BoJk.llL Looking unto 1efus. Chap.2. Sed9. 3. Faith frirs in the heart fome hope to enjoy this co ndition I fay f ;me hope; for faith being as yet in the bud, or in the feed: though its defire be {hong, yet hope of obeying is but feeble, and weak; hence faith is taken up with many thoughts : faine would the foul be joyned to Chrifi, but being as yet difmayed with the fenfe offin, it fiands like the Publican afar off; as yet faith can fcarce fpeake a word to God, only with {onah it can look.. to-a·ards his holy Temple. As a poore weak babe who !yes in the cradle Gck, and weak, and fpeechleffe, only it can look towards the moi:.her for he! pe; the call: of the eye expreffeth in fome fort what it would fay; thus faith being weak it would fpeak to God, but it cannot, or dares not, only it h~th its eye ~ Chr.to. u. towards heaven; as {ehofhaphat, f~metimesfaid, our eyes are to- - · wards thee. It feeles a need and fame would have, butfenfe of of unwortl1ineffe, and the fenfe of the Law £hikes fuch a feare into the heart, that it dares nQt come neare. Conflder lfraeis cafe, and we {hall find it paralel to this : God proclaimes on the mount, I am Jhe Lord thy qod; what was this, but Gods offer to be in covenant with Ifrael?& yet the terrour ofthe thunder was fo great; that !(rae! durft not come neare : a poore foul hearing the Lord ro offer himfelf to be in covenant with him, come foul, I am the Lora thy God. Why,alas it d,ares not come near, what am I Lord? or what ism] Father.t hoafe , that I foould enter into a co· c 'lmant wirh the m(lft high God? The foul is unquiet within it felf, it is hurried to and fro, and findes no reft; it hears of peace with God but feels it not, there is much adoe with the foul to fuftaine its h~pe; only faith fets the mind againe and-againe to confider t.Jle promifes,invitations,and all other encouragements whichGod bath given in his Word. . 4· faith fiirs in the heart fome refolves to go to Gods throne, and to fue for grace; faith fpeaks within as they did, who can tell )'onl'· 3 • 9~ whether t he Lord will retm'ne ? and it may he the Lord God of RoaftJ will hegracious to the remnant ofJo(eph. So, who can tell ? tfimos PS faith the foul; it may be the Lord will, faith the fouh and this begets fome refelves, M thofe lea pers in Sarmtl'ia knew they were fureto. p ~rilh if t hey fate ft; ll , therefore theyrefolved to .try whether theAramiteJ woqJd fave them;or asEfther knowing all was undone if {he would not H:ir, fhe would try whether the King would ~old out his golden Scepter ; fo the poore foul knowing there is no
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