Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Secondly, Faith experiments it by the Divine Presence helping and comforting the Believer in acts of Obedience. The Rabbins say, That if two sit together conferring of the Law, the Shechinah is among them. And without doubt if but ⟨p. 340⟩one single Believer be not a talking merely of the Law, but a doing of it, the Divine Presence is with him. Thus the Prophet to Asa, The Lord is with you, whilst you be with him, 2 Chron. 15.2. Thus our Saviour, If a man love him and keep his words, the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with such a one, Joh. 14.23. Such an one hath a Temple and Shechinah in his Heart; God will be there helping and comforting of him in his well-doing. The Church prays for help from the Sanctuary, Psal. 20.2. because that was a Symbol of Gods Presence: And the obeying Believer cannot want help, because he hath a Sanctuary within him. The way of the Lord is strength to him, and waiting in it he renews strength, and mounts up by Auxiliary Grace as upon Eagles-wings. Whilst he is a doing the will of God strength comes in, as it did to the Levites that bare the Ark, 1 Chron. 15.26. and with strength holy comfort also; in keeping the Commands he hath great reward, inward peace, and joy unspeakable; some of the oil of Joy which is upon Christ the great Doer of Gods Will, drops down on the Believer in his sincere Obedience. As all upright ones do, he dwells in Gods Presence, as if he were in the borders of Heaven already; the light of Gods Countenance irradiates his Duties. When therefore the Believer reflects on himself, and considers, what a dry Land rebellion dwells in, and what rivers of Peace and Joy water Obedience; how weak and foolish his heart was ⟨p. 341⟩in doing his own will, and how help and strength came upon him in doing Gods; he comes experimentally to know the Command to be of God, whose Presence gave him such comforts and assistances therein: The good hand of God upon him is a proof that the way is right; the Peace growing on his work shows the righteousness of it. When in Elijahs time the question was, whether God or Baal should be God, the fire coming down from Heaven on the Sacrifice made the People fall down and confess, The Lord he is the God, the Lord he is the God,