Chap<~ .Secr.6. .tloolttng unto jjcfn.s. Book II. 5 l 5 . vVhenw< woulcl m1ke things fureto one another, we take an oath." A:cd fo will I, faith God: G"od "·i/!mg more abundantly to jlmv t<nto the he>rs of promife the tmml!tabllity of his counfcl, confirmed it by an oath, q. d. there IS no fuch need of. an oath, bur I He h. 6. '7· will be abundant to thee, b.caufe I would have theerrufi me, and confide In me throughly: and as I fwear (faith God) fo will I fwear the greatert oath that ever was, I fivcarby my [cif: God fwelr>byCod: he cou!dfivear by ;,·o grcatu,and therefore hefwearby himftlf: 1nd why rhus, but for their fakes who are the heirs of promife I hek!_tows our frame, Ueh. 6 1 J· and merr.bcrs, th.1t we arebttt duft; and therefore to fuccour our weaknefs, the Lord rs pleafed to [wear, and to confirm all by his oath. 6. When we would make things fure to one another, we take a pawn. And I will give' thee a pawn faith God.- and fuch a pawn! as if thou never had!l: any thing more, thou Owuldil be happy : 11 1sthe pawn of my Sp1m. Who al[ohmh (ea!ed m, andgiven , Cor I.''· the carneft of the Spirit in OJ<r hearts, 1· d. I w11l fend my fp1rtt IntO your hearts, and · this Spirit Jh11l be a pawn, an earnefl: myour heartS, of all the good that I intend to do for you for ever. 7 . When wewould make thirgsfure w one another, fomething it may be is prefenrly done, as an mgagemem of all that wbtch IS to come. And thus w1lll deal with thee, faith God, who llvett mthefe lafl: ofttmes: why thou fee!l: the greareft parr of thy Sal– vation already done, I made a promife from all Eternity of fending my Son into the World to be made a curfe for fin; yea, and ifthou believefi,for thy Jin ; and this is the greattfl: work of all that is to be done t.o all. Eternity. Surely i~ I would have failed ) I thee in any thmg, lt fl>Ould have been 111 thls'l tt 1s not fo much ror me now, to bring thee ro Heaven, to fave thy Soul, as it was to fend my Son into the World to be made a curfe for fin: but when l have done fo great a work, and have been already faithful in that promife, bow .O>Ouldfl:thoubut believe my faithfulnefsin making good all other promi– fes? If a man Jliould owe thee a thoufand pound, and pay thee nine hundred, ninety, and nine, thou wou:drt think furely, he would never break forrhe refi; why God bath paid his nine hundred, ninety, and nine; and ail the glory of heaven is but as one in com– parifon of what he bath done ; we r:Jay therefore well believe, that be who hath done fo much for us, wi!l not leave the li tle undone. . · Come then, roufe up 0 my foul, and believe thy imerefl in thofe eternal tranfaCl:ions betwixt God and Chrifl: : is not here ground enough for thy Faith? ifthou art but cal– ed, the promife of God is thine: or if thou dareft not rely on his promife (which God forbid) thou haft his indenture, his feal, and wimelfes of all forrs, l:ioth in Heaven and Earth; or if yet thou bdieve!l: not, thou haft an oath,a pawn,and the gteateftpartofthy Salvation already done to thy hand ; nay, I'le tell theemore poor foul then thus. even Chriil himfelf from all Eternity bath engaged for thee that thou /hair believe . 0 then pm not Chrifl: to be challenged of his engagment by refuGng the Gofpel ! lur~ly when thou believefl:, thou makelt C:hrifis word good; he that bdieveth not makes God a lier, though in another fenfe, and for ought he knowerh, even in this, that hefrufl:rates Chrins underdkings in the Covenant. And therefore believe; yea, and cry, Lord [be– lieve, help tha" my ltnbclicf; increafe my Flith, rill I eom~ to full alfurance of faith. Faith in this fenfe is tlwvery eye of the foul, reading its name written in the book of Life. it isan apprehenfion of our particular election. 0 believe, till thou come(! up to tbi; fullnefs of pnfwafion of Gods love in Cht·ifl:. S E C T. VI. Of loving refu; in that refpefJ. , 6. "\ JVE mufl: love [efm, as carrying on that great work of our Salvation in that V Errrmry . And this is the fruit, or effect of faith. if once we believe that all thofe defignes and tranfadions were for us, even for us; 6 then how fhould we but love that God, a;;d loverbat Chrifl: who thtis firftly and freely loved us? God loved us before we loved h1m, for he loved us in that Eternity before all vVorlds, furely then we are bound tO love him: Firft, and above all things. As the Diamond formerh and faOJi– ?net~ rhepra~ond, fo love formeth and fa01ioneth love; or as fire converreth fewel Into fire, lO thiS ant1em love of God and Chrifl: may well caufe our love again. 0 Chrift 1 d1dfl: not thou love us? who doubts it that bur reads over the projeer, councel, fore• knowledg, purpofe, decree, and co.enam of God and Chrifl: ? who doubts it that but • H 2 read.>
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