AT the beginning of this Chapter we read a warre prepared, and a strong confederacie entred against Judah and Jerusalem: It was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confe­derate with Ephraim, ver. 2. It is worth our consideration, who were joyned in confederacie, and a­gainst whom; Syria and Ephraim, are confederate against Judah. The Syrians were profest enemies to the Jewes, they had no civil relation to them, and their religion was at furthest distance: but Ephraim was near to Judah, both in religion and civill relation; and yet Syria and Ephraim (that is, the revolted ten Tribes) ioyn together, and mingle their forces and counsels to invade Judah, who held forth the true worship of God. Whence note,

That mungrell corrupt professors of true religion, will joyn with open enemies, against those who are zealous and faithfull professors of true religion. We see at this day Syria confe­derate with Ephraim, loose libertine Protestants mixt with Papists, against those who are close-covenanting, and close-walking Protestants. And there is a clear reason for it; corrupt hearts seek their own ease, and therefore will easier joyn with those who are more loose, then with those who are more strict then themselves: Ascents and improvements in holinesse pinch corruption; nature had rather go backward, then come onne in religion, and thinks we have gone beyond all reproof, if we keep pace with our fore-fathers, and tread in their steps.

Syria is confederate with Ephraim.

This report being brought to Ahaz the King of Iudah, his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the winde. We are ready to imi­tate, as the sinfull actions, so the passions of Princes; when Magistrates and Leaders are afraid, the people seldome take courage. His heart was moved, and the heart of his peo­ple: All Iudah shakes from head to foot, they shake within as well as without, their hearts were moved. The heart (as Astronomers tell us of the highest sphere,) is the primum mobile, the first mover, whose motion turns all the spheres of this lesser world (man) If the heart be moved with fear, all the members of the body move with fear; if the heart be moved with joy, all the members of the body move with joy: This moved-heart is opposed to a fixed-heart (Psal. 112. 7.) his heart is fixed. The heart is like quick­silver, if you can fix that, you have fixed all; if that flee, all flees.

His heart was moved, and the heart of his people.

When they were in this fit and feaver of fear, shaking at the very heart, behold the goodnesse of God (ver. 3 ^d.) Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, and say unto him; Take heed, and be quiet, fear not. Two things I will note from this, in passage.

First, That God is acquainted, not only with our out­ward distractions and troubles, but with our inward fears and perturbations. He knows the stirrings of every heart: if your hearts do but pant at any danger, the Lord ob­serves it. And then.

Secondly, That as soon as the Lord sees a wound in the spirits of his people, he presently provides a Physician, and sends a plaister. As soon as ever it was said, their hearts were moved, God raiseth up his Prophet, and puts a heal­ing reviving word in his mouth to strengthen and settle them again: Go forth now to meet Ahaz, and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet, fear not, &c.

As the Lord gives them counsell not to fear, so he shewes them reason why they should not. First, from the persons who appeared so dreadfull, ver. 4. They are but two tails of smoaking firebrands. As if he had said, You look upon these men as a devouring fire, or unquenchable flames; but I assure you they do but smoak, and they are but brands, and they are but tayls of brands, they have almost consumed themselves; they are but brands ends, and they are smoaking rather then burning. As that phrase in the Gospel, smoaking flax, notes the lowest degree of grace which Jesus Christ will not quench or put out: so here, smoaking firebrands, note the least degree of remaining power, or malice almost spent and going out, [Page 4] not in regard of desires, but abilities to do mischief.

Again, As the Lord shewes their power, so neer ex­tinct that they could do no great hurt; so he declares his own will that they should not, vers. 7. For thus saith the Lord, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to passe. Ther's no reason we should run for fear, when we are assured the counsels of our enemies shall not stand: They are confederate, but they shall be broken: they have taken counsel, but it shall not stand, neither shall it come to passe. The counsels of men stand or fall at the pleasure of God. The opposition of all creatures cannot hinder one of his counsels, and all their endeavours cannot produce one of their own. Though a conclave of Achitophels (every one an Oracle) should lay a design, yet it is at the will of God whether it shall succeed. The policie of man is no match for God: thus saith the Lord, it shall not stand. Not stand! why? who is able to throw it down? by whose hand shall it fall? Syria and Ephraim are mighty in power, as well as deep in policie, shall their counsels be made voide? The Prophet Amos knowing the weaknesse of Iacob, que­stions (chap. 7. 2.) By whom shall Jacob arise, for he is small? And the Prophet Isaiah, knowing the strength of Syria and Ephraim, might question, By whom shall these fall, for they are great? Yes, saith God, I assure you how great so ever they are, they shall not stand; I can reckon up the greatest of their strength, and the top of their confedera­cies, The head of Syria (that is, the chief power and strength of Syria) is Damascus (the mother City) and the head of Da­mascus is Rezin (the King of Syria) and in threescore and five yeers shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people; And the head of Ephraim is Samaria (I can tell you likewise what strength Ephraim hath, and who is the strongest person [Page 5] there) The head of Samaria is Remaliahs sonne: I can soon cast up all the power of your enemies, I can go to the very head of it, it is but Damascus, and Rezin, and Samaria, and Remaliahs sonne, this is the outside of their strength. We may quickly see an end of all worldly perfections, both in power and policie. Now, that which is secretly implied and couched in this contemptuous account of Ephraims and Syrias strength, is, that Iudah had such a head, as they were not able to reach, such forces as they were not able to tell over, much lesse to triumph over. It is as if he had said, You see the head of Syria, and the head of Ephraim, but the head of Iudah is Ierusalem, and the head of Ierusalem is Jesus Christ: Who is able to reach the head of Iudah, which is Jerusalem, while that hath Jesus Christ for the head of it? who is Rezin, or Remaliahs son, put into the balance with Jesus Christ?

The Prophet having brought them this message, not to fear, and strengthened it with these reasons, concludes all with an Epiphonema, in the words of the text, If ye will not beleeve, surely ye shall not be established: As if he had said, I have brought you as good newes as you can desire, should the Lord have sent you down a blank from Hea­ven, and bid you write the wishes of your own hearts in this condition, and engag'd his own faithfullnesse and all­sufficiency to performe them, what could you have re­quested that I have not offered? could you frame any more sutable mercies, as your case stands, then these? that your enemies shall fall, that their counsels shall not stand, that their projects shall not come to passe? yet let me tell you, ye may obstruct these blessings, and deprive your selves of this promised deliverance; your unbelief may weaken the arm of your salvation, and re-inkindle these [Page 6] smoaking brands into a consuming flame; your unbelief may shake your kingdome, more then your feares have hitherto shakt your hearts, If ye beleeve not, surely ye shall not be established.

The words are diversly read: The margin of our Bibles gives them thus out of the Hebrew; Do ye not beleeve? it is, because ye are not stable: As if he should say; What! after the report of these gracious promises, do ye persist in your fear still? are you yet in your trembling fit? ye are unbeleeving sure, and therefore ye are unstable. An un­beleeving heart, must needs be (when put to it) a trem­bling heart.

The Septuagint give us another sense; If ye beleeve not, ye shall not understand: according to which translation, the text is often cited by the Ancients, to prove that the Iewes did not therefore understand the Scripture, because they did not beleeve: faith is the light, as well as the strength of the soul; and they who are shut up in unblief, are usual­ly shut up in ignorance: Our reading sutes the Prophets message, and bears fair with the Grammaticall constru­ction of the text, If ye will not beleeve, surely ye shall not be established: though ye have heard of much good, you shall not taste a drop of it; though God hath infinite strength for you, yet he will not put forth the least of it, except ye beleeve. There is an elegant Paronomasia [...]phil [...] cr [...]d [...]d [...], fi [...]it, in n [...]phal, ta­bile, statum esse. [...] in the Originall: That word which in the active Conju­gation signifies to beleeve, signifies to be established in the passive.

If ye beleeve not.] Unbelief is of two sorts; either, first, an impotencie or inability to beleeve; or secondly, a crookednesse or perversenesse of disposition against the means of beleeving: understand this text of the latter. [Page 7] Again, unbelief may be taken either in generall, in re­ference to the whole revealed will of God; or secondly, in particular, in reference to some speciall manifestation of it. The Jewes, to whom the Prophet here speaks, were all beleevers in the former notion, but many of them proved unbeleevers in the latter; even as on the other hand, the Ninevites, who were unbeleevers, in respect of the ge­nerall word, proved beleevers, in regard of that speciall revelation by the Prophet Ionah.

Surely ye shall not be established:] That is, ye, in your po­litike capacity, as a Kingdome and Commonwealth, shall not be established.

