Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

3. Faith stirs in the heart some hope to enjoy this condition; I say some hope; for Faith being as yet in the Bud, or in the Seed, though its desire be strong, yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and weak; hence Faith is taken up with many thoughts: fain would the Soul be joined to Christ, but being as yet dismayed with the sense of Sin, it stands like the Publican, afar off; as yet Faith can scarce speak a word to God, only with Jonah, it can look towards his holy Temple. As a poor weak babe who lies in the Cradle sick, and weak, and speechless, only it can look towards the Mother for help; the cast of the eye expresseth in some sort what it would say; thus Faith being weak, it would speak to God, but it cannot, or dares not; only it hath its eye towards Heaven;¹ as Jehoshaphat sometimes said, Our eyes are towards thee. It feels a need, and fain would have; but sense of unworthiness, and the sense of the Law strikes such a fear into the heart, that it dares not come near. Consider Israels Case, and we shall find it parallel to this: God proclaims on the Mount, I am the Lord thy God: what was this, but Gods offer to be in Covenant with Israel? and yet the terror of the Thunder was so great, that Israel durst not come near: a poor Soul hearing the Lord to offer himself to be in Covenant in him, Come soul, I am the Lord thy God. Why alas it dares not come near: What am I the Lord? or what is my Fathers House, that I should enter into a Covenant with the most high God? The Soul is unquiet within it self, it is hurried to and fro, and finds no rest; it hears of Peace with God, but feels it not; there is much ado with the Soul to sustain its hope; only Faith sets the mind again and again to consider the promises, invitati•••, and all other encouragements which God hath given in his Word.

3. Faith stirs in the heart some hope to enjoy this condition; I say some hope; for Faith being as yet in the Bud, or in the Seed, though its desire be strong, yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and weak; hence Faith is taken up with many thoughts: fain would the Soul be joyned to Christ, but being as yet dismayed with the sense of Sin, it stands like the Publican, afar off; as yet Faith can scarce speak a word to God, only with Jonah, it can look towards his holy Temple. As a poor weak babe who lies in the Cradle sick, and weak, and speechless, only it can look towards the Mother for help; the cast of the eye expresseth in some sort what it would say; thus Faith being weak, it would speak to God, but it cannot, or dares not; only it hath its eye towards Heaven;