x. And in the Power ofhPs imght. home upon their foules till they filence all doubts and feares a- bout the matter ; which is the importance of thisexhortation: Be Jiro-7g in the Lord, and in the PoWer ofhis might ; Forti fie and entrench your follies within the breaft-work of this attribute of Gods mighty Power made over to you by God him- felle. Firft,it is the end as of all Promifes to be fecurity toour faith, fo of thole in particular where his Almighty Power is exprefly engaged, that we may count this attributeour portion, and reap the comfort it yields as freely, as one may the cropof his own held : walk before me, faith God to ibrahatr, I am cod Al- mghty; let on this as thy portion, and live upon it , The Apoflle, fieb.13.6.teacheth us what ufe tomake of promifes verfe 5. I will never leave thee norforfake thee, there is the promife, and the in- ference, which he teacheth, us to draw by faith from this, fol.: lows, ver.6.Sowe may boldlyfay,The Lord is my helper, We, that is, every believer may boldly fay, that is, we mayconclude God will help : not fneakingly, timoroufly, perhaps he will ; but we may boldly affert it in the face of men and devils, hecaufe he that is Almighty hath Paid it. Now for a Chriflian not to ftrengthen his faith on this incomparably fweet attribute, but to fit down with a few weak unfetled hopes, when he may, yea, ought to be ftrong in the faith of fuch promifes,what is it but to undervalue the blefling.ofInch promifes? as if one fhould promife another houfe and land,and bid him make them as lure to him- felfas the Law canbinde, and he should take no care to effect this, would it not be interpreted as a fleightine, of his friends kindneffe ? Is it a ball matter that God paffeth over his Al- mighty power by promife tow, and bids us make it as lure to our (elves as we can`by faith, and we neglect this, leaving the Writings of the promifes unfealed on our hearts. 2, Secondly,our obedience andcomfort are ftrong or weakas our faith is on this principle. yo Firft, our obediencee,, thatibeing a childe of faith partakes of its Parents ffrength or weakneffe; Arabam being ftrong in faith, what an heroick ofof obedience did he perform in offer- ing up his Son ? his faith being well let on, the Power of God, he that without flaggering, which would have laid a weak faith on the ground. No ad of faith more firengthens for
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=