Two points arise from the words; the first I shall but touch in generall: take it thus;

Promises of mercy from God include mans duty,

Acts of spirituall duty, and acts of corporall and civill duty. Deliverance and establishment are promised to King Ahaz and his people; but they cannot enjoy ei­ther, except they beleeve. The Lord made glorious pro­mises for the restauration of Israel, and concludes them all with this asseveration, I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it (Ezek. 36. 36.) neverthelesse he adds (ver. 37.) Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet, for this, be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. What the Lord will do, we must beleeve he will do, and we must pray that he would do it: These are acts of spirituall duty. And these are not all, when the Lord promises, we must not only set our hearts awork to beleeve and pray, but we must set our hands awork, to labour and do.

While Iacob was travelling to Padan-aram, the Lord ap­pears to him in a vision at Bethel, and thus encourages him: Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places [Page 8] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, till, I have done all that I have spoken to thee of, Gen. 28. 15. And when upon the discourteous u­sage of his uncle Laban, he meditated a departure from him; the Lord gives him his Passe-port (ch. 31. 2) Return unto the land of thy fathers, and I will be with thee. How might Iacob at the appearance of any danger have plea­ded these promises, and rested under the shadow of them for protection? Lord, I have thy word, surer then the foundations of Heaven and earth, for my safety; unlesse thy truth, or thy power fail, I can­not miscarry; let Esau threaten and muster all his forces against me, let earth and hell enter league and associate themselves against me; here I sit under the banner of those gracious promises which thou hast dis­played over me; I will not trouble my self, Lord, thou standest charg'd to keep me from all anoyance. But doth Iacob make this use of the promise? Nothing lesse. He be­leeves, but he is not carelesse; he trusts in God, but he neglects not himself; though God had said, I will keep thee whither soever thou goest, yet he labours to keep him­self; read, how upon the approach of his bloudy brother, he sends presents to appease him, how he divides his flocks and family, to make resistance or escape him. That of Paul (Acts 27.) is eminent to this purpose; where, with his weather-beaten companions in that voyage, having been in great stresse at sea, he steps forth (ver. 22.) to re­vive their fainting spirits, with a comfortable message; Be of good cheer, for there shall be no losse of any mans life a­mongst you, but of the ship; For there stood by me this night the Angel of the Lord, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying; Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar; and lo, God [Page 9] hath given thee all those that sail with thee. Pauls faith clo­ses fully with this promise (ver. 25.) I beleeve God, that it shall be even as he hath told me: Yet at the 31 verse, when the ship-men, under colour of casting out Anchors, were about to escape in the cock-boat, Paul saith to the Cen­turion and the Souldiers, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved; Not saved, Paul! where then is the word and promise of thy God, upon which thou didst even now so confidently pronounce safety to us all? If we run out of the way of God, we run out of the word of God: To rely upon the word, and then go out of the way of God, is not faith, but presumption: Providence will not serve our negligence, neither will the promise keep us, except we keep the condition of the promise: If ye beleeve not, sure­ly ye shall not be established. Observe secondly;

Without beleeving there is no establishing: Vnbelief is a barre in the way of promised blessings.

I (saith the Prophet) have made you large promises, but take heed ye do not straiten the hand of God, in gi­ving out the mercy promised. As faith stops the severest threatnings of destruction, so unbelief stops the sweetest promises of deliverance. Jonah prophesies (chap. 3. 4.) Yet fourty daies, and Nineveh shall be overthrown; but the faith of Nineveh overthrew that prophecie; the City stood, and the prophecie fell; Why? The people of Nineveh be­leeved God, and proclaimed a fast, &c. ver. 5. What faith can do to a prophecie of judgement, the same can unbelief to a promise of mercy, overthrow it.

The Psalmist assignes this to the unbelief of the works of God, as well as of his word (Psal. 78. 32, 33.) They beleeved not his wondrous works, therefore their daies did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. But [Page 10] are not the daies of all men consumed in vanity? Is not man at his best estate altogether vanity? Yes: but here was a speciall vanity, and somewhat more poenall and ju­diciall lay upon that generation, for their unbelief, then lies upon man-kinde, as the fruit of sinne in generall. And what was that? even the evil threatned in the text; they could not be established: God lets them wander fourty years in a wildernesse, up and down, forward and back­ward, now in hope, anon in fear; now in joy, anon in sor­row; now a successe, by and by a disappointment. They looked for Canaan, but to Canaan they could not come; they looked for a setled condition, but God kept them up­on uncertainties; they went toyling about the wildernesse to seek a passage out, yet most of them found none, but at the door of the grave: this was the spending of their years in vanity; and they spent them thus, because of their unbelief. The land of Canaan was so much promi­sed to the Israelites, that it was called the land of pro­mise, yet unbelief kept them out fourty years. The Apostle is as plain (Heb. 3. 19.) So we see, they could not enter in, because of unbelief: Their unbelief built a wall between them and Canaan; it locked up the passages so fast, that they could not enter in. And as it blockt up the way a­gainst the unbeleeving Israelites, so against Moses, the Cap­tain and conductor of Israel: he must deliver up his leading­staff, and resign his Commission to his servant Ioshua, he must die on this side Iordan: The reason is given (Numb. 20. 12.) And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Because ye beleeve me not, to sanctifie me in the eies of the children of Israel; therefore ye shall not bring this Congrega­tion into the land which I have given them.

The Prophet Ieremiah (chap. 17. 5.) pronounceth a [Page 11] curse upon the man, that trusteth upon man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. The Apo­stle expounds whose heart that is (Heb. 3. 12.) Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. An unbeleeving heart, is an heart de­parting from the living God. The antithesis in the Pro­phet (ver. 7.) confirmes that exposition; Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. Hope and trust are the contraries to unbelief. But what is the portion of this unbeleeving heart? No good I war­rant you. The sixth verse assures us so, He shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good commeth. As unbelief locks sinne upon our souls, sorrows and judge­ments upon our bodies, so it locks our souls out of eter­nall, and our bodies out of temporall salvation. An unbe­leever shall not see when good cometh, that is, he shall not taste or enjoy good when it commeth. So Elisha told that unbeleeving Lord, when in the name of the Lord he had promised plenty in Samaria; Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eies, but shalt not eat thereof, 2 King. 7. 2.

That text of the Apostle carries a shew of opposition against this truth. Rom. 11. 32. God (saith he) hath concluded them all (sc. Jews and Gentiles) in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all: It seems then that mercy rather comes in then is shut out by unbelief. God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all, as if God intended to make his advantage and opportunity of shewing mercy to that people, by finding them in an unbe­leeving condition.

I answer; There is a two-fold mercy; First, the mer­cy of vocation; Secondly, the mercy of salvation; when the Apostle saith, that God concluded or shut them all up [Page 12] in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon them all, he means it of the mercy of vocation: The Gentiles in their time, were all unbeleevers, then God called them; and the Jews at this time are unbeleevers, they deny obe­dience to the Gospell, yet God will call them again; the calling of the Jews hereafter (as heretofore the calling of the Gentiles) shall be of free grace; there was no prepa­ration in the one, there shall be none in the other, to move God to call them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. God calls us to faith, when we have no faith: He calls to be­leeve, while we are in unbelief: The mercy of vocation prevents faith; God doth not call men because they are beleevers, or because they have faith, but he calleth them to beleeve, he calleth them unto faith. So the Apo­stle arguing about that great mercy of justification (Rom. 3. 19.) shewes how the Lord stops every mouth, and makes all the world become guilty before him. God doth not justifie any person because he is guiltlesse or ho­ly; but that he may be guiltlesse and holy: He doth not justifie any man because he is free from sinne, but that he may be free from sinne. Thus the mercy of vocation prevents our faith, and the mercy of justification prevents our righteousnesse and obedience: God justifies the ungod­ly. But in giving the mercy of salvation, whether it be temporall or eternall salvation, God looks upon a people or a person beleeving; and therefore makes promises for faith to act upon, that we may be saved, that we may be established.

A second objection rises against this point, from that speech of Christ, in the close of the Parable of the unjust Judge and the importunate Widow, where assuring his elect who cry unto him night and day, that he will avenge [Page 13] them speedily, he adds, Neverthelesse, when the Sonne of man commeth, shall he finde faith on the earth? that is, he shall not finde faith on the earth: and yet then he comes upon a gracious design, the deliverance of his elect; It seems then that unbelief or want of faith, doth not hinder mercy, for this great mercy shall be given in, when faith shall not be found to beleeve it: See here a plentifull harvest of com­fort, and yet at the same time a dearth of faith; none to be found upon the earth.

