Chap.z.Secr.9 L~oki!ig UlJto :Jeftu. Booid IL let not us prefcribe unto God, let not ns prcfume to appoint the conditions of the covenant; kt not us ieek to windeabout the promife of grace to our own mind and will : let not us fay, we will have it thm, thm and thus it foall br, or elfe we will admit ofno conditions of peace; But, 0 come, take God and Chrifi upon his own terms; iubmit to that way of the covenant, and to thofe conditions ofpeace which the Lord prcfcribeth ; why, this is to wnform to his gracious offers. There is much in this offer of Chrifi and conforming to Chrifi, and therefore give me leave to enlarge. As in the offer God ufually fcatters fome little feeds of faith in the hearts of thofe that he will bring to himfelf, fo it is worth the while to obferve the work of faith in receiving and accepting of this gracious offer; only I fhall not herein limit the Lord, but l will fhew what fome conceive the mofl: ufuall and ordinary courfe offaiths working, and ofthe fouls COFJforming to JefusChrift in itsclofing with Chrift. As thus-- _ 1. Faith hearing the great things propofed ia the covenant of grace, it ftirs up in the heart a ferious confideration o.ftheir blelfed condition that are in covenant with God, Bleffedart thouDeur. J 1· 2.!).' 0 lfrael, a people faved by the Lora.- What Nationin the 1 Sam.7.t3 .. earth is likg thy people, even life§ lfrael, whom God went to redeem for a people to himfelf? time was (faith the foul) that I counted the proud bleifed, and the rich bleifed, and the honourable bleifed; time was when I placed my blelfednelfe in other things, as in riches, preferments, favour, credit with men; but now thefe are become vile, and things of no value; faith make; us change our voice, and to fpeake as the Pfalmift, Blef]'ed are the people whPfe qod is the Lord. Pfal. IH. If~ 2. Faith l.l:irs in the heart a longing defire after this condition.' good being heleeved,cannot but be defired,and longed for; defir~ naturally fprings from the apprehenfion ofany good being made known ; hence faith ( we fay ) is both in the underl.l:anding and in the will; as it is in the underfl:anding, it opens the eye to fee, and clearly to difcerne the bleffiog of the covenant· as it is in the will it purfues & def1res the attaining ofthe gracer~vealed . norar_nhe_fe_defiresfaim~e~res, but very earneft, eager, violent~ fomettmes tt ts called a th1rjtzng after q od; and fometimes a pant• ing .tfter God; and fometimes aga!pi11g after God: it is fuch a d~fire ai cannot be fatisfied by any thing without God lumfelf. · I i 2 3. ~ait~
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