Christians rouse up your Faith: Now appropriate and apply the Promises: Now believe strongly, and steadfastly, and believing will fill you with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. I do not wonder if your Faith be put to it in so high and great a mystery; To draw nigh to the infinite Majesty, and consideringly, and without hesitancy to say, Thou art mine and all that thou hast, this is no easy thing. But thou mayst not dare to doubt it. Canst thou question him who is the Truth? can the strength of Israel lie, or his word deceive thee? But the soul is ready to reply, oh the thing is too high, and too great for me to presume to believe, and is ready with Peter, astonied to cry out, Depart Lord, for I am a sinful man. But why doth thine hand tremble, and thy heart fail thee, and thy feet (with Peters when walking on the waters) begin to sink? What doest thou stick at? Is it at the truth of the Promise? No saith the trembling soul, but sure so much can never belong to me so sinful, I am afraid it is not mine, why, what saith the Promise? only be upright. What though thou hast an hundred failings, yet thy heart is upright: the bent of thy heart is mainly for God and Holiness; thou makest conscience of all sin, little as well as great, secret as well as open, and doest not deliberately allow thy self in any: thou doest in the settled frame of thy heart prefer the pleasing of God, and value his favour, and fellowship above all worldly good, therefore thou art upright, these marks are infallible. What, doest thou object thy failings? Art thou under a Covenant of works? Do you think God now stands upon Perfection? The ⟨p. 84⟩Covenant is plain: God conditions but for uprightness, and God hath wrought in thee the condition that he requires of thee. What can be plainer? wilt thou suffer the Devil and unbelief to catch the Bread out of thy hand, when God tells thee it is thine? wilt thou be against thy self, and refuse thine own peace, when God is come to Seal thee up to the day of Redemption: This is that which the Lord here Seals to thee, That he will be God All-sufficient to thee. O believe, and be thankful, and rejoice in thine own blessedness: O happy, thrice happy souls, whom the living God thus Signeth and Sealeth to, and Assigns over all his infinite Perfections as its everlasting possession.
Christians rouse up your Faith: Now appropriate and apply the Promises: Now believe strongly, and stedfastly, and believing will fill you with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. I do not wonder if your Faith be put to it in so high and great a mistery; To draw nigh to the infinite Majesty, and consideringly, and without hesitancy to say, Thou art mine and all that thou hast, this is no easie thing. But thou mayst not dare to doubt it. Canst thou question him who is the Truth? can the strength of Israel lie, or his word deceive thee? But the soul is ready to reply, oh the thing is too high, and too great for me to presume to believe, and is ready with Peter, astonied to cry out, Depart Lord, for I am a sinful man. But why doth thine hand tremble, and thy heart fail thee, and thy feet (with Peters when walking on the waters) begin to sink? What doest thou stick at? Is it at the truth of the Promise? No saith the trembling soul, but sure so much can never belong to me so sinful, I am afraid it is not mine, why, what saith the Promise? onely be upright. What though thou hast an hundred failings, yet thy heart is upright: the bent of thy heart is mainly for God and Holiness; thou makest conscience of all sin, little as well as great, secret as well as open, and doest not deliberately allow thy self in any: thou doest in the settled frame of thy heart prefer the pleasing of God, and value his favour, and fellowship above all worldly good, therefore thou art upright, these marks are infalliable. What, doest thou object thy failings? Art thou under a Covenant of works? Do you think God now stands upon Perfection? The ⟨p. 84⟩Covenant is plain: God conditions but for uprightness, and God hath wrought in thee the condition that he requirts of thee. What can be plainer? wilt thou suffer the Devil and unbelief to catch the Bread out of thy hand, when God tells thee it is thine? wilt thou be against thy self, and refuse thine own peace, when God is come to Seal thee up to the day of Redemption: This is that which the Lord here Seals to thee, That he will be God All-sufficient to thee. O believe, and be thankful, and rejoyce in thine own blessedness: O happy, thrice happy souls, whom the living God thus Signeth and Sealeth to, and Assignes over all his infinite Perfections as its everlasting possession.
