266 Satanspower to Tempts and Chrift's love to, eft. 2 ,them, Iwill liken him unto a wife man, which Bath built his houfe upon a rock; and the raindefcended, and thefeuds came,and the winds blewand beat upon that knife ; and it fell not, becaufe it nalfounded upon a rock. Now every Eeleever is founded up- on a rock, (Chrifi) and therefore, though the rain defcend, and the flouds come, and the winds blow, and temptations be never lo great, he cannot fail totally, becaufe he is built upon a rock. In the i 3. ofMatthew, ye know it is made the property ofthe falfeground, that in the timeof temp- tation it fell away : Now ifthe good ground ( a regenerate man) fhould fail away in the time oftemptation ; what difference were there between thefalfe ground, & thegood ground ? Plainly therefore, the Scripture holds forth this truth unto us, 1hat a regenerateman, a Eeleever, though his faith may fail much, yet it does not fail totally in time oftemptation. And thus Peters faith failed, and thus it failed not : in regard of the Exercife, and Aaing of his faith, it did fail; but in regardof the grace it felf, faith it felf, fo it failed not : and fo it is, and maybe with others ofthe Saints alio. Secondly : ifthefaith ofa beleever do only fail in regardof the Ailing, Exercife, and Working thereof, What great incon- venience is there, or evil in thefailingofhisfaith ? Much, (my beloved)very ranch For though that faith fail only in regard ofthe Aecing, Exercife, and working, he does lofe an opportunity of glorifyingGod. 'Tis Paid ofAbraham, That he beleeved, and gave glory to God. Faith gives glory toGod : it glorifies his Power, hisMercy, his Faithtulnefs, and his W ifelom ; not faith in the Habit, but faith in the Exercife of it glorifies God : and fo much as a mans faith doth fail, in the AEting, Working, and Exer- die ofit, fo muchhe lofeth anopportunity of glorifying Cod. Moreover, He Toles hisown Comfort. Faith is a Com- forting grace. Being juflifiedbyfaith, we havepeacewith God. And in the 15. to the Romans, and the r3. verfe, ye find, That Joy andPeace growsupon faith : Now the Godefhope, Diu
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