promise, than infinite mercy, poAver, and faithfulness can see discharged. ' Be still, and know that I am God,' Psa. xlvi. 10 ; of this psalm Luther would say in times of great confusion in the church, ' Let us sing tlie forty -sixth psalm in spite of the devil and all his instruments.' And this clause of it, poor lumibled soul, thovi may est sing with comfort in spite of Satan and sin also. ' Be still,' O my soul, and know that he who offers thee mercy, 'he is God;' they that know his name will trust in him. Secondly, Peruse well the securities which this great God gives for the performance of his promise to the believer, and thou shalt find them so many and great, (though his bare word deserves to be taken for more than our souls ai-e worth,) that if we had the most slippery cheating companion in the world under such bonds for the payment of a sum of money, we should think it were siu-e enough ; and Avilt thou not rest satisfied, when the true and faithful God puts himself under these for thy security, whose truth is so immutable, that it is more possible for light to send forth darkness, than it is that a lie shoidd come out of his blessed lips ?
CHAPTER X.
AN EXHORTATION TO BELIEVERS, ABOVE ALL TO LOOK TO THEIR FAITH, WITH SOME DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRESERVING IT.
I NOW turn myself to you that are believers, in a double exhortation.
First, Seeing faith is such a choice grace, be stirred up to a more than ordi- nary cai'e to preserve faith. Keep that, and it will keep thee, and all thy other graces. Thou standest by faith ; if that falls, thou fallest : where shall we find thee then but under thy enemy's f^et? Be sensible of any danger thy faith is in ; like that Grecian captain, who, being knocked down in fight, asked as soon as he came to himself, where his shield was. This he was solicitous for above any- thing else. O, be asking in this temptation, and that duty, where is thy faith, and how it fares ; this is the grace which God would have us chiefly judge and value ourselves by, because there is the least danger of priding in this self- emptying grace of any other, Rom. xii. 3 : ' I say, through the grace of God given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think more highly than he ouglit to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.' There were many gifts which the Romans received from God, but he would have them think of themselves rather by their faith ; and the reason is, that they may think soberly. Indeed, all other graces are to be tried by our faith ; if they be not fruits of faith, they are of no true worth. This is the difference between a Christian and an honest heathen. He values himself on his patience, temperance, liberality, and other moral virtues which lie hath to shev\' above others ; these he expects will commend him to God, and procure him a happiness after death ; and in these he glories, and makes his boast while he lives. But the Christian is kept sober in the sight of these, though they commence graces in him, that were but virtues in the heathen, because he hath a discovery of Christ, whose righteousness and holiness by faith becomes his; and he values himself by these, more than what is inherent in him. I cannot better illustrate this than by two men ; the one a courtier, the other a countryman, and a stranger to court ; both having fair estates, but the cour- tier greatest by far. Ask the country gentleman that hath no relation to court, or place in the prince's favour, what he is worth, and he will tell you, as much as his lands and moneys amount to; these he values himself by : but ask the courtier what he is worth, and he, though he hath more land and money by far than the other, will tell you he values himself by the favoin'of his prince, more than by all his other estate. I can speak a big word, saith he ; what my prince hath is mine, except his crown and royalty ; his purse mine to maintain me, his love to embrace me, his power to defend me. The poor heathens being strangers to God, and his favour in Christ, they blessed themselves in the improvement of their natural stock, and that treasure of moral virtues which they had gathered together with their industry ; and the restraint that was laid upon their corrup- tions by a secret hand, they were not aware of. But the believer having access by faith into this grace, wherein he stands so high in court favour with God by Jesus Christ, he doth and ought to value himself chiefly by his faith, rather than any other grace. Though none can shew these graces in their true, heavenly
ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 4(33