Vs It, 6. Epißle to the H E BREWS. propofeththat unto them, which they ought to fubmit unto, and which they may fafelyreftin. For as Faith is anAátofReligious Obedience, itreipeEts the Authority of Godrequiring it, and as it is a Religious infallible affent of the mind, it regards the Truthand VeracityofGod as its Oble6. On thisalone it rells, Godfaith. And in what ever God fpeaks in the Scripture, his Truth andAuthority manifeft themfelves to the fatisfaétion offaith, and no where elfe doth it find ref. II.7bat for the begetting, increafing, and ffrengthning"affaith, is is ufeful to haveim- portant fundamental Truths confirmed by many tejfimonies sf Scripture. Again he faith. Any one word ofGod is fufficient to eflablifh the moil important Truth to Eternity, fo as tohang thefalvation ofall mankind thereon; neither can any thing impeachor weaken what is foconfirmed. No more is required in any cafe to make Faith ne. ceffary on our part as a Duty ofObedience, and infallible as to the Event, but that Godbath by any means, by any one word revealed that which he requires our aftent unto. But God dealeth not uponftrid terms. Infinite CondefcenGon lies at the bot- tomofall wherein he hath todeal with us. He refpedksnot what the nature ofthe thing ftriEtly requires, but what is needful unto our infirmityand weaknefs. Hence hemultiplies his Commands and Promifes, and confirms all by his Oath, fwearing to his Truth by himfelf, to take away all pretence ofdiftruft and unbelief For this caufe hemultiplies Teftimonie s to the Truths wherein the concernments ofhis Glory and ourObediencedo lie; as might bemanifefied by the confideration of inftances innu- merable. Thus in his name deals the Apoftle in this place. And this is ufeful to Faith. For, I. What is it maybe abfeure inone, is cleared in another ; and fo what doubts and fears remain on the confideration afone Teftimony, are removedby another, where- by the fouls of Believers are carried on unto afull Affurance. And therefore becaufe fuch is our weaknefs that there is needhereof in our felves, fuch is the Goodnefl of God that there is nowant ofit inthe Word. 2. Faith difcerns hereby the weight that God lays upon its embracingofthe Truth fo eeftified unto. He knows our concernment in it, and thereon urgethus with its acceptance. This awakens and excites Faith unto Attention and Confederation, the eminent means ofits growthand increafe. It knowsthat it is not for nothing that the Holy Ghofl thus preffeth his Truthupon it, and attends the more diligently upon his urgency. 3. Every teftimony hath fomething Jingle in it, and peculiar unto it. Thoughmany bear witnefs to the fame truth, yet fuch is the fulneflofthe Scripture, and fach. the Wif- domofGod laid up therein, that every one of themhath alfo fomewhat of its own, fomewhat frngulaí, tending to theenlightning and eftablifhmentof our minds. This Faith makes a difcovery of, and fo, receives peculiar profitand advantage thereby. And this fhould teach us to abound in theft/ay and fearch of theScriptures, that we may, thereby come toeftablifhment in the truth. God bath thus left us many teffimoïties toeach important Truth, and he hath not done it in vain ; he knows our need ofit ; and his CondefcenGon in fo doing, when he might have bound usup to the ftriFreft terms of doling with the least intimation of his will, is for ever to be admired. For us to neglect this great effedt and produók of the Wifdom Grace and Loveof God, is totheakablefolly. Ifwe think we need it not,we makeour (elveswirer thanGod; ifwe think wedo, and neglect our duty herein, weare really -as unwife as the Beafts that perifh. Want of this fortifying of faith bya diligent fearch after the teftimonies given unto the truth propofed unto it to be believed, is the caufe that fo many every day turn away from it, and therewithall make fhipwrack offaith and a goodconfsience. Let us then never think our {elves fafe in the knowledge and pro- feffion ofany truth, but whiltt we continue fincerely in the inve/figatian of all the confirmation that God bathgiven it in his Word. The Oppofition made to every Truth is fovarious, and from fo many hands, that not the leaf( contribution of evi- denceunto it canbe negledtedwith fafety. III. The whole Creation ofGod batha great concernment in Godi bringingforth Chrifi into the world, and his Exaltationin hisKingdom. Hence in the Pfalm from whence thefe words are taken, all the principal parts of it are called on to triumph and rejoyce v therein ; TheEarth, and the multittide ofthe Vies, the Heaven, and all Peoples are invited unto this congratulation; neither is any thing excluded but Idols and Idolaters, whole 97
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