the Seals of Gods Covenant of grace, obliging God the giver to continue his love to us, and reciprocally binding us to return duty and love and obedience to him.

3. By the efficacy of mediation, because they be the means in the Ordinance of God, whereby he doth convey his spiritual graces to us, so that Baptifm is called the cover of regeneration, and by Baptifm Christ is put on.

The Supper of Christ presenteth Christ to us our spiritual food, and therein we do eat and drink his body and blood.

This admonisheth us to be swift to hear, and to neglect no opportunity for the fame.

To renew our Baptifm by often repentance, to frequent the Table of the Lord, as the feaft of our fouls.

This advanceth our ministry of these by which this Serpent is lifted up on high, and set on a pole for all that defire health to look upon it.

They that are carelesse and negligent in these things, will soon make shipwrack of that temporary faith that they feem to have; for they that live in the neglect of these things, do forsake their own mercy, and declare plainly that their Faith is not found and fincere, but their whole righteousnesse is like the morning dew, foon dried up.

1. for that shewes of whom we hold, not

3. Prayer, selves, but of God.

of our

2. That bringeth us into Gods acquaintance and familiar conversation whereby we do more perceive Gods love to us and declare our love to God.

4. How Faith must be used.

The handling of this point draweth in the third word of my text, which is life.

The just shall live by Faith.

The right use of Faith is to live by it, as I have shewed in the exposition of the words.

Sr. There is use of it in the natural life.

2. In the spiritual life.

3. For the eternal life.

1. In the natural life; for

Gg

Heb. 11.

24.

}there
1. In profperity.

1

1. Faith is a is a shield to bear off all the flattering temptations of the flesh, the world, the Devil; so it is faid of Moses, By Faith Moses when he was come to yeer's, refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter.

And by Faith Joseph when he was tempted by his unchaste miftris, whose offer tendered him all sensual delight, refused her, and would not fin against God.

2. Faith is the contentment of the righteous in those things that they poffeffe; they beleeve them to be the gifts of God, and they are fatisfied withhis allowance; so by Faith Daniel was content with his pulse, and refused the Kings meat; they that do beleeve that God knows better then they what is good and fufficient for them, are content with what they have.

3. Faith is the acknowledgment of all our good from God, for thanksgiving is a work of Faith, and giveth God his due. Pfal. 16.5. 4. Faith dependeth upon God for the time to come, as David faith, thou maintainest my lot.

१

Pfal. 16.8. I have fet the Lord alwayes before me, he is at my right band, I shall not be moved.

Upon which ground the faithful do build things hoped for, and commit their wayes to the Lord.

They caft all their care upon God, for he careth for them. And furely it is for want of Faith that the filii faculi hujus, the men of this world do rise so early, and go so late to bed, and eate the bread of carefulnesse, robbing God of his service, and breaking the Sabbath, and often doing wrong to their brother to build up themselves, it is a signe that they dare not trust God,

A strange inference.

1. Forwe brought nothing with us into the world.

2. We cannot deny but that whatsoever we have or poffeffe in the world, it is the gift of God; for aperiente manum de implet omnia; we have no interest in any thing, being born in fin, the right is in him, the gift from him.

3. We must confesse that very little will ferve our neceffities whileft we do live in the world.

4. We shall carry nothing away with us, and why should we discruciate our selves with cares for others, fecing that is the care of God? our children also are his inheritance.

I know and beleeve that our children are under the Covenant and Promise of grace, Ero Deus tuus & feminis tui. Let us study to breed them to the love and service of God, let us not waste unthriftly, what we may spare from our own neceffities, and for the charge of their education; Let us use all honeft and lawfull means to provide for them.

!

Thus are we discharged of our duty, permitte Deo Catera, leave the rest to God; Faith now doth all that remains to be done.

By Faith Isaak blessed Jacob, and Efau concerning things to Heb. 11.

come.

By Faith Jacob when hee was dying blessed both the sonnes of Jofeph.

