Ver. 12. the i 7th Chapter of St. J a H Ñ i here Faith is prefently to be exercifed with Difficulties; and Merl are carelefs of their Souls, and fo content themfelves with force general delires, and loofe hopes of Eafe and eternal Welfare, which Hopes import their Security and Prefumption, not their Gofpel-Faith. But certainly, he that durft venture his Ellate into Chrifts hands by d genuine A& of Faith, doth a lets thing, than he that by a genuine Ad of Faith ventures his Soul. They fay, they find no difficulty in believing in Chrift for Salvation, and Pardon of Sins, and yet cannot truft him for daily Bread, for Maintenance, which God giveth to the Ravens, and beftowed upon them when they were Children of Wrath. Well then, truft Chrift for thefe common Mercies. You (hall have temporal Safety, as long as God hath a mind to employ you in his Service, and as much as is neceffary tò glorify him, and keep your Hearts good. In other things we mutt moderate our delires; God is a better,Judg than we are our felves; and then by an undifturbed Faith, without doubts and carkings, wait upon him. When you cark, and run to unlawful Means, you take Chrif's Work out of his hands', and put it into your own ; yea, you put your felves out of Chrift's keeping, and put your Safety into the Devil's hands. O the Children of God fhould confider this ! Do you expel God fhould give you fpiritual and eternal Safety, and not temporal ? Shall he give the greater, and not the lets? Martha was of this Temper ; John 1 t. 23, 24. Jefus faith to her, Thy Brother fliall rife again : O, faith the, I know he (hall rife again at the Taft Day; as if it were an eafier matter to ralle him up after fo many Years, than after four Days. If you put your Souls, which are the more excellent part, into Chrif's hands, will you not put your Bodies ? Will you not truft him with all that you have ? You Ihould make Experi- ments this way. How are you temporally kept ? It is good to be acquainted with God by little and little; to truft him with fmaller Matters, and then with greater. And what is this Truft ? Leave all to God's difpofal, having ferved Providence in the ufe of Means. It is a thane to fee Chriftians prole and fhift, as if they had no Father in Heaven, no Mediator to take care of them. Secondly 5 Now I come to the Succefs and Fruit of Chrift's Care. I. As to the Elea. 3I. As to Judas. I. As to the Elea : I have kept thole whom thou haft given to me, and none of them it loft. None of the Elea can be loft ; God's Eleaion cannot be weakned by the falling of Hypocrites. Chrift may lofe Members, as he is Head of a Vifible Church, but not as he is Head of a Myftical Body. One of you (hall betray me, but I know whom I have chofen, John 13. 18. As if he had Paid, this will not defeat my purpofes of Grace. So, 7iom. 11.7. The Elellion bath obtained it, and the ref( were blinded. God's Election worketh through all Prejudices, wicked Parents, bad Education, a dumb Miniftry and others are hardned, notwithftanding all Advantages ; as Judas, tho of the Seed of Abraham, tho an Apoftie, tho under Chrift's Inlpe&ion. The Fathers compared Paul and Judas, Paul an open Enemy, fudas a feeming Friend. 1 Tim.2. 18,19. Who concerning the Truth have erred, faying, that the Refurreûion is pail already, and overthrow the Faith of fame. `J'Ceverthelefi, the Foundation of God flandeth fire, having this Seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. As thofe that build a Palace, are wont to lay a firm Foundation ; fo God in building a heavenly City, he path laid a Foundation, by which is meant God's Eleaion, which is the great Ground -work of Salvation; whoever fall, God's Elea ftand fire. V fe. Let us not be troubled at the Defeaion of hypocrites, let it not fluke our Be- lief of the Doarine of Perfeverance ; be not offended, as if the Salvation of the Elea were not lure. Tho glorious Luminaries are quenched, and thole that feemed to be Stars, leave their Orb and Station, God's Ele&ion ftandeth fore. When a Tree is (ha- -ken, rotten and unfound Fruit comes clattering down. The DeVi1 never had filch a feafon to let Men on work to broach the Doarine of the Apoftacy of the Saints, becaufe of the general Defeâion and Mil-carriage of eminent Profeffors. In this cafe let us run to the Scriptures. The Defeaion of one from the College of the Apoftlet, was a great Scandal ; but Chrift faith, That it might be fulled which was written : So when any Scandal falleth out, thus Ihould we run unto the Scriptures, Lx,AP
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