Now, because we all pretend we trust in the name of the Lord, we will first examine our trust. Let us try our trust a little, that we may see whether it be true trust or no. And then upon that we will give some directions how to come to this blessed condition, to trust ' in the name of the Lord.'
For the first : I do not take trust here for the first faith, which is the grace of union to receive Christ ; but for the exercise of faith afterwards in a Christian's life. So we speak of it as a fruit rather that comes from faith. And we may know our trust in the name of the Lord, being now conceived as a gracious Father in Christ, clothed with the relation of a father : for so we must trust him, not God absolutely, for there is no com- fort in an absolute God, distinct from his relations ; but when we appre- hend him in relation as a sweet Father in Christ, in that name, then the nature of God is lovely to us, between whom and us there was an infinite distance before. Now Christ being Immanuel, God with us, has brought God and us together in terms of league. Now our nature is lovely to God in Christ, because it is taken to the unity of his person ; and God's nature is lovely to us, having made himself a Father in Christ his beloved Son. Therefore, when we speak of God, our thoughts must run upon God as thus conceived, as clothing himself with a sweet term of Father, our God in covenant, we must so apprehend him.
1. Now one evidence of this trust in this our God, is a care to please him in all things. When we depend upon any men, we have a care to please them. A tenant that fears to be thrust out, will strive to please his land- lord. We that hold all upon this tenure, upon faith and trust in God, we should fear to displease him.
2. And there will be likewise an use of all means to serve God's provi- dence and care of us, if we trust in him ; or else it is a tempting and not a
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trusting. There are no men more careful of the use of means than those that are surest of a good issue and conclusion ; for the one stirs up dili- gence in the other. Assurance of the end stirs up diligence in the means. For the soul of a believing Christian knows that God hath decreed both ; both fall under the same decree : when God purposed to do such a thing, he purposed to do it by such and such means. Trust, therefore, is with diligence in the use of all means that God hath ordained. He that trusts a physician's skill, will be very careful to observe what was prescribed, and will omit nothing. It is but presumption ; it is not trust where there is not a care in the use of means, as we see many pretend to trust in God and sever the means from the end ; they are regardless of the means of salvation.
3. Again, Those that trust in God, they are quiet when they have used the means. Faith hath a quieting power. It hath a powder to still the soul and to take up the quarrels, and murmuring, and grudgings that are there, and to set the soul down quiet ; because it proposeth to the soul greater grounds of comfort, than the soul can see any cause of discomfort. The soul being reasonable, yields to the strength of the reason. Now, when faith propounds grand comforts against all discouragements whatsoever, that overcomes them, that is greater in the way of comfort than other things in the w-ay of discouragement, the soul is quiet. It hopes comfort will be had. The soul is silent and at rest. We see in Ps. xlii. 11, when there was a mutiny in David's soul, by reason of the perplexed state he was in, he falls a-chiding downright with his soul, * Why art -thou disquieted, 0 my soul ! and why art thou troubled ?' v. 11. But how doth he take up the contention ? * Trust in God, he is thy God.' So that wheresoever there is faith, there is a quiet soul first or last. There will be stirring at the first ; the waters of the soul will not be quiet presently. As in a pair of balances there will be a little stirring when the_,weight is put in till there will be poise ; so in the soul there will be some stirring and moving ; it comes not to a quiet consistence till there be some victory of faith with some conflict, till at length it rest and stay the soul. For this power faith has to quiet the soul, because it bottoms the soul so strongly. There is reason for it ; it sets the soul upon God, and upon his promises. * There- fore he that trusts in God is as mount Sion,' Ps. cxxv. 1. You may stir him sometime and move him, but you cannot remove him. The soul is quiet, because it is pitched upon a quiet object.