I answer, first, The words import only a great declining of faith in those times, not a totall decay of it.

Secondly, The intent of those words is not to bring unbelief into any credit, but only to support and cherish the faith of some few, in the appearing of much unbelief and despondencie in others: For in hard times we hear frequently such complaints as these: Do ye not see, how the hearts of men fail, how their spirits are down, how they give up all for lost? Faith was never so low as now, and therefore surely we must shortly be lower then we are; this prevailing raign of unbelief among us, is a sad argument that evils shall raign over us too: thus the heart misgives.

To releeve such, our Lord Christ saith, Neverthelesse, when the Sonne of man comes, shall he finde faith on the earth? As if he had said, though all ought to encrease and streng­then faith in darkest times, both in themselves and others, yet let no man despair, because some, or many do not be­leeve: for as their unbelief shall not make the faith (that is, the faithfullnesse or faith-word) of God without effect (Rom. 3. 3.) so neither shall it make the faith of o­ther men without effect. Yea, in this sense, the lesse faith, the more hope. When you see the spirits of most drooping, their flesh trembling, and their hands hanging down; [Page 14] This looks most like the time wherein Christ will come to avenge his elect, and do great things. And those Saints, in whom faith bears up its head in such times, may use the generall unbelief of their brethren, as a strong advan­tage for their own faith; and representing it to God in prayer, may plead thus, Lord, faith failes exceedingly, very few of thy oppressed people do, or can be perswaded to beleeve that thou wilt help them; why, therefore Lord hasten in help now, come to our succour; Is not this the day of thy comming? for thou shalt scarce finde faith on the earth to beleeve thou wilt come.

Thirdly, Though Christ will come at last to releeve his people, when little faith is to be found among them, yet it shall be best with those in whom he findes most faith: and wo to those who neglect the raising of their faith, because they hear Christ will come when faith is down. The freenesse of his grace, in helping an unbeleeving ge­neration, will be no excuse, but a reproof of their un­belief. Our duty to beleeve is not the lesse, because his goodnesse to those who beleeve not, is so great: yea, they who (to put themselves into a posture for deliverance) cast away their faith, are cloathed with presumption: And though Christ may establish those who, through weaknesse or want of faith, cannot be­leeve, yet surely they shall never be established, who, through boldnesse with, or wantonnesse upon his grace, strive not to give him glory in beleeving.

To cleer which, I shall now proceed to give you some demonstrations of this point, why unbelief is the barre and stop of blessings. This appears;

First, From the greatnesse of the sinne of unbelief; E­very sinne, in the nature of it, is a barre in the way of [Page 15] mercy, Ier. 5. 25. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sinnes have withholden good things from you. But unbelief is a huge mountain, and when once we have removed the mountain of unbelief, all other mountains will quickly become plains and vallies before us. Unbe­lief is a sinne of a very high stature; a sinne of the first magnitude; it is a spirituall wickednesse, and therefore a great wickednesse. There is much dispute among the learned, whether unbelief were not the first sinne, that which opened the door to let in every sinne? I beleeve we shall not wrong unbelief, in giving it precedencie, or in affirming, that as unbelief now shuts the door, and keeps out mercy; so unbelief opened the door, to let in misery upon the world: it was faith, respecting the threatning of God, which the Devil laid his first siege against, and against which he first prevailed: Man had never eat­en the forbidden fruit, had he beleeved death was in the morsell. Hence unbelief is called a provocation: To be provoked, is more then to be displeased: Provocation notes the highest act of displeasure, and therefore that sinne which is a provocation, is one of the highest sinnes. A day of unbelief is a day of provocation, Heb. 3. 8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of tentation in the wildernesse. Now what was the provocation of that day? or by what did the people provoke God at that time? Was it the making of a molten Calf, and falling down before it? Was it the joyning themselves unto Baal-Peor, and eating the offerings of the dead? Was adultery or unclenenesse acted in the day of that provocation? All these are provoking sinnes, yet none of these denominated that day, a day of provocation; unbelief gave the name to that day: For the Israelites provoked God at the red sea [Page 16] (Psal. 106. 7.) and that was before they made their idol calfe to worship it, and before they fell into those bodily abominations and defiled themselves; their fear and mur­murings storied (Exod. 14.) were but the overflowings of their unbelief, and these provoked God at the red sea.

Again, The greatnesse of the sinne appears, from the many provisions which God hath made against it. God hath even studied the prevention, or the cure of this sinne: He hath appointed faith, many helps, much assistance, he hath prepared many antidotes against, many remedies for unbelief. Now look how much the more provision God makes to keep us off, or pull us out of any sinne, by so much the greater is that sinne, if we fall into, or continue in it. When God gives many charges against a sinne, and sets many barres in the way to stop us from it, and yet we break thorow all, this mightily aggravates a sinne, and makes it out of measure sinfull. For the cure of unbelief, we have not only the Word of God; but secondly, the Promise of God; and thirdly, the Covenant of God; and fourthly, the Oath of God; fiftly, all elder and later ex­periences, the mighty works which God hath done, the signes which he hath given, the wonders and miracles which he hath wrought. Hence, after Christ had preach­ed and done many wondrous works among his country­men, it is said, Mark. 6. 6. that he marvelled at the unbe­lief of the Iews: unbelief is a marvellous sinne, and, which makes it most marvellous, Christ marvelled at it. We read not that Christ marvelled at any other sinne of that generation; he marvelled not at their adulteries, or oaths, or hypocrisie, &c. why then doth he marvell at their un­belief? Not because it is a sinne above, or besides the na­ture of man, nor because it was a rare sinne, a sinne he had [Page 17] not seen before (Unbelief is as levell to our sinfull nature, and as daily acted, as any sin whatsoever) The reason then of this marvell, was, the strange course which those men ran, and all do, in acting their unbelief: They over-run and sleight the word of God, the promise of God, the Co­venant of God, the Oath of God, all the works, the won­ders, marvels and miracles of God; is not this a marvel­lous sinne which breaks thorow all these? Lastly, Un­belief is a very great sin, for, it is the mother of most sins, and the sweetner of every sinne; many sinnes had never seen the light, and all sinne would be gall and worme­wood, bitternesse in the acting, did man beleeve it would be (as it will be) bitternesse in the end: Unbelief gilds over that poisonous pill, and wraps it up in sugar, and so man takes it down as a sweet bit, as pleasant bread, with death, and hell and all.

If then a great sinne be a barre to blessings, unbelief must; which was in order the first sinne, which is in kinde a spirituall sinne, in degree one of the greatest sinnes, a provoking sinne, a marvellous sinne, a mother sinne, a pro­moter of sinne.

Secondly, Unbelief is a stop in the way of blessing and establishment, because it diverts us from the fountain of blessings, from him who only can establish, from him who bears up the pillars of Kingdoms when they shake and totter: If not, then, where and who is he? (Job 9. 24.) shew me the creature, man or Angel, that can do these things. The Apostle describes unbelief to be a depar­ture from God (Heb. 3. 12.) That which carrieth us away from the fountain, carries us from the waters: that which carrieth us from the Sunne, must needs carry us from the light. If then unbelief carry us away from God, who is [Page 18] our fountain, who is our Sunne, who is all good, and who hath all good, how, or where, or by whom shall we be either comforted or established? Is it possible to gain by deserting him, who is our treasure? upon what coasts shall we trade to fraught our vessels, when we have loosed and set sayl from Heaven? As that Disciple said unto Christ, Joh. 6. 68. when he questioned them, Will ye also go away? Go away, saith Peter; Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternall life: Where shall we mend our selves? where shall we have life, if we go from thee, who hast the words of eternall life? So may we say, to whom shall we go, when a dying distressed Kingdom lies upon our hands? where shall we get help, or strength, or deliverance, if we depart from God, the living God, the God who gives and preserves the life both of persons and nations?

Thirdly, The stability of a people is founded upon pro­mises, but unbelief attempts to shake the promises, and more, to make them of none effect. Though we have pre­cious promises, laden and enricht with blessings, yet we can do nothing with them, nor make any earnings out of them, except we set faith to work upon them: Nothing can fetch out the sweetnesse of a promise, but faith; no­thing can suck those brests, or draw water out of those wels of salvation, but faith; faith makes a living out of a word of promise; but unbelief will let us die and starve in the midst and throng of all the promises; yea, unbelief (as to us) destroyeth the promises, and cuts the sinews of them, so that they cannot stirre hand or foot to help us. Yet further, unbelief (as much as in it lies) turnes all the promises into fallacies, and the truth of God into a lie: Faith feeds upon the goodnesse of the promises, and un­belief [Page 19] devours the truth of them: Surely they shall never receive the good of a promise, who deny and destroy the truth of a promise.

