PART II. to dZ tanguijh cclZCns. 75 the Operation of God, that is not founded in a fpiritualSight ofChriff. That believing on Chrift, which accompanies a Title to eveilafiirg Life; is a Pecking the Son, and believing on him, John 6. 40. True Faith in Chrift is never exercifed, any further than Perfons behold as in a Glafs, the Glory of the Lord, and have the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of fefus Cbrifl ; 2 Cor. 18. and 4. 6. They into whole Minds the Light of the glorious Gospel of Chrifl, who' is the Image of God; doffs not opine : They believe not ; 2 Cor. 4. 4. That Faith, Which is without fpiritual Light, is not the Faith of the Children of the Light, and of the Day ; but the Prefumption of the Children of Darknefs. And therefore to press and urge them to believe, without any fpiritual Light or Sight, tends greatly to help forward the Detu- fions of the. Prince of Darknefs. Men not only can't exe-rcife Faith without fome fpiritual Light, but they can exercife Faith only juft in fuch Proportion as they have fpiritual Light. Men will truft in God no further than they know him : And they can't be in the Exercife of Faith in hiin one Ace further than they have a Sight of his Fulnefs and Faithfulness in Exercife. Nor can they have the Exercife of Truft in God, any further than they are in a gracious Frame. They that are in a dead carnal Frame, doubtlefs ought to truft in God becaufe that would he the fame Thing as coming out of their bad Frame, and turning to God : But to exhort Men confidently to truft in God, and fo hold up their Hope and Peace, tho' they are not in a gracious -Frame, and continue tint to be fo, is the fame Thing in Ef- fedt, as to exhort them confidently to truft in God, but not with a gracious Truft : And what is that but a wicked Prefumption ? It is juft fo impoiiible forMen to have a strong or lively truft in God,when they have no livelyExercif s ofGrace, or fenfible chriftianExperiences, as it is for them to be in the lively Exercifes of Grace, without- the Exercifes of Grace. 'Tis true that it is the Duty of God's People to truft in him,'when in Darknefs, and tho' they remain Rill in Darknefs, in that Senfe, that they ought to truft in God when . the Afpedts of his Providence are dark, and look as tho' God had forfaken them, and did not hear their Prayers, and many Clouds gather, and many Enemies furround them, with a formidable AfpeSt, threatning to fwallow -them up, and all E- vents of Providence feem to be againft them, all Circumftances feern to render the Promifes of God difficult to be fulfill'd, and- God' niuft be trufted out of Sight, i. e. when we can't fee which Way it is'poi- ble for him to fulfill his Word, every Thing but God's nicer Word makes it look unlikely, fo that if Perfons believe, they muft Hope a- gainst Hope. Thus the antient Patriarchs, and lob, and the Pfalmift, and "Jeremiah, Daniel, Shadrach,Mefhech andllbe'nego, and the Apoftle Paul gave Glory to God by trufting in God in Darknefs. And we have many inff-ances of fuch a gloric us vidoripusFaith in the Eleventh
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