_ 276 Chap. 9. An Expojttiott upon the Book of p Verf.i6. high rcapec;{ anddiem of the works of God towards them, yct their faith is often below his workings,and they cannot receiveor take hi mercy fo fall as it cometh; faith widens the veffel of the foul to receive much,but God can pour in fafier then faithcan wi- den the foul to receive. Sixthly, Obfcrve,,Faith bath its decays. Faith doth not keep up al'wayes at the fame height,in the fame plight and degree: There is "a faith which beleives tha t God Both anfwer before he anfwers ; and there is a faith that cannot belcive God will anfwer, when he hath anfwered. Faith in lfrength pre- vents the anfwerofGod. As God inanfweringlbmetimes pre- vents our askings (Ifa.65. 24.) Before they call I will anfn'er, and while they areyet fpeakíng I will bear : So faith faith, Before the Lordgiveth I know I bane it, before the Lorddoth this thing, i fee it it done. Faith in its firength realizes the mercies of God .be- fore they haveabeing,and is an evidence to us ofwhat we fee not. When mercies are but theirprinciples, in their conceptionand birth, or at mof,when they arebut in theircradle and fwadling- clouts,faith fpeaks as gloriouflyofthem,as ifthey were fully"acted and grown up before the eye.Strong faith in God (like God him felf) quickens the dead, and calleth thole things which be not, as though they were. Weak faith deadens the quick, and calleth thole things which are, as if they were not.. The Ifraelites were no fooner over the red fea, but they beleived themfelves in the land ofCanaan (Exod. 15. 13, 4,15.) and in their Song teli the fiory of the fubmiflìon and fears of the uncircutncifed' Nati- ons round about , which yet their after unbeleif kept off fourty years. There is a further underfiandingof the words, which I fhail clear inconnexion with that which foiloweth: Iwouldnot beleive that be hadhearkned to myvoice;For be break- eth me with a ternpeft; .as if the reafon why he,doubted hisLvoice] was not heard, lay in this, becaufe of thofe Continual breakings Efianiß Deus which were uponhim, Iwould not believe that he had hearkened to mëprecantem mt voice or he brew eth me witha tem e I &multipliethmy wounds exaudierit, ni- y. k p 1 p y nime.ered, cam without a caufe : Asif lobhad faid,'`the dealings ofGod are filch eaátoruvtnimbo towards me,that I know:not how tomake it out that I am heard: me©bruat.. For though the Lord infome things carries it Co gracioufly toward me, that I have great afáuranceI am' heard , yet ;rmany things appear, reporting that I am not heard. Af#lif ions continued are
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