Book IV. F A I T i-I MORE PRECIOUS THAN G 0 L D. s91 5 . Faith is precious in refpeCl: of the ObjeCt it takes hold of, or fafteneth upon, viz. God the Father, the Holy Spirit, but more Immediately Chnll: crucified. re beluve in God, believe a!Jo in me. 6. Faith is precious in that it joins or unites the Soul to Chrifr, it makes us one with him, as it were, Flelb of his Flefh, Bone of his Bone, a lively Member of that Body whereof he is the Head. It is that which ties the conjugal Knot between him and every Believer. . 7· It is the Eye of the Soul; no Man withollt it can behold 'efus. Chnll:, nor the fulfillino-s of future Promifes. Abraham by Fmth faw the Day of Chnft. 8. H~reby a Chriftian is made a Child ofGod. 'l'o as many as received him, to them gaw he Power to become the Sons vf God, even to them that believed on..his Name, John i. 12. Ye are all the Children of God, by Faith in Chrift jejus, Gal. 111. 26. 9· It i• the only Way or Means God is pleafed to take, to deliver the Souls of Men from Sin, Wrath, and eternal Death. 10 . It is that which inrerefts the Soul in all the fweet and precious Promifes of the Covenant of Grace. See Light. . 1 1. It is the Infl:rument of Salvation. Believe in the Lord Jefus, andthoujhalt befaved. 12. Faith is a moft excellent and precious Thing, upon the account of the Fruits of it, viz. Life, Light, Peace, Purging, Boldnefs at the Throne of Grace, Joy in the Holy Gholt, Hope, and good Affurance of eternal Life. 13. Faith is precious in refpeCl: of that glorious Power and Virtue that is in it. It is medrcinal, and the moft fovereign Antidote and Cordial in the World. (r.) lr will expel Poifon. (2.) It will perfeCl:ly, as it applies the Blood ofChrift, cure a wounded. Cohfcience. (3.) It will bear up and revive a fainting Spirit; I had fainted unlefs I • /'ad believed, Matt. viii. 23. (4.) It is good againft the Feeblenefs of the Knees, and Vveaknefs of the Ha"ds. (5.) It is a moft excellent Thing againft Fear, and Trem– blings of the Heart. But when he Jaw the Wind boifterous, he was afraid; and be– ginning to jink, he cried, faying, Lord, fave me. Attd immediately Jefus flretcbed forth his Hand, and caugbt him, and faid unto bim, 0 thou of little Faith! Luke viii. 23. Matt. xiv. 30. (6.) It is a precious Remedy againft the Stone of a hard Heart; ir will diflolve ir, break it in pieces, and cure the Soul perfe<'lly of it. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. (7.) It Clirts all manner of inward Deadne(,, it may well be called lively Faitb, or Faith of tbe Operation of God, Cvl. ii. 12. (8.) It is good againft the Dimnefs of the Eyes, it helps them that cannot fee afar off. (9.) It is a moft fovereign Thing againft nil Spirits; it will rer.n the Devil; and make him fly. (10.) It is excellent good to pmge and work out all thofe noxious and evil Humors of the inward Man, cleanfing and purifying the Heart. (1 ;.) It is good againft the Falling-Sickncfs. Believers f!and by Faith, but if through a Temptation they r.hould fall, Faith will hdp them tip again. David and Peter hac! nor fo much Faith as to keep them from falling, yet they had enough to raife [hem up again when they were fallen. Ir is an univerfal Re– medy, it cures all the Difeales of the Soul; fo that we may fay with the Woman, (let the Diftemper be what it will) If I can but touch the Hem of his Garment, 1jhall be healed. '+· Faith is precious, becau(e it 01ields and glorioufly preferves the whole Soul from all Dangers; it is that which works with, and tends to the perfeCting of all other Graces in us. 15. It was by Faith that Saints, in every Age of the Church, were enabled to un– dergo and fulfer all thofe hard and bitter Tortures and Torments they met with for Chrift's fake, Heb. xi. r6. It is that which helps the Godly to overcome the World. He that.is bon: of ,God, overco;neth the fVorld; and this is the Viflor;y which overcometh the World, even cur Faith, 1 John v. + M E T A P H 0 R. P A R A L L E L VI. Gold is often tried and reVI. Faith is often tried in the Fire or Furnace lined in the Fire; we read of Gold of Affliction' 'fhink it not jlrange concerning the !even Times refined: 'rhe Refiningfiery 'I'rial, which is to try you, &c. 1 Pet. iii. 1 ~ Pot is for Silver, a.nd the Furnace He jhalljit as a Refiner's Fire, and as a Purifier of fer Gold, Prov. XVII. 3· Sther, &c. and purge them as Gold and Silver;.&c. Mal. iii. 2, 3· God this way tried Abraham's Faith, together with the Faith of many others, of whom we read, I will bring the thin! Part throttgh the Firr, and I will try tbem as Gold is tried, Zech, xiii. 9· 7N VII. Tried
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