like a glaffe which God doth frame, and hold in his own hand, or elfe we cannot ftand; or like the flowers, they must be fer in the ground, and then watered, and fenced or else they live not: our whole being, and working, and maintenance is from him that made us; in him we live, and move, and have our being.

And,take us as new creatures, so shall we find that not only our natural breath, but our spiritual being, not only life, but grice too, depends not on him who hath it, but on God who gave it; Grace is a sweet streame, but that owes and runnes fill, because fill fed by a living spring. It is a fruitful branch, but that branch doth stand and bear, because upheld and fapplied by a more fruitful root: Hence is it that Chrift is called the head, and we the members; he is called the root, and we the branches; he the foundation-ftone, we the building; he is called the rock, we the house built on that rock; he the husband, we the wife and fponfe; he the Lord, and we the fervants; he the Shepheard,and we the sheep; he the nurse, and we the babes; All which do evidence this much, that our life is in him, upon him, for we are dependants, from bim we live, therefore upon him we Should live.

Secondly, the neceffity of our condition: our condition here below doth fo fhift, and vary, and faile, go and come, that if we do not live by faith, we cannot ( honestly) live at all: Helpe failed me on every fide faid David, all men forfook me,said Paul : We know not what to do said Jehofaphat: God is pleased to call off all our comforts, to gather up into his own hands of promifes all our supports. It is with us many times as with a Ship laden, but on a fudden broken to pieces, now the perfons of ne ceffity muft fwim towards the fhore, and to the rocks: So God doch dash in pieces our lower confidences: he cracks a full eftate, he separates very friends; he gives not a heart to people? to fhew us compaffions and forrowes on all fides poure in themselves, a man hath nothing in all the world left him, but Gods bond,is word of promise.

So for the eftate of the foul, it is frequently fo clouded, fo darkned, fo checked, fo diftreffed, so affaulted, that all the meanes under heaven do not relieve it, if the Lord doch `not help, if Chrift be not the rock, it cannot be delivered or supported.

Now

Now in fuch cafes, where the condition is wholly reduced to the promifes, or unto Chrift, there can be no living but by faith: The heart of a man is either broken with defpaire and griefe, or will break into the wayes of wickedneffe, if it lives not by faith in the cafes of all fenfibe sequeftrations: For,

7.

1. It is only faith a bicb can efpy fomething for the foul now: Who is he that fits in darknee and fees no light, let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God? Ifa. 50, 10. Faith can see the stars in the thickest night of darkneffe; there is nothing but faich, which can tell the foul of rich mercy in the times of greatest fenfe of exceeding guilt; and there is nothing but faith which can finde out fulneffe of grace in Christ for a foul which is bitterly fenfible of its wonderful and continual emptineffe. Till the Angel came and opened Hagars eyes to fee the fountaine, she gave up her child for dead, so un-leffe we have faith to open our eyes to fee the fountain of grace. and mercy in God and Chrift, I tell you that in many of our exigencies we shall throw away all, all as dead, and lost, and bopeleffe..

2. Againe, It is nothing but faith which gives pirit unto us from a Bare promife: one word of God is fecurity enough to faith. If a Marriner can get to the top of the Maft, and des fcry but a point of land, he is now glad, all is welb; faich is iaid to see the promises afar of, Heb. IIA well faith faith to the foul now, as Paul to them which fayled with him, be of good cheer, thou shalt yet do well, grace, and mercy, and help will come,. God hath promised it, and Chrift will make all the promi ses, Yea and Amen, and now the foul lives because of that good: and faithful word, &c. .

Secondly. If we confider God himself, there is fufficient rea-fon why we should live by faith.

There be fix arguments which we may behold in God,to en. 6Things.. vite and perfwade us to diye by faith....

First, bis Alfufficiency, I am God alfafficient, faid he to A braham, What's that? That is, I am an abfolute and independent effence in refpect of my felf, infinitely perfect and enough, and have enough and enough to fatisfier all the world.. Take all the particular creatures in the world and view into

oheinr

their natures and conditions, you shall finde every one of them to be imperfect, to be depending, to be replenished with wants: even one man for his own particular is covered over with innumerable wants, the wants of his foul are many, fo of his body, fo of his eftate, what then, and how many are the neceffities of every man? But now God is alfufficient (that is) he hath enough to fupply every man; He can open his hand, fill every living thing. I hou openest thy hand (faid David, Pl. 145. 15.). and fatisfieft the defire of every living thing, and he is able to make all grace abound, faith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 9. 8. He is rich to all that call upon, Rom. 10. 12. He is able to do (Eph. 3.20.) exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. My God shall supply all your need according to bis riches in glorį by Jefus (brift, Phil. 4. 19. The Sunne you fee hath light enough for a whole world, and a fountaine hath water enough for a whole countrey; Why, all good is in God, both originally, sand eminently, and caufally, (that is) he is goodneffe it felf, and all goodneffe, fulnefle, without want, ftrength, without weakneffe, holineffe, without blemish, yea, and the univerfal caufe of goodneffe, and therefore infinitely able to fupply, and help, and do good: there is no one neceffity, but he is able infinitely to fuccour it, and many, yea, all neceflities are not to be compared to the unfathomed greatneffe, and exceedingreffe of his fulneffe and alfufficiency..

