The poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ. Wherein the main hindrances, which keep men…

Labour here (therefore) to have Access to the Promise, and to bring thy Soul unto it. Here speak a good Word for it, and say, Stand off Profits, and Pleasures, and Preferments; Room for the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Thus speak, and set a peerless most excellent Price upon the Promise: And be sure of this (for it is a sure Rule) Whatsoever the Soul doth account as best, that it will choose, and leave all others for it. Therefore if the Soul could once out-bid the World, and out-shoot the Devil in his own Bow, and put by all those Things which the Devil casts as Rubs ⟨p. 88⟩in it's Way of coming to the Promise; this Labour would be a Work of great Gain, and usher in the Promise it self. For Example, as thus: When thou seest thy Heart look after Friends; let those Friends usher the Way to think on the infinite Love and Favour of GOD in CHRIST, that Friend, as he calls himself: And when thy Heart would hunt after Wealth, let this usher a Way to the Promise, and say, If the Heart find such Content in Riches, what should it find in the Riches of GOD'S Grace in CHRIST! And thus present a greater Good from the Promise, than from any Thing else; and thou dealest safely and well for thy self. This for the first Rule.

2. The second Rule is; Labour to bring thy Heart to this, That all the Things in the World without the Promise, are nothing: And that if thou hadst all that the Earth can afford, and not the Promise, thou hast gotten but the Wind, or that which will rather be a Curse to thee than a Blessing: For, Faith is the Substance of Things hoped for, Heb. 11.1. It gives a Kind of Being and Subsistence to all. So that there is no Subsistence in Honour or Riches, if they subsist not by Faith; and without Faith they are Clogs and Snares to us, no Helpers: Except Faith give them their Denomination, and a Blessing therewith, they are poor and empty Things. Our Prayers, if they want Faith in the Promise, are Prayers ⟨p. 89⟩of no Substance; Words, and nothing else. On the other Side, the most broken and chattering Prayers of a poor Soul, when a poor Creature can scarce utter five Words with any Sense; yet these (how weak soever) mingled with Faith, are a very powerful Prayer. So all your Hearing, and my Preaching hangs upon Faith; otherwise they are but lost Labour, wanting that which gives a Kind of Being to whatsoever I speak, or you hear. This for the second Rule.