import he strongest opposition) shall not prevaile against it. It is, confeffed, that Satan may much affault and batter, and the world may oppofe and totter, and finne may weaken, interrupt and ftagger even the foundations of the trueft faith; but to be oppreffed is one thing, and to be fuppreffed is another thing; to be wounded is one thing, to be killed is another; For faith to fall in its ftrength is one thing, for faith to faile in its being, is another; Simon, Simon (laid Chrift to Peter) Satan bath defired to winnow thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not: O malicious devil, who hath ftrong temptations to weaken faith! O gracious Saviour, who-bath ftronger interceffions to preferve faith! even the weakest faith is wrought by a divine hand, and is kept by an almighty guard; See 1 Pet.1.5. who are kept by the power of Gud through faith unto falvation; Anfwering the prayer of Chrift, fobn 17. 11. Holy Father keep them through the own Name, those whom thou hast given me. Verse 20. Neither pray 1 for these onely, but for them also which shall beleeve on me through their word. Whosoever beleeves on me fhall not perisk, said Chrift.

Againe, this is a fweet comfort, that the weak believer shall hold out as well as the ftrong, and that Chrift is the Guardian of both; verily, that muft needs be good which God gives, and that must needs be fure which Chrift keeps; the weakest beleever is held by a ftrong hand,and is fecured by an infeparable

arme.

4. Every beleever is in the fame fundamental league with God, he is reconciled unto him, and bath a true (nay for ought I yet understand) an equal intereft in his special love and tenderneffe: It is freely confeffed, that the ftrong believer hath more Love. fenfible discoveries of the ftreames, yet the weak believer is as deep in the fountaine. They fay in Logick. that fubftantial relations do not admit of degrees of more and leffe, as the Father is an equal Father to every child, his paternity, and their filiation are indivifible things; So is it I am fure in this bufineffe, God is one and the fame Father to all that beleeve; his radical love is alike, his fundamental gifts (which teftifie that love) are all alike one and the fame word, one and the fame Chrift, one and the fame Sacraments,one and the fame Spirit. And for bis

Ifa.66.11,

12, 13. Ila.40.11.

Tenderness, tenderne ffe, why? If any childe findes the gentle voice and eas fie hand, it is the weak childe; If any believer findes foft and encouraging expreffions from God, it is the weak beleever. Godwould have them comforted,yeahe hath prepared the brefts of confolation for fuch fucklings; yea, and the knees to dandle them; yea, the bands to lead them; yea, the armes to carry them; And Chrift will not quench the Smoking flax, nor bruise the broken reed. How often doth God call upon the weak ones, to look up and behold their King, and their falvation, and to trust upon him, and not to fear, nor to be dismayed; nay, for his fake doth he often double and treble the promife; yea, he confirmes the promife, I will furely bave mercy on him; yea, be takes his oath, he sweares by himself, that he will not lie unto them, nor failo them; yea, he ratifies and feales his word with blood and truth.

O how doth God condefcend in his nature, in his Word, in his wayes, in his dealings, in his forbearances towards weak beleevers? how hath he prevented and answered all objections to their hands? all which thews his fingular love and renderneffe unto them.

Joy three ways

confidered.

N

SECT. VII.

Ow I proceed to the fourth and laft difcovery,

viz.

The inequality of strong and weak faith in refpect of circumftantial comforts and fome other confequences; thus they differ exceedingly, though both be in a fure and faving condition.

1. The weak beleever falls fhort of that joy which the ftrong beleever poffeffeth.

707 may be confidered three wayes, either in its caufe, which is the love of God and the blood of Chrift; or in its title and claim, which belongs to faith receiving Chrift; or in its actual pre(ence and feeling, which depends upon a beleeving apprehen fion and perfwafion. Now, though the weakest beleever hath cause

caufe of great joy, for as the Angel fpake to the fhepherds, that may be faid to him, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy, for unto you is borne this day in the City of of David, a Saviour, which is Chrift the Lord, Lukež, 9, 10.

And though he hath a true title to the fweetest joy, for faith doth unite him to Chrift, and Chrift entitles him to joy, yet he hath not fuch an actual prefence of joy as the strong beleever. Every faith is an hand,holding, but the strong faith is the mouth,tafting that sweet wine. He hath not fuch full apprehenfions of his own ftate, he doth not yet fo clearly conceive of that great love and goodneffe which God hath put in Chrift for him; He hath not fuch an evident view of his own particular interefts in God ot Chrift, but is infinitely toffed with doubtings and fufpitions, whether he may yet take Christ as his, whether he may own the promiles of mercy, and appropriate the great loving kindnesse of a Father.Now ignorance is apt to breed fufpitions, and doubts are apt to raise fears, both of which keeps off or under, actual joy: No. man can well joy in a concealed good, or joy much in a que ftioned title: All the good which God hath firmly and largely made over unto mein bis Sonne; it doth not affect my heart with gladnesse and rejoycing, whiles I am in difpute with it, and am rather apt to conclude, it is not for me, then that it is my portion. The ftrong believer therefore hath this advantage of the weak, he is more acquainted in particular about his good, and fo his heart rejoyceth with joy unspeakable and glorious, his foul doth rejoyce in God his Saviour, but the weak believer cannot yet fee his pardon, yea often faspects whether it fhall be drawn or no one is in a faire day, the other in a wet; It is day to both.