2. In adversity.

with

Thus it ferveth to furnish us with

1. Patience.

2. Hope.

1. With Patience, to bear the present distresse without mur

muring at God.

'David is a notable and a full example of this Faith. I shall thew you him in distresse.

20, 21.

For when the Amalekites had burnt Ziklag, and had carried 1 Sam. 30% away captives all the people therein, and amongst them Davids two wives, Abinoam, and Abigael,

David was greatly distrest, to were all the people.

They lift up their voice and wept, untill they had no more power to weep.

David beside this forrow of his losse, and compaffion of the losse of his people, &c. Feared.

1

For the people speak of stoning him, because the souls of all the

people were greived, every man for his fons and his daughters.

No remedy against all this forrow but Faith.

Sam-3z.

But Davidencouraged himlelf in the Lordhis God.

6.

The like example of fehoshaphat;

When fome came and told the King of an army coming a

gainst him to invade him; instead of mustering his men, survey

Gg 2

ing

Verf.3.

Verf. 12.

ing his armour, fending out for auxiliaries to refist this armie, Or instead of fending a meffenger to treat of peace to divert the enemy, and to prevent war,

Jehoshaphat lets the enemy come on;

Fehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a faft throughout all Juda, he goes to Church and prayes;

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

01

In the very diftreffe to which this remedy is applied, God hath threatned the Jews with an invasion by the Chaldeans; he hath declared the enemy infolent, and violent; what shall the Jews do in the mifery? Obferve,

God takes no care of the wicked, let him fin, let the Chaldean do his worst to him; but The just man shall live by his Faith.

For he shall possesse his foul in patience.

Beloved, we hear of distresses abroad; if we do but croffe the water, the sword is drawen against the profeffours of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they that have armes put them on to save their lives, and stand upon their guard.

The bloody Iefuits cry to the French King of our Religion, Rafe it, Rafe it.

We know not how God may visit us hereafter when the light of Ifrael shall be quenched; although there go over neitheir men nor mony to relieve the distresses of our own mothers children, filios ecclefia, children of the Church; fuch confultations are far above us; yet let us pray for them to God, that God would give them Faith to depend upon him: and the just amongst them shall live by that Faith.

There is an example nearer kinne to this land, the daughter of great Britaine and her root and branches; for whom many a loyall heart in this Kingdom aketh, in whose quarrel the honou. rable house of Parliament have in the name of the Commons offered to unlock all the treasures, to put on armes, and to adventure the lives of all faithful Patriots in the just cause of refto. ring them to their rightful inheritance, and all fuch honours as

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their just claime shall challenge. In their distresse I know no other comfort but my Text, The just shall live by Faith.

In a word, where these three great and crying fins do raigne, which in this Prophecy are threatned;

That is corruption of conversation, when there is no honesty nor truth left amongst men, but that every man studyeth the building of his own house, he cares not where he hath the brick and the morter.

Corruption of Religion, that schisme and herefie do carrie it from peace and truth.

Corruption of justice, that honours, places of service in the Common wealth, and justice it self are fold for mony; good men punished, evil men rewarded. Comfort: Justus ex fide fua vivet, the just shall live by his Faith.

2. Faith furnisheth us with Hope.

We have hope through Faith that God will continue his loving kindnesse to us, and not take away from us the light of his

countenance.

So David; Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the Pfal. 23.6 dayes of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for

ever.

Observe in Davids hope two things.

1. The ground of it, Faith in Gods protection, for that is the point of the whole Pfalme. The Lord is my shepheard, he shall feed me, he restoreth my soul: In the valley of the shadow of death thou art withme; Thou preparest my table, thou anoyntest my head Withoyle, my cup runneth over.

2. The means by him used to continue the assurance thereof, even by dwelling in the house of God continually; that is by confecrating his whole life to Gods service and worship.

2. In Adversitie.

We have hope that either God will strengthen us to bear it, or give iflue out of it.

This is grounded upon that promife of God to his Church, 1