A fourth reason is this; Unbelief destroys all former mercies, therefore certainly unbelief will hinder future mercies: by unbelief God loses all the favours he hath bestowed upon us; when we beleeve not what is to be done, we unbeleeve all that God hath done. He that having been pardoned his sinne, doth not beleeve that God will pardon him still, unbeleeves that he was ever pardoned. It is so in the case of temporals: And can we think he will bestow new favours, where he hath lost those he hath bestowed? God will never trust that, which distrusts him. The seven lean kine of Pharaoh, eat up the fat kine; though we have had seven fat kine, and full ears of corn; though God hath given us seven full mercies, se­ven great deliverances, yet unbelief will swallow them all at a bit (as it were) and yet be as lean and empty as before: We see it clearly in that passage of the people of Israel, Exod. 14. 11. God had wrought a great deliverance for them, he had brought them out of Egypt with a strong hand, and they had seen the wonders of God ten times there; but as soon as ever they came to the red sea, unbe­lief seized upon them: Oh, they should never overcome that difficulty, never get past that danger: What doth this their unbelief? even what I have said, it devoured all for­mer mercies: Nay, it not only took away former mer­cies, but turned them into afflictions and crosses, so we may enterpret their complaint, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wildernesse? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? for it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, [Page 20] then that we should die in the wildernesse. See how angry they were at former mercies, how they preferre bondage before deliverance: Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us out of Egypt? Can we judge a people who are angry with former mercies, fit to receive new mercies? Such is the language of unbelief at this day: How many in their distresses, when they are brought as it were un­to the red sea, wish that this Reformation had never been begunne; it had been better for them to have served their old task-masters, both in spirituals and in temporals, then to endure such hardship, then to run such hazzards, and be at such cost, to free themselves? they look upon all the wonders which God hath wrought, as matters of their sorrow: We see what we have brought our selves to, O that we had suffered any thing, rather then what we suffer.

Fiftly, Unbelief robs God of his honour: and that which takes glory from God, must needs hinder mercy from man: we can never enrich our selves by robbing God; unbelief is a God-robbing sinne; and it robbes God of that which is most precious to him: unbelief is a bold sinne, it goes into Gods Cabinet, and takes away his chief­est jewell, it takes away that which he saith he will not give away, his glory. The glory of God, is nothing else but Isa. 42. 8. that reputation which he hath in the world, (I speak not of his essentiall glory, which he hath from all eternity, and shall have, whether men beleeve or no; but I speak of his extrinsecall, manifestative and declarative glory) this un­belief obscureth and casteth a vail upon, yea steals quite away. You know a mans glory is gone when his credit is gone; if a man be in such a condition, that no man will beleeve him, or take his word, or give him credit, that [Page 21] man hath lost all his honour and reputation in the world: Now unbelief makes God of no credit in the world; let him speak what he will, let him give his word, his hand, his covenant, his seal, his oath, he hath no credit among unbeleevers. It is said of the old Saints (Heb. 11. 2.) that by faith they obtained a good report: There is no grace brings so much honour to man as faith doth; and I do assure you, there is no grace brings God so much honour as faith doth; by faith God himself obtains a good report among the Saints: His Name is great among those who are of great faith: Gods Name is up, when our hearts are up in beleeving; and his Name is down, when our hearts are down in unbe­lief. He that receiveth the testimony of God, sets to his Joh. 3. 33. seal that God is true; but he that will not receive the te­stimony of God, he (as much as he can) hath set to his seal that God is false. The Apostle quaeries, Rom. 3. 3. What if some did not beleeve? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? His denying question im­plies, that this was the attempt of unbelief, even to make the faith of God, that is, the faithfullnesse of God of none effect: It is as if he should say, This is it which these by their unbelief would do, or to do which, there is a tenden­cie in unbelief; God doth and will right himself in ho­nour, shew himself faithfull, though all the world should prove liars and unbeleevers: But no thanks to unbelief; that would put the highest dishonour upon God, even that of falsehood to his own word, and unfaithfullnesse to his people. Consider this, can we thrive by endamaging God? or is it probable God will encrease our comforts, while we are decocting and wasting his honour?

From all these considerations, the point is clearly de­monstrated, [Page 22] that unbelief is the stop of publike blessings, and therefore I conclude for the truth of it, That Without beleeving there can be no establishing.

Hence learn, first, how excellent and usefull a grace faith is: Some think little of employing faith in any bu­sinesse beyond the line of the justification of a sinner: But (as the Saints of old) so we may make other improve­ments of it. For as by faith the walls of Jericho were shaken and fell down (Heb. 11. 30.) so by faith the walls of Jerusalem may be setled and raised up. As by faith those ancient Worthies subdued Kingdoms: so by faith, at this day, we may establish Kingdoms. We must not only go to prayer by faith, but to counsell by faith, and to warre by faith; by this grace we may wax valiant in fight, and turn to flight the Armies of the aliens, ver. 34. When Jeho­shaphats Armies went forth to battell, his military Ora­tion had but this flower of holy rhetorique in it, Beleeve in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; beleeve his Pro­phets, so shall you prosper, 2 Chron. 20. 20. The prosperity of our worldly affairs, as well as of our heavenly, de­pends upon, and flowes from the actings of our faith.

In the next place, Give me leave (Honourable and be­loved) to be an informer this day against the Kingdoms greatest enemy, and the hinderer of our National esta­blishment. It was the custome of the Iews (as some of the Learned have observed from the story of Naboth (1 King. 21. 10.) upon the day of their solemn fast, to accuse and charge notorious offenders. How many things and persons have been, and still are suspected, yea charged with (that notorious offence) the shaking of this nation, while that which is most guilty, is not thought on at all by ma­ny, and not enough thought on by any: I mean, and I'le [Page 23] name it, unbelief. And I mean not only unbelief abroad and at large, but your own, in whose ears I chiefely speak this day, and into whose hands, that great and noble work of establishing this shaken, and of uniting this divi­ded Kingdom is committed. Though it be uncomely for me to charge you, yet it is the duty of this day, for you to enquire of your own hearts, whether your own unbe­lief hath not impeded that long prayed for, and long wait­ed for effect and issue of your counsels, the establishment of this Nation.

This Nation hath been long in counsell, and yet it is not established; long in action, and yet it is not establi­shed: We have prayed long, fasted long, and yet we are not established. I have the text and my point to warrant, if I accuse and arraign unbelief as the cause of all this.

Why, what hath unbelief done, or who hath seen it do­ing this evil? Unbelief is an invisible enemy, and there­fore a more dangerous enemy. But though it be invisible in its nature, yet it is not only visible, but palpable in its ef­fects: as holy faith also is. Hence, as faith is called effe­ctuall faith, and prayer effectuall prayer, because these break forth and operate in glorious effects: so unbelief may be called effectuall unbelief, because it breaks forth and operates in lamentable effects. And whatsoever is, or can be lookt upon as a cause of our continued troubles and shakings, is without any strain or slander reducible to unbelief, as the cause of those causes, and therefore the cause of those effects.

First, Some say, we are not established, because we are so divided. And are not our divisions the fruit of our un­belief? Hearts not joyned in faith to God, cannot joyn, or not firmely joyn to one another in love. They that go off from [Page 24] God (and every act of unbelief in us, is a step from him) seldome keep close to one another, Faith is the cement and soder of affection.

Secondly, If it be said, we are not established, because still so unreformed, sinne abounds still, and therefore trouble abounds still, I grant it. But whence is it that sinne abounds? I must set that also upon the head of unbelief. It is unbelief which protects sinne, and keeps it alive, not­withstanding the sentence of death hath gone out so often against it: Though it hath so often (in these sin-morti­fying duties of prayer and fasting) been carried out to exe­cution. Sinne laughs at all our daies of sorrow and hu­miliation, at our fasts and prayers, while unbelief backs and stands to it. For as faith is a shield to the new-man, which quenches all the fiery darts of the Devil: so unbelief is a shield to the old-man, which quenches all the holy darts of the Spirit. The word cannot wound a sinner, while he is armed with unbelief. Sinne will save its skinne, much more its heart, till faith sets it naked to the stroaks and smitings of the word.