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2. His Command: As God is an abfolute and full good, (all our helps do center in him as in their compleat caufe) fo he hath commanded us to live upon his alfufficiency by faith. How often do you read thofe charges, Traft upon the Lord, commit thy way to the Lord,reft upon him, stay upon the God of Jacob, caft thy care on him. As if God fhould fay unto the fons -of men, I am he, and there is none else befides me who can do you good; there is not any good in all the world which you want but I am able to fupply it, I am alfufficient for wif dom, for holineffe, for mercy, for power, for grace, for com fort, for peace. If you want water, you would go to the Spring, and if you want light, you would look up to the Sunne, and if. you want any good, why will you not look up to me who am goodne ffe it felf? I tell you, that I am a God, and have the greatneffe and the fulneffe of a God; Nay, and I charge and

require

require you, when you need any thing, come to me for it: I am the Mafter of all the families of the earth, and the Lord of all good; It is my expreffe will, that you come unto me, and that you put your truft on me, that you beleeve on my alfufficiency, that you live upon that ftock which is in my ful neffe: Nay, I fhall take it exceeding ill, if you reft your feives, or live on any other.

3.His Promifes: Confider this two wayes.

1. Generally, his promises of good, wherein is ground to

truft.

2. Particularly, His promises to them that will and do trust, Pfal.37.3. Truft in the Lord, and verily, &c. Ifa. 26.3. Thon will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because be trufteth in thee: So, 1/a.57.13. This puts life to all the rest, for though God were never fo able to do good, and though his commands were never fo urgent to live on him for all our good; yet if he had not made over this good unto us, we might maintain fecret feares and difcouragements. But now God hath promised all good unto us, (that is) he hath firmly and graciously made it over; As if he fhould fay, all the good that I can do, I will do it for thee; all the ample fulneffe in me, is to replenish thee, it is to fupply thy wants and neceffities; and I affure thee in the Word of a God it is fo. Pfalme 84. 11. The Lord is a Sunne and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will be with hold from them that walk uprightly. Ver. 12. O Lord of Hofts, bieffed is the man that trusteth in thee. There is not any one particular want (which is fit to be ftiled a want, and fit to be supplied in this life, for foul) but God hath by promises particularly engaged all his fufficiency to help and supply it. Doeft thou

want an holy heart, a returning heart, an heart to hate finne, to mourn for finxe, a beleeving heart, an upright heart, a meek and patient heart, a joyful heart? doeft thou want any grace, more grace, pardon of fin, affurance of pardon, ftrength against (in, ftrength for any duty, active, or paffive? wantest thou any convenient and fit good for thy body, for thy name, for thy eftate, for thy children, for thy family? any good for life, at death, after death? Not any one of thefe which God hath not diftinctly promised. If you knew a man to be lufficient, Hh

to

to have an estate worth ten thousand pounds, and all free, you will prefently truft him for an hundred pounds, or if fuch an one fhould command any in his need to come to him, and borrow, this would draw many to him; but if he should take a man out particularly, and fay to him, Friend, my estate is thus great, i have a great eftare, and I pray thee if thou needeft any thing at any time, repaire to me, I give thee my word, and if that be not enough, thou shalt have bond and feale that I will help thee; it were enough, he needed not to fay more, he will to him I warrant you. Thus faith the Lord to a beleever, to one who bath accepted of his Sonne Jefus Chrift, faith God to him, I tell thee by my Word, (which is truth it felf and cannot lie, nor deceive) that I am a great God, alfufficiency, goodneffe is in me in infinite perfection, and I am able to do thee any good; now my will is, that thou shouldeft come unto me at any time, in any of thy diftreffes, and I do promife thee, that I will not with hold any good thing from thee; As true as I amGod,I wil not leave thee nor forsake thee; fhould not this encourage us to live by faith?

4. His power and ability; as we want much good, fo God doth undertake all good: And this is another encouragement, that God never over engageth himself; he is able to make good all his understandings: Many a man is undone by furetifhip, he faffers himself to be bound beyond his ability; it is not fo with God.

This is granted, that at the leaft a proportionable power is neceffary to give being to all promifes and undertakings, goodneffe and kindnesse are enough to make a promife but ability is alfo required to make good that promife. If a fubject promifeth to release, or pardon a Malefactor, why, this is nothing, he is not to be trufted; why? because he hath not power oflife or death; if a poore man promife to discharge a debt of four hundred thousand pounds; why;no man will truft to his undertakings: why? because he hath no ability, he hath not an eftate answerable, he is not able to pay twenty fhillings; fo that power gives ground to trusting,because power is a neceffary ingredient to all.

Now then, God hath ability enough to make good all or any of his promises.

Qbj.