Serm. i4. Haw ntsff we Pray in Faith ? us, that not only we may be put on the mope co o)cain what is goon for us, but char is may be an aEl of obedience, and fo we may be rewarded for procuring our owra happinefs. So much for the things we are to believe, now for the manner of believing. I. We are to believe thefe things of God and Chrifl with ar. Hiflo- rical Faith. 2.With a Faith of Recurnbency,we are to rely upon the Power,Wif dom and Goodnefs of God,and upon Chrifls Intereft in God,&c. 3. Saints are by way of duty, but not by way of a necefary Condi- tion of obtaining whacfoever they ask, to believe with the Faith of af- furance of obtaining whacfoever we pray for. By,Faith here in the Text is not meant, that we mull without any doubt or wavering believe that we fha11 receive in kind whacfoever we ask, even the very thing we pray for. I. The Leper was cured though he prayed with an if theta wilt. 2. Thofe in difertion fhould put up no acceptable Prayers,fince they have not Faith of affurance of obtaining. 3. Chrifi when he comes at the day of Judgment, he Chaff not find ' this Faith on the Earth, Lake 18.8. and yet verf.7. it is faid, God will hear thofe Prayers. 4.- The Apofile forbids this Faith; verf.7. therefore it is not the Faith here commanded, for then it fhould run thus, you mull believe you (hall receive the thing you ask for, but if you do nor,you muff not; many more arguments may be brought to prove this, but thefe ilial fuflïce, befides what (hall be faid in the Native handling this ue- flion, viz,. What Faith ù regseired ad to or believing abfelstely And asn- dossbtedly, in k nd the very thing we aek, which I (hall anfver in fever al Propositions. I. When we ask Temporal bfeflîngs as we ought, we are bound cc believe we (hall receive them as we ask them ; for our Prayers for Tem- poral things fhould be 1piritual as ro the end, and moderate as to their meafure, and conditional as to theireffeél upon us, i. e. if it be for our good. Nov f nce our de(res are to be Condicional,and Gods Pro:nifes of Temporalsare Conditional) we mull not abfolurely believe. we flua!1 receive what we ask : a Conditional pro :nife cannot be a foundation for an abfolure Faith. II. Our Faith and Confidence of obtaining the thing we ask,ihould proceed pariparas,(hould be as ftrong to the event as it is to the Condi- tions. If we are very confident what we ask is for the glory of God or oi): . 337
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