Thirdly, If it be said, Surely we are not established, be­cause we are grown so carelesse, so cold and formall in those Kingdom-establishing duties, fasting and prayer. Many neglect to keep them, as counting such daies lost out of the calendar of their lives: But most are negligent in keep­ing them, and have turned the whole businesse into a meer bodily exercise, or the hanging down of their heads for a day: This neglect to keep fasts, and negligent keep­ing of them, is so grosse and notorious, that it makes ma­ny hearts to bleed while they think of it. Hence some have thought it most safe, to move for the supersedeating of these duties, fearing that such setled fasts will but more [Page 25] unsettle the Kingdom, and rather provoke the Lord, then pacifie him towards us. Reasons may be given for the laying down of these Monethly, and the keeping only of occasionall fasts: though in one sense our monethly fasts are occasionall, the great occasion why they began, con­tinuing to this day. But how sad is it, to consider that this should be given as a reason, That we have laid down these fasts, because we are weary keeping them, or are grown formall in keeping of them. To break off from such a duty, upon these terms, is a lamentation, and will be one: What? have we fasted away the tendernesse of our hearts, and our sensiblenesse of Gods hand? have we prayed away our zeal for God, and our love to commu­nion with him? this is dreadfull.

But how dreadfull soever it is; this (which God for­bid) if it be so, must be charged upon unbelief. Why do any neglect fasts? it is, because they do not beleeve it will quit cost to observe them; they beleeve more gain is to be got by working in their callings, and more com­fort will come in by letting themselves out in pleasures: & therefore they will not forbear their labours, or abridge themselves for a day of their pleasures. No man will af­flict his body (as in such daies he must) much lesse his soul (as in such daies he ought) unlesse faith shew him a benefit, which will bear his charge, and comforts, which will swallow up his sorrows, in doing them.

And whence is it, that many who appear outwardly in these duties, are so formall, rather personating the faster and petitioner, then being fasters and petitioners? is it not from unbelief? They who have slight thoughts of a duty, must needs act it slightly.

And whence is it, that prayer and fasting are at any time [Page 26] successelesse and ineffectuall? is not this from unbelief? Praying without beleeving, is a taking of Gods Name in vain, and (in regard of any fruit) a vain help for man. Prayer without faith, is nothing but a noise of words, meer babling: it is but speaking, not praying. In the sixth of Matthew, Christ reproves those, who thought to be heard for their much speaking. We shall surely be heard if we pray but a little, but we shall never be heard how much soever we speak. And if faith be mixt in the duty, how long soever we continue speaking, how many words, yea repetitions soever we use in it, Christ will not call it much speaking, but much praying: Though he reproved much speaking, yet he neither did, nor ever will reprove much praying: Now unbelief makes that which is commonly called praying, how much soever it is, to be but much speak­ing: And for that (because Christ is not in it) neither man nor nation shall be heard. The establishing of an unsetled Kingdom, calls (as for the highest and purest motions of reason in counselling, so) for the holiest and most spirituall motions of faith in praying: But as unbelief darkens the light of reason, that it cannot see, or holds it in unrighteousnesse; so it clips the wings of prayer, that it cannot ascend, or returns it answerlesse.

Fourthly, Should it be said, Instruments have been un­faithfull, they have not acted up to the highest, either of their abilities, or of their duties, and therefore surely we are not esta­blished: Then, I must return unbelief as guilty of this un­faithfullnesse. Want of faith is the cause of all the un­faithfullnesse that ever was in the world; the very root of apostasie both from God and man. Faith keeps the heart steady, and will see us die, rather then offer a thought of withdrawing from a known duty: Faith blasts all tempting [Page 27] objects; yea, it out-bids all tempers, shewing greater good in doing our duty, then the world can offer us for omit­ting or falling off from it; shewing us greater evil in neg­lecting our duty, then the world can threaten us with for doing or comming up to it. When Paul began to be jea­lous of his Thessalonians (1 Ep. 3. 5, 6, 7.) Lest by some means the tempter had tempted them, he presently sent a mes­senger to them, to know how their faith did; and as soon as the messenger returned, bringing good tiding of their faith; namely, that their faith was in heart, and in good plight, Paul was comforted; he knew, as long as their faith stood, they would stand against all temptations; he might turn them loose into the world, they would take no hurt. A beleever is the greatest conquerer. This is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith (1 Joh. 5. 4.) and that which betrayes us into the hand of every temptation, is unbelief: It makes men act basely, and render them­selves prisoners to every promise of preferment, or hope of profit, to every whispering threat of danger, and fear of losse. Where unbelief reigns, it either divides the man, or amazes him: either it makes him an hypocrite with two hearts, or a coward without a heart: And between those who have two hearts, and those who have no hearts, the best work in the world may soon miscarry. Unbelief nurses ignoble emu­lations, undue ambitions, base covetousnesse; it moves to self-seeking, caries to self-ends, makes the spirit poor and private; it bids us shift and comply with all humours, and advises to follow, not the reason, goodnesse, truth or justice of an undertaking, but the successes or advantages of it.

Fiftly, Some charge our unsettlement upon unresol­vednesse, fearfullnesse and want of courage, in carrying on [Page 28] the work. If so, These also (I see by their complexion) are the children of unbelief: for that is it, which causeth a man to hang like a meteor in the ayr, between Heaven and earth, not knowing which way to move. They who have little faith, have much fear, and they who have no faith are in a readinesse to be all fear, to be slain by fear: so were they of whom the Prophet Jeremie speaks (chap. 22. 1.) They are slain, and not by the sword: Fear saves the enemy a labour; courage in battell is usually flatted by unbelief; and though some may shew valour who have no faith, yet faith is the truest spring and support of valour; By faith they waxed valiant in fight, Heb. 11. Cou­rage in counselling and reforming fades also and dies a­way by unbelief: Vnbelief makes a man afraid of displeasing any one, but God: It speakes as the messenger to Micaiah, (1 King. 22. 13.) Let thy word be like one of them, and speak that which is good. Many have given counsell before, suiting both the humour and design of the King; there­fore said that messenger, do thou vote with them too, let there be no dissent among the Prophets, speak that which is good; that which is pleasingly good, (he meant) no matter whether it be justly or truly good; else it may go ill with thee, thou mayest be cast in prison, and fed with the bread of affliction, and the water of affliction. With such words as these, will unbelief (if it be admitted to speak its minde) prepare the heart for counsell every morning: It tells such fearfull stories, or lying prophecies rather, as will not let a man speak or act beyond his own interests.

When Hezekiah made that bold reformation, removing the high places, breaking the Images, cutting down the groves, and breaking in pieces the brazen serpent that Mo­ses made (and was now made an Idol) calling it [Page 29] Nehushtan: to the record of those noble acts, the Holy Ghost affixes the character of the agent, He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, 2 King. 18. 4, 5. What difficulty or danger will not trust in God, carry man thorow, in Gods way: And sutely it carried Hezekiah thorow very great ones in that his zealous reformation. What visions of fear and danger might unbelief have represented to Hezekiah? What! remove the highest places? it may remove you from your high place: will you cut down the groves? that act may cut down your life: will you break the Images, especially that famous one, the Brazen serpent? take heed it be not the breaking of your Kingdome: Do you not know how your people are engaged to these courses? I grant they are superstitious, but this nation will not ea­sily part with them, if you will be so strict in reforming, you may embroil all: Consider what the Kingdom will bear, enquire how the City will take this, and how the countrey; it is wisedom to look to your own peace, and to follow safe counsels, as well as right or holy counsels. How did the faith of Hezekiah triumph over these discou­raging base suggestions? And if ever any have been or shall be led into captivity by their power, resolve it, that man was first captivated by unbelief.

Sixtly, Some charge our non-establishment, upon our carnall confidence, our trusting in an arme of flesh; They will tell us, we have made an Idol of the Parliament, an Idol of our Armies, we have leaned so much upon our staves, that we have broken some of them, crackt others, and endangered the rest.

If this be a true charge, I must lay it, as all the former, upon the back of unbelief. They who beleeve God too little, do alwaies beleeve man too much; that which [Page 30] makes God but as a man, will quickly make man as a God whereas faith, while it causes us to be so diligent in the use of means, as if God would do nothing for us, causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means, as if God were to do all for us; faith shews us as much need of God in our fullnesse, as in our wants. It is a hard thing to depend upon God, in the weaknesse and want of means, but it is harder to depend upon him in the fullnesse and strength of means. This is the noblest act of faith: And though (we know) in Hea­ven sense will swallow up faith, yet on earth faith ought to swallow up our sense; When we see, and hear, and en­joy most of the creature, we should be as if we heard, and saw, and enjoyed nothing of the creature, but lived upon God alone. Observe this instanced in two great Kings: Asa had an Army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Iudah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin that bare shields and drew bowes, two hundred and fourscore thou­sand, 2 Chron. 14. 8. A gallant Army: Yet when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him with a more numerous Ar­my, Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is no­thing with thee to help with many, or with them that have no power, ver. 11. But are six hundred thousand men no pow­er? Asa's faith saw no power in this compleat Army, that he might see all power in God, and engage him in the battell; We rest on thee, let not man prevail against thee. He makes nothing of his Army, in case of victory, while he made nothing of it in case of an overthrow: Let not man prevail against thee.

