A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

Secondly, Because Faith is a Grace that has always the labouring Oar, a Grace that bears the Heat and Burden of the Day; that has the World and the evil One to overcome: and that it may be victorious over those, must first learn to lay hold on God's own Strength, and overcome him too. And because this Grace unites us to Christ, and then draws Virtue from Christ to maintain that Union, and support the spiritual Life: and because it ventures far, flies high, and runs great Risks, and has therefore great need of good Security; let us again read our Author's glorious Discourses upon Heb. 6.18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong Consolation, who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us. A Word from a God that cannot lie, is a sufficient Security for Faith to rest upon: Upon this single Security we might safely venture the Weight of all our Souls, the stress of all our Concerns: 'Tis upon this alone the Apostle, Titus 1.1, 2. encourages us to lay the Hope of eternal Life, even upon the Promise of him that cannot lie. But our gracious God knowing the weakness of our Faith, the Fears and Jealousies of guilty Souls, has added his Oath to his Word, that from such double Security we might have strong Consolation. O happy Souls, for whose sakes God will vouchsafe to swear! O miserable Sinners, who will not give credence to a swearing God! a God that swears by Himself, because he has no greater thing to swear by. Had he sworn ⟨p. viii⟩by the Heavens and Earth, they shall perish, and with them the Security had perished; but he swears by Himself, As I live, saith the Lord! And Faith having got this Ground to place its Engine upon, is able to overturn the World. What has it not been able to suffer, when Divine Truth is its Warrant? What has it not been able to do, when the same Truth is its Security? It has subdued Kingdoms, wrought Righteousness, obtained Promises, stopped the Mouths of Lions, quenched the Violence of Fire, escaped the Edge of the Sword, grew strong out of Weakness, waxed valiant in Fight, and turned to flight the Armies of Aliens, Heb. 11.33, 34. I will add, it has routed Legions of Devils, triumphed over Death, the Grave and Hell; challenged the whole World to come in, and lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect; for it has a God to justify the believing Sinner;