Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap.x.Sect.J· Book III. 1 5 1 her a w11ll of fire round about. So here, I will be a fhield , a Zacb.:.)' . wall offire round about; not only a wall to ke~p thee fafe, b'ur a wall of fire to confume all them that are agamfr thee; as a fire which frauds about like a wall, doth not only defend thofe that are within but it burnes thofe without that come neare unto it . fo is God' to his people. 2. I nm thy exceeding gre.tt rewarl; I am the almighty G~d; I will be a God unto tkee. This is the very foul of the covenant, and of all the promtfes ofGod: q. d~ quantus , quantHs jim vefler ero ; all I am is thine, my felfe, my goods , my grace , my glory , wbatfoever is in me , all that I have, and all my attributes are thine,; my power, my· wifdome , my counfel , my goodnelfe , my riches, whatfoever · is mine in the whole world; I will give it thee for thy portion .. , I and all that I have are thine , for thy ufe; Chrifiians ! wa;· n~t this an exceeding great reward? who ·can underfiand the height , and depth , and length, and bredtb of N!is reward? furely happ] is t.he people that is in fuch a cafe., yea happy is that people whofeGod u the Lor.a,, but m~re of thts hereafter. PC.t 4f'. l st·. 6. What is the condttwn ofthts covenant? I anfwer, the ·condition ofthe covenant of grace is faith , and only faith ; to this purpofe it ii flid of 4braham, he beleeved in the Lord, and he cosmttd £t to himfor righteoufnes. This text is often alledged Gen,r $.6, by the Apo!t:les; the word beleeved imports, that he thought Roj•H'- the Word ofGod to be fure, certaine, fiable, and confiant . ~a !;6 • , it is fuch a belief as is oppofed to fainting, as it is faid of {acob · m•• zJ. when h~ heard_the report of his fonnes that {ofeph was alive , his Gen. 45."f.lJ;. heart famted, becaufe he beleeved nOt; but when he beleeved,. · - his heart revived, and David faith of himfelfe, I had fainted, unlef{e I had beleeved. So that it is·a lively motion of th~heart . affeuting unto, and truftingin God, and in the Word of God' Pr. 17 , 1 , 31 as firme and confrant . This was the very conditio'n of the covenant which God required of Abraham; q. d. Abraham, dolt thou beleeve that fuch a Meffiah fhall be fent into the world ? art thou able to beleeve ? yes , I beleeve Lord , faid Abraham . well faith God, I will' put thee to the trial; I will give thee; fon , though thou art as a dead man, and Sarah as a dead woman; yet I will promife thee a fon, art thou able to beleeve ?' again, thou fee(l: the land of Canaan, thou:hafr not one·foot in it, I~~! ~ill glv~ ~hee. ~~i~ !and itl ~h~ lengdi and bredth ofit for rliw . -· . ·---- I?~

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