thei-efore bid thee question the truth of tliy faith, for every fainting fit that comes over it, as to the good tilings of the promise foft tliis life. A man may, in a time of war, have some of his estate lie under the enemy's power for a time, and he so long have no profits from it ; but still he reckons it as his estate, is troubled for his present great loss, and endeavours as soon as he can to recover it again out of his enemy's hand: so in the hurry of a temptation, when Satan, the soul's great enemy, is abroad, and God withdraws his assistance, the believer may have little support from some particular promise ; but the believer ever counts that his portion, as well as any other, mourns he can act his faith no more upon it, and labours to reinforce his faith with new strength from heaven what he can, that he may be able to live upon it, and im])rove it more to his comfort ; so that still it holds true, if we believe not God for this life, neither do we for the other. In a word, may be thou pretendest to a faith for th)' temporals, and seemest to trust God for things of this life, but art a mere stranger to those prime acts of faith, whereby the believing soid closeth with Christ, and receiveth him as his Lord and Saviour, and so seals to the covenant that in the gospel is tendered to poor sinners. Canst thou so far fight against thy own reason as to think that any temporal promise belongs to thee without these ? What gives the woman right to her jointure, but her marriage-covenant? And what gives the creature a true claim to these promises, or any other in the covenantof grace, but its union to Christ, and accepting of him as he is offered? The first act of God's love to the creature is that whereby he chooseth such a one to be his, and sets him apart in his unchangeable pui-pose, to be an object of his special love in Christ, and therefore called the foundation, as that on which God laj's the superstructiu-e of all other mercies. ' The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his,' 2 Tim. ii. 19. First, God chooseth a person to be his, and on this foinidation he builds, and bestows all his further cost of mercy upon the creatui-e, as one that is his. So on the creature's part, first, fiiith closeth with Christ, severs him in his thoughts from all others, and chooseth him to be his Savioiu-, in whom alone he will trust, and whom alone he will serve ; which done, then it trades with this pi-omise and that, as the portion which falls to him by marriage with Christ. And therefore see how preposterous thy course is who snatchest these promises to thyself, before there hath passed any good-will from thee to Christ.
CHAPTER VIL
AN EXHORTATION TO ALL IN A STATE OF UNBELIEF, TO ENDEAVOUR FOR FAITH, WITH ONE DIRECTION TOWARD THE ATTAINING OF IT.
Use 3. Is faith so precious a grace 1 Let it provoke you, who want it, to get it. Can you hear of this pearl, and not wish it were yours ? Wherefore hath the Spirit spoken such great and glorious things of faith in the word, but to make it the more desirable in your eyes? Is there any way to get Christ, but by getting faith ? or dost thou not think that thou needest Christ as much as any other ? There is a generation of men in the world, would almost make one think this was their judgment ; who, because their corruptions have not, by breaking out into plague-sores of profaneness, left such a brand of ignominy upon their name as some others lie under, but their conversations have been strewed with some flowers of morality, whereby their names have kept sweet among their neighbours, therefore do they not at all listen to the off'ers of Christ, neither do their consciences much check them for this neglect. And why so ? Surely it is not because they are more willing to go to hell than others, for they do that to escape it which many others will not ; but because they think the way they are in will bring them in good time to heaven, without any more ado. Poor deluded creatures ! is Christ then sent to help only some more debauched sinners to heaven, such as drunkards, swearers, and of that rank? And are civil, moral men left to walk thither on their own legs? I am sure, if the word may be believed, we have the case resolved clear enough : that tells but of one way to heaven for all that mean to come there ; as there is but ' one God,' so but ' one Mediator between God and mari, the man Christ Jesus,' 1 Tim. ii. 5. And if but one bridge over the gulf, judge what is like to become of the civil, righteous man, for all his sweet-scented life, if he miss this one bridge, and
4.54 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.