Rom.11.

20.

3. How faith may be preferved.

This feemeth a needleffe queftion, because we have cleare evi dence of Scripture, that fincere faith cannot be loft.

True; it cannot finally be loft,it is affured to God;but we must preferve it, fo as that in temptations and afflictions we may not be caft down with fear that it is loft.

Neither that we do bear our felves too bold upon it fo farre as to prefume.

Therefore we are bound to the ufe of all thofe means ordained by God to preferve faith.

If it be an hypocritical or a temporary Faith, it may be lost; if it be a true Faith,this is one certain fign of it.

The fame means that breede Faith in us, the fame means do nourish it; therefore

If thou ft andeft by Faith, be not high minded, but fear.

It is a Tenet of the Church of Rome, and it is now revived of late by the Anabaptifts in a book of the laft yeer, that a man may finally fall away from faving grace;

And many falf hewes are made out of Scriptures not rightly understood, to maintain this herefie.

I lay no more, but as the Apoftle doth,

Let him that thinketh he standeth, .ake heed left he fall.

He that is once allured of his standing,cannot fall, because the fame Spirit which witneffeth to our fpirits that we are the fonnes of God, doth alfo teach us all things, and bring all things to our remembrance,which Chrift hath taught us.

The means are

The Word, the Sacraments, Prayer.

1. The word; for as we are born anew by the immor 1 feed of the Word, fo we must as new born babes defire the fincere milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby.

2. The Sacraments of Baptifme and the Lords Supper;for these also serve to ftrengthen Faith.

1. By visible reprefentations to the fenfe of the inward graces of Gods fpirit, that walking here by Faith and not by fight, we may have fomething to faften our eye upon, which may be to us as the brazen ferpent lifted up

2. By the vertue of confignation, because these Sacraments are

the

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 fpiritual graces to us, fo that Baptifm is called the cover of regeneration, and by Baptifm Chrift is put on.

The Supper of Chrift prefenteth Chrift to us our fpiritual 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 same.

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

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

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

3. Prayer, 1. for that fhewes of whom we hold, not of our felves,but of God.

2. That bringeth us into Gods acquaintance and familiar converfation 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 ufe of Faith is to live by it, as I have fhewed in the expofition of the words.

1. There is ufe of it in the natural life.

2. In the fpiritual life.

3. For the eternal life.

1. In the natural life; for

Gg

Heb. II.

24.

1. In profperity.

1. Faith is a fhield to bear off all the flattering temptations of the flesh, the world, the Devil; fo it is faid of Mofes, By Faith Mofes when he was come to yeers, refufed to be called the fonne of Pharaohs daughter.

And by Faith Jofeph when he was tempted by his unchafte miftris,whofe offer tendered him all fenfual delight, refufed 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 with his allowance; fo by Faith Daniel was content with his pulfe, and refufed the Kings meat; they that do beleeve that God knows better then they what is good and fuf ficient for them, are content with what they have.

3. Faith is the acknowledgment of all our good from God, for thankfgiving 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 maintaineft my lot.

Pfal. 16.8.

I have fet the Lord alwayes before me, he is at my right band, I fhall 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 fo late to bed, and eate the bread of carefulneffe, robbing God of his fervice, and breaking the Sabbath,and often doing wrong to their brother to build up themselves, it is a figne that they dare not truft God,

A ftrange inference.

1. Forwe brought nothing with us into the world.

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

3. We mult confeffe 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 difcruciate our felves with cares for others, feeing that is the care of God? our children alfo are his inheritance.

I know and beleeve that our children are under the Covenant and Promife of grace, Ero Deus tuus & feminis tui. Let us ftudy to breed them to the love and fervice of God, let us not wafte unthriftly, what we may fpare from our own neceffities, and for the charge of their education; Let us ufe all honeft and lawfull means to provide for them.

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

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

come.

By Faith Jacob when hee was dying bleed both the fonnes of Jofeph.

2. In adverfity.

Thus it ferveth to furnish us with {

I. Patience.
2. Hope.

1. With Patience, to bear the prefent diftreffe without mur muring at God.

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

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 diftreft, to were all the people.

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

David befide this forrow of his loffe, and compaffion of the loffe of his people, &c. Feared.

For the people fpeak of ftoning him, because the fouls of all the
people were greived, every man for his fons and his daughters.
No remedy againft all this forrow but Faith.

But David encouraged him/elf in the Lordhis God.
The like example of fchoshaphats

When fome came and told the King of an army coming againft him to invade him; inftead of muftering his med, furvey

Gg 2

1 Sam-32. 6.

: 2Chor.zo.

ing

Verf.3.

Verf, 12.

ing his armour, fending out for auxiliaries to refist this armie, Or inftead 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 fet himself to feek the Lord, and proclaimed a faft throughout all 7uda, he goes to Church and prayes;

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might again 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 invafion by the Chaldeans; he hath declared the enemy infolent, and violent; what fhall the Jews do in the mifery? Obferve,

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

For he fhall poffeffe his foul in patience.

Beloved, we hear of diftreffes abroad; if we do but croffe the water, the fword is drawen against the profeffours of the Gospel of Jefus Chrift, and they that have armes put them on to fave why that their lives, and ftand upon their guard.

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

0:

We know not how God may vifit us hereafter, when the light of Ifrael fhall be quenched; although there go over neitheir men nor mony to relieve the diftreffes 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 develo them ball 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 whole 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 juft caufe of resto ring them to their rightful inheritance, and all fuch honours as