That of Jehoshaphat is yet more full, who had an Army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men (besides his Garisons) for the field, as appears upon his muster-roll, 2 Chron. 17. 14, 15, 16, &c. yet when the [Page 31] Moabites and the Ammonites made warre upon him, he prays thus (chap 20. 12.) O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that commeth against us, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. What, had he no might? knew he not what to do, when he had 1160000 men in the field? No, not he: He had no eye to see these or any thing, but God; and therefore saith, Our eyes are (not up­on our Armies, but) upon thee. In this faith of the crea­tures nothingnesse, and the all-sufficiencie of God, he pre­vailed over the Ammonites, as Asa had done before over Zerah the Ethiopian. We then receive most by humane helps, when we expect least; unbelief either takes our hearts off from God, or (which is as dangerous) di­vides them upon the creature; for when we lean upon two, of which one is infirm, we shall not stand by that which is strong, but fall by that which is weak: faith bids us use means, and unbelief bids us trust it: And though faith will trust some means, in regard of their faithfullnesse, yet it will trust none, in regard of effectualnesse. As God calls for all our obedience, so for all our confidence; confi­dence in man is ever accompanied with jealousies upon God; such confidences God rejects, and therefore we have not, we cannot prosper in them.

Should this inquisition be enlarg'd, and the lot cast to finde out every accursed thing, which hath obstructed the influences of Heaven, from making this Land a quiet ha­bitation, I might with like ease and cleernesse resolve them all into unbelief; and therefore I leave unbelief un­der the guilt of this grand charge, The Kingdoms enemy, the hellish vapour which continues this our long Church­quake, and State-quake; or in the word of the text, The stop of our establishment.

Let me then a while call in the help of faith, as the noblest expedient for the cure of all our evils? It is said (Joh. 7. 37.) that, In the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying; He that beleeveth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: Will it not be seasonable, in this great day of your Fast and solemn humiliation, to lift up a voice for faith, and cry out, saying, If ye beleeve, surely ye shall be established? Set faith awork, in every work, let it be an ingredient in all your counsels, in all your a­ctions. Ye act but as men, not as the people of God, as a Roman, not as a Christian Senate, without faith. As by faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice then Cain his bro­ther; so by faith, one offers the Church, the state, better advice then his neighbour. When you prepare armes and Armies, arme your selves with this shield. Faith is the best weapon, It will quench the fiery darts of men, as well as the fiery darts of the Devil; if your Armies were weak, faith would recruit and strengthen them; now they are strong, faith will continue and encrease them: when your affairs are at a stand, faith will put them in motion, faith is a friend at a dead lift. If there be but a little meal in your barrell, and a little oyl in your cruze, faith will lead you into the store-houses of Heaven, and shew you all the trea­sures and riches which are laid up there. As Hezekiah led the Ambassadors of Babylon from chamber to chamber, and shewed them all the riches and provisions of his roy­all house, both for peace and warre; so will faith (but up­on better principles) take you by the hand, and lead you from one attribute of God to another, and shew you all fullnesse of all things, there unsearchable riches of mercy, here unchangeable faithfullnesse, there infinite strength, and here purest exactest wisedom to improve and manage [Page 33] it: We can never be at a losse while we can beleeve, for that will finde out helpe for us, when sense can see none, when reason and policie can project none.

If Information be desired, how or when we act by faith towards publike establishment, take it thus.

First, Faith acts in the strength, upon the truth and goodnesse of a promise. Promises are the aire and ele­ment in which faith breathes and lives. Faith languishes, unlesse fed and dieted by divine engagements; it relishes no fare, but of Gods own providing; it must have a pro­mise in the word, or a promise in the works of God to rest upon. The works of God have a promise in them, as well as the word of God, and are therefore the objects of faith, not only as faith notes the beleeving of what is done, but also as it notes the beleeving of what is to be done; In which sense we are to understand that reproof of the Jews, Psal. 78. 32. They beleeved not his wondrous works. They did beleeve, the history of his works, name­ly, that such things as are there recorded, were done; They could not but beleeve that God had wrought wonders for them in Egypt, that he had drowned Pharaoh in, and brought them safe thorow, the red sea: they saw these things, their senses were witnesses; but yet they did not be­leeve the prophecie or promise, which was vertually in those works, namely that God would do more wonders for them, till he had finisht and accomplisht their deliverance: That history of their bringing thorow the red sea, had this prophecie in it, that they should be brought safe to Canaan; but they did not beleeve the voice of this prophecie: When God gave them water out of the rock, this work promised, that he would give them meat out of the clouds, if they needed it; but this they beleeved not: [Page 34] Hence the same Psalme reports their unbelief, under this notion, ver. 19, 20. They spake against God, they said, Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams over­flowed; Can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh also for his people? When the Lord heard this (language of unbelief) he was wroth. Then faith moves in the highest region of holinesse, when it sees all to be done, in what is done; when it reads meat promised in waters given; and conquers a Goliah in the conquest of a Lion: when a slain Leviathan is its food in the wildernesse. And thus the Lord directs the faith of his ancient people (Deut. 7. 17.) to outwrestle the greatest dangers, If thou shalt say in thine heart, these Nations are moe then I, how can I dispossesse them? thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt, &c. Hence the reason why the people of Israel provoked God at the red sea by their fears and murmurings, is thus given (Psal. 106. 7.) They remembred not the multitude of thy mercies.

If then (at any time) you think your selves scanted in promises, send back your thoughts to those many expe­riences, both of elder and later dates: The invincible Na­vy in 88. overcome; the secret Powder-plot discove­red and blown up; your yesterday protections, deliveran­ces, successes, victories, should all be served up to the ta­ble of your hearts, for faith to feed upon, and nourish it self up into a holy confidence, That he who hath delivered you from so great a death, and doth deliver, will yet deliver you, that thanks may be given by us all in this behalf.

Secondly, As faith acts upon the truth and goodnesse of a promise, so alwaies by the justice and holinesse of a rule. No [Page 35] man can act that by faith, which is either unlawfull to be done, or is done unlawfully. Faith acts in the eye of God, and therefore must act holily. Faith tells us that God hath no need of our sins, to promote his cause, and that we must not lye for God.

Thirdly, He that acts by faith, will look that his end be as good as his rule. As faith will not do evil that good may come of it, so neither will it do good that evil may come of it, or that such a private personall good may come of it, as is over-balanc'd with publike generall evils. Faith never drives a trade (knowingly) for it self, with wrong to the common stock.

Fourthly, Faith carries with it cheerfullnesse opposite to worldly sorrow, courage opposite to worldly fear, resolvednesse opposite to base neutralitry, zeal opposite to lazie lukewarmenesse, boldnesse opposite to sinfull modesty, and a sober confidence of successe, or an assu­rance that our labour shall not be in vain, opposite to all heart-sinking doubts, and despondencies of spirit.

Thus he doth, who acts by faith, and all this, faith will do; yet, not every faith; True faith will do the former three, but the fourth is a task for strong faith. It was the Apostles caution, Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive, but not to doubtfull disputations. The works of God put us as hard questions as his word. The disputes of pro­vidence are often very hard disputes: A weak faith may soon be overmatch by them. But where faith is strong and vigorous, it will unty all those knots, resolve all those doubts, run thorow all that work, with ease. That must needs keep our souls steady, and make us unwearied in the work of the Lord, which fetches in constant supplies, and feeds our lamp with oil as fast as it spends, which wipes [Page 36] off our sweat, and causeth us to act in his strength, who can do all things.

But were it not better to fear alwaies, then to be so high slown in faith? were it not better to prepare for the worst times, then to be confident of good, or better?

I do not counsell any to slacken their preparation for evil and worser times, while I stirre up your mindes to be­leeve and waite for the best. Sit down as oft as you please, and prepare for death, for sword, for famine and for spoil­ing; Sit down, and commune with your own hearts up­on your beds about these things: Put the case to your selves, and act the part of sufferers under hardest pressures: Think what to do if the sword were at your brests, and the fire in your houses. But in the midst of your prepara­tions for evil, take heed of casting away the hopes of good. An evil heart of unbelief, is seven fold worse then all the evils that can fall upon you.

