Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

As to things past, the believer hath a holy sagacity to make a good improvement of them, which is most evident in his appropriating Scripture-histories to himself, in such or such a state (saith he) God dealt so or so in a way of mercy or justice, and if I come into that state, I shall have the same measure, because God is ever the same, and his mercy and justice have the same aspects towards men as heretofore; the believer appropriates good states and good consequents: see in what way the goodness of God followed such a man, in the very same way will it be with me, saith faith; if I can strive and wrestle with God in prayer, I am in Jacobs state, and shall be a prince with God; the effectual fervent prayer. of the righteous man availeth much, James 5.16. if I am in Joshua's state, fighting against lusts the true ⟨p. 181⟩Canaanites, God will never never leave me nor forsake me, that was a particular promise made to Joshua, yet is by the Apostle accommodated to believers, as being in his state, Heb. 13.5. If a man suffer for the true God and his worship, he is in the fiery furnace, and the son of God is with him to comfort and support him, if he have a good conscience made so by the blood and spirit of Christ, he is in the Ark, and shall never drown in the common perdition, 1 Pet. 3.20, 21. there is a cloud of witnesses, in which faith observes righteousness going before, and mercy following after. Again, the believer appropriates bad states and bad consequents, see in what way Gods wrath brake out against such a man, in the same way will it break out against me, saith faith; if I am murmuring and unbelieving, I am in the Israelites state, and without repentance I shall dye in the wilderness and never enter into rest; if I wallow in the mire of gross and sensual sins, I am in Sodom and Egypt, and may expect their line of plagues and eternal fire: if I love the wages of righteousness, I am in Balaam's way, and may look for his end; if I sleep in my indulged lust, I am in Delilahs lap, and like to lose my own strength and Gods presence; these are our types or figures, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 10.6. in which we have a lively image and portraiture of punishments for sin, and from thence may by faith divine, that if such sins