayer, and the manner of it, obferve this method: I . Confefs and acknuwledge Gods mercies both in h_is promifes and performances: Say; Lord, thou haft faid, I will love thee freely i ---- 4,nd !will be with thee, even to the end ofthe world:--·-- He that tQJ<cheth)"'' toJ<cheth the a;pple of111ine eye:----- .Andall isyo~us, andye are Chrijls, and Chri(f is Gods:·----- ..And !will pray-the Father, and he jhallgive l Cor. 3.22,23 7ohn 14. 16 you another Comforter, that he may abide with you fer ever, &c. Surely Lord thou art rrue in th)lfayings; I believe by vertue ofthi• and thatromife, 1have the love, and pramife, a1J provtdencc of God, I am redeemed, called, Jitfltfied, reconctled, adopted by Chrij/; I have the Spirit ofChrijl, I am fanCiijied in fome mtaf#re by that Spirit , 1 have.a// thi• offrte grace, andbyverllleofa promifi. . . . 2. Pray for this encreafe of Faith, and for a further and further fight of this belief: Give me>graciouJ Father, to belic11e M tho#haft promi.fed; t:reate in me the hand ~f faitk, and maks itj/ronger and s7:ronger, that I may effeCinally rcceive,what in mercy thull rcachejl forth ; and thengive me the Jpirit ofrevelation , that I may difl·ern truly what thor< haft gwenme, ;hat my lips may jing of thy praife all the day long. . 3. Pra1fe God for his mercies, and quietly refr m the -promifes: 0 Lord, thonht.fl freely lc'Jied, ·and redeemed, 11ndfmtE!ified my foitl ; 0 how Jhonld 1prnife thee, hawJI 10111 i
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