And though (all the unkinde distractions and divisions at home, with the oppositions abroad being considered) the way of faith lies very much up-hill, yea up moun­tains and craggy rocks, yet know, There is no danger so great, or exigent so dreadfull, which can be a plea for unbelief. If any people might have been excused for their unbelief, the people of Israel might; for they had an Army behind them, the sea before them, and the mountains on either side, so that the enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoile, my lust shall be satisfied upon them, I will draw my sword, mine hand shall destroy them (Exod. 15. 9.) yet their unbelief is taxed as a provocation. Never speak of the greatnesse of danger to lessen faith: for dan­gers are the element of faith; among them faith lives most, because among them faith findes most promises. [Page 37] When we have least of the world about us, we have most of the word about us; and when we have most of the world against us, we have more of the word for us. Faith hath best food in famine, the fullest table in a wildernesse. Faith (like the Horse (Job 39. 19.) rejoyceth in its strength, (for it is the strength of God) and goeth out to meet the armed men. Faith mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, nei­ther turneth back from the sword.

A second sort mannage the objection further: We know God is able (be the difficulties never so great) to de­liver, but we are not acquainted with his will: How then can we act faith? how can we be confident as you would have us? We, indeed, may say as he in the Gospell, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make us clean: thou canst settle and esta­blish us: But we are uncertain of his will, though we are sure of his power.

To these I answer: First, That howsoever the un­certainty of the will of God be usually held forth as a plea for doubting and unbelief; yet most doubt and are unbe­leeving upon suspition of the power of God: For when faith is up, and acts strongly upon this point, that God is able, it seldome doubts about his will. We have a great instance of this, Numb. 11. 19. when God promised Moses to spread such a table in the wildernesse, that all the Is­raelites should eat flesh, not only one day, or two daies, or five daies, or ten daies, or twenty daies, but even a whole moneth: Moses begins to argue, ver. 21. The people, amongst whom I am, are six hundred thousand foot-men, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole moneth (As if Moses had said; Lord, I pray consider your words, are you able to make good your promise?) shall the flocks, and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? Or shall the fish of the [Page 38] sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? What is the meaning of these questions? even that Moses himself doubted whether God could performe this, whether God had not out-promised his own power. That it was so, is seen clearly by the answer that God makes, ver. 23. And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lords hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe or not. The hand of God is the power of God, and the short­ning of his hand, the shortning of his power. Is Gods power shortned? Moses his question intimated that it was: So Isa. 59. 1. The Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save: Now as in Common-wealths, good Laws shew ill manners (for Laws are medicines, applied by wise Ma­gistrates, to cure the severall distempers of a people) so good counsels and proofs shew the evil which is in the heart of man. When God askes the question, Is my hand shortned? when he saith, My hand is not shortned, we may ga­ther, Moses and the Jews had an apprehension that Gods hand was shortned, that his power was not so great as he had reported.

Again, If it be not doubting of the power of God; why do we beleeve least when dangers are greatest? in little dangers we beleeve God is willing; why not in greater dangers? surely, because then a greater power is requi­red; so that the stick is at the power of God, though usu­ally his will be pretended. When Abraham, that mighty giant in beleeving, had overcome this difficulty, that God was able, nothing stood in his way, Rom. 4. 19, 20. Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, nei­ther yet the deadnesse of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, gi­ving glory to God, and being fully perswaded, that he who had [Page 39] promised, was able also to performe. Observe, he doth not say that Abraham was fully perswaded God was willing to performe what he had promised; Abrahams faith a­cted most, to assure and settle him that God was able to performe: And as soon as he gave glory to God by be­leeving him all-sufficient, his faith had no stop. So the holy Ghost expresseth the other great triall of his faith (Heb. 11. 19.) when he was called to sacrifice his sonne, he was in a great strait; but in what was his faith most tried? It was about the power of God; God had pro­mised him a sonne, and in that sonne a great blessing to himself and all Nations; Now, the text saith not, that he doubted not of the will of God, but he accounted that God was able to raise him up from the dead: from whence also he had received him in a figure: when he was setled in that, he never staid at the offering up his sonne. And if we search our hearts to the bottome, we shall finde that our doubt­ings reflect most upon the power of God, and we shorten his hand, though we commonly say, we are uncertain of his will.

I answer secondly, to those who say they doubt of the will of God, and not of his power, that though we cannot directly and positively affirm, God will do a thing because he can do it; yet there is a mighty argument to help faith out, that God will do a thing when we are assured that he can: Where there wants power, faith cannot work at all. When the woman in Samaria bespake the King (2 King. 6. 27.) Help, my Lord O King; the King answered her, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barne-floor, or out of the wine-presse. As if he had said, There's nothing in the barne, nothing in the wine-presse; and I cannot make corne or wine. What could this woman [Page 40] expect further? Where power is at an end, faith is at an end too: But seeing the power of God is never at an end, therefore our faith in comming to him needs not.

Thirdly, God hath exprest himself in Scripture, as much, yea more, for his willingnesse, then for his power to help; therefore we need not make our uncertainty of his will the reason of our unbelief, when we say, we are assured of his power: God hath said, He is Almighty; &c. but there are not onely words importing that God is willing to help his people, but promises and oaths that he will (Ps. 50. 15.) Call upon me, and I will deliver thee, Eze. 33. 11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked (that place is meant primarily of a civill death, a death in trouble) but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Yea, God hath manifested a willingnesse to help a people, which his power hath not seconded; but he never mani­fested his power, when his will did not concurre: that most passionate exclamation, O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, How often would I have gathered thee! &c. Implies a generall willingnesse in Christ to gather Jerusalem, yet Christ did not act his divine power effectually for their gathering.

Lastly, I say to such, though we may not argue that God will do a thing because he hath power; yet we may argue from the power of God, that a thing shall be done, if he hath already expressed any willingnesse to do it, and made any offers or assayes towards the doing of it. The Apostle would have the weak brother received (Rom. 14. 1.) upon this ground, He shall be holden up. (vers. 4.) He affirmes confidently, that He shall be holden up; what doth he ground this confidence upon? upon the will of God? No, upon his power, For God is able to make him stand: But how could the Apostle argue thus peremptorily from [Page 41] the power of God that the thing should be done? He gave intimation before of the willingnesse of God, for he had said in the close of the third verse, God hath re­ceived him; I see God hath favoured this man, though he be weak, therefore because I see he is one, on whom God hath bestowed some mercy already, I will therefore ar­gue confidently, that mercy shall be perfected; he shall stand, because God is able to make him stand, for he hath received him. We may argue thus for the publike; This Kingdom shall be holden up, for God is able to make it stand: How so? God hath received it: Do yee perceive no break­ings forth of the love of God to his people in this King­dom? Hath he done nothing which intimates he hath re­ceived this people? Surely, he hath, therefore we may ar­gue; God is able to make us stand; therefore we shall be hold­en up, for God hath received us.

A third objection is thus raised: You will have us be­leeve that we shall be established, but I pray shew us a word for our faith: Can you give us any promise? Isaiah here brought a promise immediatly from Heaven, he told the people from the mouth of God, that they should be established; can you do so too? Faith is a wise grace; Faith loves not to build upon the sand, much lesse to build castles in the ayr; Faith must have a sure foundation, and nothing will serve faiths turne, but the word of God; It will not build upon the bare word of all the Preachers in the world; As the great Mathematician said; Shew me a place where I shall set mine engine, and I will shake all the earth; so saith faith, Give me but a sure word whereupon I may fix my foot, I will carry any thing; but where is that word to be found? whats the text, chapter and verse, that England shall be established? or have you any extraor­dinary revelation, that it shall?