The matter is cleare to the strong believer, and therefore his heart goes away rejoycing, the matter is doubtful to the weak beleever, and therefore his foule goes away weeping. One of them hath a good Chrift, and a glad heart too, the other hath a good Chrift, but yet a very heavy heart: His poffeffion is doubtful, and therefore his heart is forrowful.

2. The weak beleever hath not that sweet peace that the frong believer bath: where faith is weak there the confcience is not throughly fetled.

V 2

Peace

Peace, what.

Peace in the confcience is, as it were, the barmonious tuning of the foul, it is a heavenly tranquility, a ferenity, a gracious quieting and pacifying of the spirit of man, fpringing from a perfwafion of Gods Love in Chrift: Now, the weak faith hath ftrong fcruples, it hath many troubles, it is not fure that all is right, and all is cleare, It may be, that God is my God, and it may be he is not; it may be Chrift is mine, and perhaps not; it may be my fins are pardoned, and it may be they are not; it may be that God is my friend, and reconciled, and it may be he is not. You know that the peace of a Christian muft be feen ratifed in a double Court, or elfe the foul will not be quiet; One is in the Court of heaven, another is in the Court of confcience; Nay, and the peace in this lower Court is not cleare til it comes from the higher Court; confcience cannot be quiet till God be quiet, it cannot give teftimony and difcharge, untill God hath begun: If God hath not yet difmiffed the foul, if he holds up the cafe of a finful foul without releafe, confcience cannot acquit and free that fool: But weak faith fees its fuit and tryal yet depending in the high Court of heaven; a weak believer doth not yet fee or know that God will affuredly pardon him, that God is reconciled to him, that God will indeed do good unto him, here are bis doubts and fears,and therefore here are his troubles and perplexities.

The strong believer is like David in Pfal. 4. 8. I will both Lay me down, and fleep, for thou Lord only makeft me dwell in fafe

ty.

The weak believer is like David in Pfal. 42. 11. Why art thon caft down, O my foul, and why art thou thus difquietted within me. The one is like the Mother which hath the child in her armes, or at her breafts, with many smiling delights and fatieties; the other is like the mother now in labor, and travaile with the child which hath many bitter throwes and panges one fucceeding the other: The one is like a man ftanding upon a rock, where his foot stands unmoved and fteady; but the other is like a man in a fafe fhip, upon unquiet waters, toffed up and down: Weak faith is in a fafe fhip, (which is Chrift) but toffed upon variety of waves, (which are our doubtings;) fometimes faith and hope, anon faith and feare; fometimes I may have confidence, anon I am caft out of his fight; now I will look up to God as · mine

mine in Christ, by and by, furely this is prefumption, God will not accept of me.

Such a ftorme, and fuch a calme is there in the weak believer, fuch an unfetled fetling: The day of his fmall comforts doth eafily fit, and the night of many troubles abide long upon him. You fhall feldome lee a weak believer without a teare at his eye, a figh in his breast, and a fear in his heart, yet I fear all is not fure, O that God would once affure me that he is my God! I know not what to do, or what to fay, or what to think, I cannot fee the hand writing yet blotted out, nor the heavens opening, and do you think there is any hope for me? Thus the weak believer. But strong faith can answer many arguments, and uphold its evidence against many temptations: It can more eafily place and stay the foul upon its reft, it hath feen and tafted more then weak faith, it knows whom it hath trufted, and that he will be its God and guide for ever; that he hath pardoned tranfgreffions, and will remember iniquity no more; where faith is great, there the war is strong with fin, and the love high to God, and the peace more large and fetled in the confcience.

The weak believer hath not that sweetnese in communion with God as the ftrong believer bath. Take him in the way of Ordinances, or in the way of Duties; in both, his converfings with God, are more brackish and flat. When any threatning is opened and applyed, his heart presently mifgives him, may not this concerne me? and, I fear this is my portion.. When any precepts and graces are revealed and differenced, he is ufually apt to charge want of them, or hypocrifie ander them, upon himfeif, either I am not thus as God requires, or if fo, yet not in truth.

When the Box of ointment is opened, I mean the blood Christ, and the tender of rich mercy, and fpacious promi les of God, yet the favour of them is mixt to his foul, he doth more difpute his right, then can clofe with their goodneffe; yea, but how know I that I am intended: and anfwers, I am not ripe for fuch confolations, my wounds have not bled fufficiently, I am not fitted, I doubt I should prefume, if I fhould ap ply.

Againe, in matter of duty,here he hath not a sweet communion For duties with God neither. Sometimes fo over-borne, that he thinks

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