III.

I Sam.

SERM. with brass and steel; Thou comest to me, said he, with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts: there lay his confidence, thence sprung his admirable courage.

xvii. 45.

I Kings xviii. 36. xix. 20.

To this the bold attempts, and the glorious victories of Joshua, of Gideon, of Barak, of Jephtha, of Samson, of Jonathan, of the Maccabees, are worthily ascribed, who with small forces, upon great disadvantages, did assault, did vanquish mighty enemies and oppressors.

This inflamed the zeal of Elias, by which he alone did check and control the degenerate follies of his nation, surmounting the indignation of princes which favoured them; it fed him in the wilderness 2 Kings ii. by the purveyance of ravens; it framed the wheels of that fiery chariot, which transported him into heaven.

II.

This made Jeremy, with like zeal and courage, dare to carry most unwelcome news and unpleasant messages to an outrageous people, not daunted by Jer. xxxviii. their angry menaces or cruel misusages; his feet sunk into the mire, but faith bore up his heart above all discouragement.

4, 6.

This saved the conscience of those three brave youths clear from that impiety into which barbarous violence would have driven them, so that neither the fury of that great monarch nor his gaping furnace could terrify them into sin; faith putting into Dan. iii. 16, their mouths those manful words, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if

17, 18.

not, be it known unto thee, that we will not serve SERM. III. thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up: their faith carried them undaunted into the flames, and kept them untouched within them; so that they became as gold not wasted, but tried and purified in the furnace.

Neither could a danger no less terrible scare the noble Daniel from his devotions; his faith did stop Heb. xi. 33. the lions' mouths; and, he, saith the text, was Dan. vi. 10, taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt 22, 23. was found upon him, because he trusted in his God.

Such exploits of spiritual prowess were achieved by an Old Testament faith, relying upon God's attributes and providence, although wanting a clear revelation of the promises, which then lay wrapped up in mysteries and shadows; but more heroical acts of fortitude and patience did the bright sunshine of grace and glory upon the minds of our apostles and primitive saints produce: animated by faith, a little troop of them marched out with resolution to attack all the powers of hell, and to beat down the kingdom of darkness, to despatch all the prejudices and errors of mankind, and to subdue the world to the obedience of Christ; so armed, successfully did they knock down and trample upon all opposition to their glorious designs; they defeated all the secular power and policy, they baffled all the wit, the learning, the eloquence, which stood in their way, or gave them resistance; they triumphed over persecutions, and in regard to all sufferings were more than conquerors; to forsake and forfeit Rom. viii. all they had, was their gain; to have nothing, was Eph. iii. 13. their wealth; to incur disgraces, was their glory;

35.

III.

SERM. to be in continual labour and travail, was their ease; fastings, hunger, and thirst, were their pleasure, their feast, their luxury; prisons were chapels to Acts xvi. them, in which they preached, and prayed, and sang praises to God; their joy was to suffer; to receive stripes, and undergo torments, was their triumph and their glory; they constantly defied, they often courted, death.

25.

That they were able to perform such prodigious acts, and to endure things so insupportable, was not from a stupid insensibility of things, from a sturdiness of spirit, or stiffness of humour; but from a true magnanimity inspired by faith; because they were persuaded of God's will, because they confided in God's help, because they relied on God's word, because they did expect rewards from God able to satisfy for all their pains and losses; this made them to undertake so bold enterprises, and carried them with insuperable constancy through all; hence were they glad to abandon their ease and pleasure, to prostitute their honour and reputation, to part with their substance, to venture their safety, to sacrifice 1 Tim. iv. their lives for God's truth; Therefore do we both (Rom. viii, labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the Tim. ii. living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially

10.

11.

1 Pet. i. 7.

iv. 13.

of those that believe, is the short account which St. Paul rendereth of it: and infallibly the like effects will faith produce, wherever it is found, in a degree 20. xxi. 21. proportionable to its sincerity and strength.

2 Tim. iv. 8.)

Matt. xvii.

Luke xvii.

6.

2.

A grain of faith, our Saviour saith, is able to re1 Cor. xili. move mountains; that is, to accomplish things in Mark xi. appearance very strange and difficult: and, To him John xiv. that believeth all things are possible, saith the same mouth of truth: and, He, saith our Lord again,

23. ix. 23.

12.

Chrys. tom. vii. Or. 64.

III.

that believeth in me, the works that I do he also SERM. shall do; and greater works than these shall he do. If this be true in reference to works concerning the frame of nature, it is surely no less true in regard to those which lie within the more proper sphere of faith, to moral and spiritual operations: if faith can obtain the help of God, enabling to transfer a mountain, it also can procure his grace disposing to restrain an appetite, or repress a passion.

Now that which is in itself so worthy and lovely, which is attended with so good consorts, which is the daughter of so excellent causes, the sister of so great virtues, the parent of so admirable effects, how can it otherwise than be very precious, very laudable, very acceptable? how can we at all wonder that it should be graced with such commendations, and crowned with such rewards?

Joh. Or. 6.

Let us therefore (to conclude) be exhorted, if we do want it, to endeavour the acquist of it by all proper means, (by serious contemplation and study, by prayer to God, by voiding all obstructions of it:) Chrys. in if we have it, to hold it fast, to cherish it, to improve it, as by all good ways, so especially by good practice; that we may produce the good fruits, and obtain the happy rewards thereof, through the mercies of God in Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom for ever be all praise.

13.

Now the God of all hope fill you with all joy Rom. xv. and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I Believe, &c.

SERMON IV.

OF JUSTIFYING FAITH.

ROM. v. 1.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

SERM. THEREFORE; that word implies the text

IV.

to be a conclusion (by way of inference, or of recapitulation) resulting from the precedent discourse; it is indeed the principal conclusion, which (as being supposed a peculiar and a grand part of the Christian doctrine, and deserving therefore a strong proof and clear vindication) St. Paul designed by several arguments to make good. Upon the words, being of such importance, I should so treat, as first to explain them, or to settle their true sense; then to make some practical application of the truths they contain.

As to the explicatory part, I should consider first, what the faith is, by which we are said to be justified; 2. what being justified doth import; 3. how by such faith we are so justified; 4. what the peace with God is, here adjoined to justification; 5. what relation the whole matter bears to our Lord Jesus Christ; or how through him being justified, we have peace with God; in the prosecution of which par