'Tis granted, We have no such revelations as Isaiah brought to Ahaz and his people; but we have that which serves faiths turn sufficiently; and so much as amounts to a particular promise. I may say, There is as much ground in Scripture for faith to build on, for the present temporall sal­vation of this distressed Kingdom, as any man at first hath, or had in Scripture to beleeve his eternall salvation. I clear it thus; Suppose we comming to a man lying in the state of nature, and under trouble of conscience for his sinne, should offer him Christ, and pardon, and he should say, Shew a promise which belongs to me: What promise could we tender him? could we bring one, with his name literally in it? doth any promise speak explicitely, Tho­mas, or John, do thou beleeve, and thou shalt be saved? There is no such word for the salvation of any man. There are promises of three sorts in Scripture. First, Promises of free grace, that God will justifie the ungodly, and pardon sinne, for his own Names sake. Secondly, Promises of grace, that God will give faith, repentance, love, and a new heart, &c. Thirdly, Promises unto grace, that if we be­leeve and repent, we shall be saved. Promises of these three sorts, are all we have to build our faith upon for eternall salvation; and these we, or any other Nation that is un­der the same condition, hath to build assurance upon for temporall salvation. There are promises of free grace to Nations, that God will deliver and save them for his own Names sake: such a promise we have, though the Name of England be not expressed in it. Again, there are pro­mises of grace to Nations, that God will poure out a spirit of repentance and humiliation upon them, and cause them to return. Lastly, we have promises unto grace, that if a people call upon God, repent and turn from their evil waies, they [Page 43] shall be delivered, If my people which are called by my Name, do humble themselves, and seek my face, and pray, and turn unto me, I will hear in Heaven and deliver, &c. 2 Chro. 7. 14. These promises were made not only to the people of Israel, but to all people who are the Israel of God. Say not then, this stops your faith, ye cannot beleeve establishment, because ye want a promise of establishment; these promi­ses are ours, as well as this was Jerusalems.

These objections and stumbling-blocks being thus (I hope) answered and removed out of the way of faith: let your faith gird up her loynes, and rejoyce like a giant to run her race.

Act faith for the Kingdom, as you would for your own souls. Is it not a duty, to beleeve when you pray and seek God about temporals (in their degree and kinde) as well as when about spirituals and eternals in theirs? Hath not God given his people sometimes as clear evidences, as strong assurances that their prayers have been heard about temporals, as about eternals? What if we should not be under the influences of those promises which are made un­to grace, to a repenting, reforming people: yet faith hath footing enough in those which are made of grace, to give give repentance and reformation to a people, and in those of free-grace, that God will save for his Name sake, though a people are generally impenitent and unreformed. A pro­bability of prevailing, is a sufficient ground both for praying and beleeving. The Prophet Joel (chap. 2. 14) perswades that afflicted people to fast and pray (in that he perswaded them to beleeve) upon this offer only, Who knoweth if he will return and repent? Nineve is carried up to beleeve by the same argument (Jon. 3. 9.) Who can tell, if God will re­turn? A peradventure from God, is better then an abso­lute [Page 44] promise from any creature. So long as God hath not said, hee will not, though hee hath not said hee will, let us venture; God hath not yet forbidden prayer, but rather bespoken it in the hearts of his people: God hath not yet declared by any work of providence a­gainst England, as he did against Judah by his word (Jer. 15. 1, 2.) Though Moses, and Samuel stood before me, yet my minde could not be towards this people; cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth, such as for death to death, &c. No, he hath rather declared his willingnesse, if not his re­solvednesse to deliver, to save, to settle, to establish us: His heart seems to work toward us, let our faith work to­ward him; yea, let our faith have a perfect work, and then (I doubt not) but God will perfect all our works, If we be­leeve, surely we shall be established.

Lastly, If a shaking Kingdom be established by belee­ving, then, how precious are beleevers! Are they not the ba­ses and pillars of a state? Job puts the question concerning wisedom (chap. 28. 12.) Where shall wisedom be found? and where is the place of understanding? The depth saith, It is not in me, and the sea saith, It is not with me, ver. 14. Should I put such a quaerie about the point in hand, Where shall the stabi­lity of the Nation be found? and what is the place of its strength? Your sea would say, It is not in me, and your ships would say, It is not in us; your Garisons in fortified Cities, and your Armies in the open field, your correspondencies abroad, and your counsels at home, would, or must all bring in their disclaimers, and say, Strength is not in us, in us establish­ment is not to be found. Where is it then? the text answers, Faith is our strength, establishing is by beleeving: Beleevers are establishers.

And if they be so usefull, let them be as acceptable: It [Page 45] is but equall, that they who do the publike so much good, should receive good from the publike: I am sure it is not safe to let them be discouraged, by whom our safety is e­stablished, much lesse is it safe to let them fall, by whom (in their capacity) Kingdoms stand, or to cast them down, who (by the rule of Divine politicks) are state-up­holders▪ Stephen is described (Act. 6. 8.) A man full of faith and of power (where saith is, power is not farre off) yet this man was stoned (chap. 7. 59.) How sad a spectacle was it to see a man stoned to death, whose life was (like a founda­tion or corner-stone) establishment to the whole building.

Ob. But many pretend faith, who have no conscience.

Ans. I am no advocate for such, for their faith is vain, and they are yet in their sins. And yet (I conceive) it is better for a supposed faiths sake to spare some, who (in the issue) will be found to have no conscience, then for conscience sake to afflict any, who (in the issue) shall be found to have reall faith. It is our Lords warning to all, and it is a dreadfull one (Mat. 18. 6.) Who so shall offend one of these little ones, that beleeve in me, it were better for him, that a mil-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. A little one beleeving, or one beleeving though but a little (I mean little, in regard of the degree, not of the object) (I say, such a little one be­leeving) is a great one in the eye of Christ; an offence given to such a scarce discernable beleever, may bring very dis­cernable wrath upon his offenders.

And if Christ take it thus ill, when a little one beleeving in him is offended, will he not take it worse, when a great one, an Abraham, a Stephen, a Paul in beleeving is offended? Where there is greatest faith, there's greatest worth, and tenderest endearments to Jesus Christ. When we see [Page 46] faith budding out and flourishing in noble and generous fruits of holinesse, when faith hath so purified the heart, that it keeps hand and life pure, and acts visibly; surely a mil-stone is not heavy enough, he shall have a mountain of mil-stones strung together, for his neck, who knowingly and willingly offends such a one.

Ob. But whatsoever their faith is, they differ in opinion, and will not meet us in the same practice.

Ans. Holy love, must and will bear much, where it sees holy faith. Charity (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 13. 7.) be­leeves all things; I am sure it beleeves this, That they who indeed beleeve in God, cannot continue to be hurtfull to any so­ciety of men. And though I nothing doubt, but that a good man may do very ill, and may very justly suffer for it too; yet of how narrow a use are those excellent graces of love, of meeknes, of humility, of patience, of self-deniall, if they are not (among other uses) to be laid out and bestowed in a brotherly, hearty, gracious, amicable compliance with, bearing of, and condescention unto those, who having ob­tained like precious faith with us, do yet differ in some things which concerne order, they maintaining order a­mongst themselves, and peace with others?

I hope there is a good stock of charity yet among us, none of which shall be lavisht out in symbolizing with the ignorant and profane, or admitting them to a partici­pation in speciall gospel-priviledges; nor will it all (I am perswaded) be laid out (though that is like to be costly to charity) in admitting those of competent knowledge, and unblameable carriage in their lives, who yet evidence little (if any thing) of the life of faith: But (when the former charge is defrayed) charity will have a faire remainder in banke for those (to whom it is very due) who are unque­stionably [Page 47] eminent and active in faith, though in some things they be found to differ in judgement, or in practices thereon depending.

As to bear all differences would make charity blinde, so not to bear some would make her more then lame. I know (Honourable Senatours) your wisedom will easily finde and discerne the limit-stone, between liberty, and li­bertinisme, between the humours of men, and their con­sciences.

How desireable is it, that all the Churches should have, as one minde, so one way, that they should all minde and do the same thing? How pleasant, how blessed a sight were it, to behold not only unity of spirit, but uniformity of practice in all who call on the Name of the Lord Je­sus Christ, both their Lord and ours? But how wofull a sight will it be, (if ever it should be seen) that with whom we agree in every doctrine of faith, in the substance of worship and government, and in many formes; that from them we must irreconcileably break, till we can be uni­forme? What a wofull dearth of Gospel-love will be found amongst us, i [...] after all our former sufferings to­gether, our praying and fasting together, we should upon these termes fall a vexing one another? If after we have poured forth our cries, our groanes, our sighs, our tears together, in private chambers, and solemn assem­blies before the Lord; if after we have poured out our bloud together in the high places of the field before the enemy; if (I say) after all this, we shall on these termes, (I say not, cruelly poure out the bloud of one another, but so much as) unkindly move a cry, a groan, a sigh, or draw a tear from one another, what a wofull dearth of Gospel-love [Page 48] will be found amongst us? Would it not also argue that there is some accursed thing, some provocation a­mongst us, if, after the Lord hath given us such clear light to pull down the pillars of Babylon, he should yet give us up to such thick darknesse, that with our own hands we should (upon such dissents) pull down any, who are pillars in Sion?