ix 6. Chap.7. Of FaithandVnbelief. a1n.to refolved, and ultimately terminated,upon which when our faith is grounded wemay John4.4z. fayas the Samaritans to the woman that had related to them the paffages between her and Chrift at 7acobs well. Newwe believenot becaufe of thy fazing, for wo have heard him ourfelves, andknow thatthis is indeed the Chrift, the Saviour of the world. And fo we may fay, we finde by experience the truth of what we have heard : there. fore the proper and efpecial ground of faith is the word of God. Faith cometh by Rorn.ro.t7. hearing, and hearing by théword of God, as the Apoftle faith. And after it is preached, we muff take thefame courfe that we heldin knowledge, or meditation and conference, &e. to acquaint our felves with it, after we hear or read ir, as it is in Deuteronomy6. Luke r6.ro. But becaufe he cannot be faithful in much, that is not fo in a little, and asChrift John 3:12. faith, If we believe himnot in earthly things, we (ball come far fhort in the belief of heavenly ; therefore the Learned have diftingui flied faith intofidemCaleffium& Terrefirium, by faithof heavenly andearthly. And that latter of thefe is a means or way to the former. Therefore it beinga way or preparation to faith, fomewhat is to be Paid of it as a fpecial and moft effenual part of faith, and is rather to be cal- led fidncia or confidentia than fides, confidenceor truft thanfaith. is pleafed God tcprepare and make way to faith by the taft of the two, that a man may repofe himfeff, and rely wholly upon God : and he that can be brought to this etism vacuo peau, when there is no hope of good, beingunfurnifhed of all earthly means and help, will beable alto to put his confidence in him for heavenly things. But wh en the ftore-heufe of faith in earthly things is empty, we cannot be furnifhed with faith inheavenly. I. Now this faith or rather confidence in God is confidered two ways. a. Either Gen.;, 30.3 he that hathit bath the means allo : 2. or he that bath it is utterly without the means. 3,=,7,8, Both here areenjoyned. If we have them we are toufe them, becaufe it hath plea.. Matth.4.6. fed God to ordain them as ordinary means to work with ; hs Pass care was to pro- vide for his family. And Ifaacfaid to his father, here is woodandfire, bat where is the facrifice7 Abrahamranfwer was Dews pravidebit, God will provide the reft. If we do our parts God will do thereft. We mutt not do as the Tempter would have Chrift do, cafe himfelf from the Pinacle, when there was an ordinary way tocome down from it, for this were to neglefi theordinary, and leek out forextraordinary meana which is not warrantable. z. And as we are commanded to ufe them, and not perfume without them, fo on Abak.r.r e. ` the Other fide we are forbidden to trufl in them, and reft upon'tlem, whether it be in the private art we praftife to facrifice to our own nets, that is, to afcribeall to our ownskill, or in our wealth, .which lob accounted as a great fault. If I have made job ;r.z4,st.gold my hope, or have Paid to the fine gold, Thou are my confidence. If I rejoyced becaufe my wealth was great , or becaufe my hand had gotten much. Or if our truft be in great men; as the Prophet, who denounceth a curie againfthim that truft. JerfTS eth in man, or maketh ffe(h his arm. And not Only in great Pcrfonoges, but in Pfafm:.. Common-wealths, and the ftrength of them, and their Chariots and Harles. Or in 20.7. Jer.9.23, wifdoin. Let not the wife man glory in his wifdom. Or in outward Priviledges. 7.4 Trutt not in lying words, faith the Prophet, laying, The Temple of the LGrd,&c Or Eiek,33.30. as Ezekiel in ordinary comingto Sermons (as the people did to his) and fo to reft, doing no good works, and reaping no fruit by them. But to ufe thefe things well, not trailing in them, which maybe done, I. By a right Judgment of them. 2. By a right ufe of them. a. For the fieft, Mofes faith, It is not bread that man liveth by only, but by the Dem. 8,3. Word of God, his Will and Decree. Innature bread should nourith,hut it is withal if God give the ftaff of bread with it.His bidinggives nutritive vertue to bread, Ezech.4.i6. and this is the fluff. The Pfalmift look'd upon his bowie and his fwrrd, and yet could PCalm44.7. notbe confident in them. 1 willnot troll in my bowc, faith he, it is not my fword rz7.t. that (hail help me. And, except the Lord build with us, and watch with us, our building and watching will be to nopurpofe. It is the Lord that mutt give the ftaffof building, watching, nourifhing, &c. elfe all our means will be ufed in yain, nothing can profper without his bkflìng. Every thing depends upon God, 'both in efe and in operari,as theSchools fay,and no fecond caufe can work without the influence of the tuft caufe; and this mull be our judgment concerning the means. 2 The
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