Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

and when he comes to that promise, I will be thy God, he saith, this is the universal Medicine, and good for all things, as infinite a sea as Gods grace is, as vast a treasure as Christs merits, the believer cannot tell how to climb up to these, unless he have somewhat of a promise to set his faith upon; if there be but an half-promise, faith will ascend up by it: when God saith, seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger, Zeph. 2.3. faith will hang upon a may be, but where there is nothing at all of a promise, faith does not, cannot tell how to approach for the unpromised thing. The Perfectionists fail, that sinless perfection is attainable in this life; Joseph is yet alive, perfection of life, figured by Joseph, may be found, so thinks a Learned Doctor, My yoke is easy, said Christ, and from thence Bellarmine concludes, Legem Dei possibilem ⟨p. 126⟩esse renatis imo & facilem observatu; but alas these are but dreams and not acts of faith. Its true, the believer groaning under the burden of sin, wishes nothing more then sinless perfection, he works, he walks, he prays, he weeps, he runs, he strives, but after all he may not believe sinless perfection attainable here; not but that the grace of God in Christ is sufficient to effect it, but there is no channel for such a grace to run in, no promise in all the word to bottom such a persuasion upon: there is a promise for the subduing of iniquity, but not for the annihilating it, a promise that sin shall not reign in us, but none that it shall not be; therefore the believer would not seek for that in himself, which is only found in Christ, nor for that on earth which is reserved for heaven; that mercy or comfort which is not let down in the promise, faith doth not expect or look for. Trubern a German Divine on his deathbed, seeking comfort, spake thus, textum, textum volo, let me have the text, the text, well knowing that comfort streams out in the promises; the believer is ever for one promise or other, to give advantage to his faith in its ascension to God for mercy and comfort.

and when he comes to that promise, I will be thy God, he saith, this is the universal Medicine, and good for all things, as infinite a sea as Gods grace is, as vast a treasure as Christs merits, the believer cannot tell how to climb up to these, unless he have somewhat of a promise to set his faith upon; if there be but an half-promise, faith will ascend up by it: when God saith, seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger,