[4.] Some, that have more near communion with God, may have a particular faith of some particular occurrences. By some special instincts in prayer from the Spirit of God they have gone away and said with David, Ps. xxvii. 3, ' In this I will be confident.' I do not say it is usual, but sometimes it may be so ; we cannot abridge the Spirit of his liberty of revealing himself to his peo[)le. But, remember, privileges do not make rules ; these are acts of God's prerogative, not according to his standing law and rule. However, this I conceive is common : that, in a particular case, we may conceive the more hope, when our hearts have been drawn out to God by an actual trust ; that is, when we have urged a particular promise to God in prayer with submission, yet with hope ; for God seldom faileth a trusting soul. They may lay hold on God by virtue of a double claim ; partly by virtue of the single promise that first invited them to God, and then by virtue of another promise made to their trust ; as Isa. xxvi. 3, ' Thou keepest him in perfect peace who putteth his trust in thee, because he trusteth in thee.' An ingenious man will not disai)point trust ; and God saith, eo nomine, for that reason, because they trust in him, he will do them good; therefoi-e, now having glorified God's power, and with liope referred themselves to his will, ihey liave a new argument of hope within themselves. It is notable that in P.s. xci. 2, 3, there is a dialogue between the Spirit of God and a believing soul. The soul saith, ' I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God ; in him will I trust.' There is a resolution of a humble and actual trust. The Spirit answereth, ver. 3, ' Surely lie shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from a noisome pestilence.' There is a promi.se under an averment, sure!?/, which certainly would do nothing, if it did not at the least draw out the more hope.
Thus I have given you my thoughts of this common and useful case, — praying in faith.
Obs. 2. From that nothing wavering, or disputing, as it is in the original, man's nature is much given to disputes against the grace and promises of God. The pride of reason will not stoop to a revela-
JaS. I. G.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JABIES. 51
tion ; and where we have no assurance but the divine testimony, there we are apt to cavil. All doubts are but disputes against a promise ; therefore what is said in our translation, ' Lift up pure hands, without Avrath and doubting' (1 Tim. ii. 8), is in the original %&>/5t<? SiaXnylafMov, without reasoning or dispute. A sure word is committed to the uncertainty of our thoughts and debates, and God's promises ascited before the tribunal of our reason. Well, then, cast down those Xoyla- fiov^, those imaginations, or reasonings rather (for so the word pro- perly signilieth), which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God in Christ. Carnal reason is faith's worst enemy. It is a great advan- tage when we can make reason, that is an enemy to faith, to be a servant to it; Xoyl^eade, saith the apostle: Eora. vi. 11, ' Eeckon, or reason yourselves to be dead to sin, and alive to God.' Then is our reason and discourse well employed, when it serveth to set on and urge conclusions of faith.
Obs. 3. From the same — That the less we doubt, the more we come up to the nature of true faith. The use of grace is to settle the heart upon God ; to be fast and loose argueth weakness : ' Why doubt ye, 0 ye of little faith ?' I do not say it is no faith, but it is a weak faith : a trembling hand may hold somewhat, but faintly. Well, then, seek to lay aside your doubts and carnal debates, especially in prayer ; come ' without wrath and doubting : ' without wrath to a God of peace, without doubting to a God of mercy. Do not debate whether it be better to cast yourselves upon God's promise and disposal, or to leave yourselves to your own carnal care ; that is no faith when the heart wavereth between hopes and fears, help and God. Our Saviour saith, Luke xii. 29, //,?) [Merewpl^eade, ' Be not of doubtful mind, what ye shall eat and drink ; ' do not hang between two, like a meteor hovering in the air (so the word signifieth), not knowing what God will do for you. A thorough belief of God's attributes, as revealed in Christ, taketh off all disquiets and perplexities of spirit. Well, then, get a clear interest in Christ, and a more distinct apprehension of God's attributes. Ignorance perplexeth us, and filleth the soul with misty dark reasonings ; but faith settleth the soul, and giveth it a greater constancy.
Ohs. 4. From that like a wave of the sea, tossed to and fro, doubts are perplexing, and torment the mind. An unbeliever is like the waves of the sea, always rolling ; but a believer is like a tree, much shaken, but firm at root. We are under misery and bondage as long as we are tossed upon the waves of our own affections ; and till faith giveth a certainty, there is no rest and peace in the soul : ' Return to thy rest, 0 my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee,' Ps. cxvi. 7. Faith shedding abroad God's love in our sense and feeling, begetteth a calm : they that teach a doctrine of doubting — exercent carnificinam tt?imarwm, saith Calvin — they do but keep con- science upon the rack, and leave men to the torment of their own dis- tracted thoughts. Romish locusts are like scorpions (Rev. ix. 10), with ' stings in their tails ; ' and ' men shall desire death' (ver. 6) that are stung with them. Antichristian doctrines yield no comfort and ease to the conscience, but rather sting it and wound it, that, to be freed from their anxiety, men would desire to die. Certainly there cannot