Doubting difcovers my Ignorance of myself, but not any Degree of Unbelief. The Promifes of God no where fay, that I am Sincere; and therefore I may doubt of my Sincerity, without doubting of the Promifes. But how many prefump:uous Sinners, in the High Road to Hell, confidently believe that they themselves are pardoned, and fhall be faved? $12. Often think what are the Excellencies of the Life of Faith. Think how reafonable it is to trust in God, and not in an Arm of Flefh; and how miferable the Soul muft be, when trying Times come, that cannot truft in God. Confider how divine All-fufficiency leaves not the leaft Reafon for Diftruft; and that no Witnefs can ever rife up against the Life of Faith, and teftify that he loft by trufting God, or that God ever deceived any. Efpecially confider, how the Life of Faith triumphs over every thing that would diftrefs the Soul, and is therefore a Life of conftant Peace and Quietness, even feaffing the Soul with everlafting Joys. Believers need not fear, tho' the Earth be removed, and tho' the Mountains be carried into the Midt of the Sca; tho' the Waters thereof roar, and he troubled; tho' the Mountains hake with the Swelling thereof (w).' What fmall Things are Riches or Poverty, Health or Sickness, good or evil Report, Profperity or Perfecution, if we believe that we fhall live with God for ever? And confequently how much better is it to live by Faith on God's Promifes, than by Senfe on Things of a tranfitory and perishing Nature?-Often renew your holy Covenant-Engagements. It is the appointed Way 6 (w) Pfalm xlvi. 2, 3. of of renewing the Exercife of Faith, by which Faith itfelf will be ftrengthened, and the Comfort of our Faith obtained. This is especially to be done at the Lord's. Table, the right ufe of which, is one of God's appointed Means for nourishing our Faith, as by the willful Neglect of it Faith must be ftarved. Keep all your own Promifes, both to God, and Man. Lyars always fufpect others. Guilt breeds Sufpicion. And juftly may God leave you to dif trust him, when you allow yourfelves in Unfaithfulness. You can never be confident in God, while you prove falfe, either to him, or to others. The End of the Commandment is Charity, out of a " pure Heart, and of a good Confcience, and of Faith unfeigned (x).' Labour to improve your Belief of every Promife, for the Increase of Holiness and Obedience. The more the Hypocrite feems to believe the Promifes, the more he ventures upon Sin, and difobeys the Precepts; because he is only reftrained from Sin by Fear, and his Fear is abated by his prefumptuous Belief. But the more a true Christian believes, the more he flies from Sin, ard ufes all appointed Means in Order to more exact Obedience. Thus having the Promifes he cleanfes himself from all Filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit, 'perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God (y).' The more the Soul refembles God, the more eafily it will believe and tuft in him. As Faith produc‹ s Holin.fs, fo every Branch of Holiness befriends Faith.-Get a judicious Collection of the Promifes, that your Faith may be the better affifted in the particular Ufe of them. There are excellent Books for this Pu: pofe. FS $13. (x) 1 Tim, i. 5. (y) 2 Cor. vii. 1. ༣། ། § 13. [III.] The Exercife of Faith on divine Threatnings, may be conducted by the following Rules. Be perfuaded that there are Gofpel Threatnings intended by Chrift for the Use of Believers. The Laws of Chrift muft have Penalties to inforce. them; and they that most believe them, will be moft tenderly impreffed by them. Chrift fays to his Difciples, Fear him, who is able to deftroy both Soul and Body in Hell (z).' And the Apoftle exhorts his Fellow-Saints, Let us fear, lest a Promise being left us of entering into his Reft, any of you fhould feem to come fhort of it (a).' Even justifying and faving Faith is much promoted by the Belief of God's Threatnings. For by Faith Noah, being warned of God of Things not seen as yet, moved with Fear, prepared an Ark to the faving of his House, by the which he condemned the World, and became Heir of the Righteoufnefs which is by Faith. He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be damned (b).- Confider the falutary Influence of divine Threatnings, to glorify God, and engage us to Obedience. We are ready to think hardly of God, when we read or hear of the dreadful Torments of Hell. But there is abundant Reafon why Faith fhould not only be reconciled to them, but even love and honour, as well as fear God, on Account of them. God warns us of them, to keep us from them. And tho' Love must be the chief spring of our Obedience, yet fuch is our Nature, that Fear muft drive us, as well (a) Heb, iv. I. (z) Mat. x. 28. as If as Love draw us. How important are divine Threatnings, to keep the World in fome tolerable Order, and at once demonftrate the Wifdom and Goodness, the Juftice and Holiness of the divine Government? any Man fhould ask, why will God make fo ter · rible a Law? and at the fame Time fhould declare, As terrible as it is, I will venture on it, rather than leave my fenfual Pleafures to engage in a Life of Holiness; fuch a one would contradict himfelf, by fhewing us that the Law is not terrible enough to drive him from his abominable Lufts. $14. Remember how Chrift himself verified divine Threatnings by his being a Sacrifice for Sin. He was manifefted to take away our Sins, and deftroy the Works of the Devil (c).' Now the firft and great Work of the Devil was, to reprefent God as a Lyar, and perfuade Eve not to believe God's Threatnings, and to tell her, that tho' fhe finned, ye fhall not furely die (d).' Indeed God fo far difpenfed with the Penalty, as to forgive Man the greatest Part of it, by laying it on the Redeemer, that his Crofs might openly confute the Tempter, and affure the World that God is juft, and that 'the Wages of Sin is Death, but the Gift of God is eternal Life, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord (e).' $15.Make Ufe of divine Threatnings to quicken you to Duty, and to frengthen you against Temptations. When a Temptation is fet before you, fet Hell against it, as well as Heaven; and fay, Can I take this Cup, gratify this Luft, grasp at this Preferment, together with Hell, instead of a Part in Heaven. If F 6 Men Men threaten Death, Imprifonment, or any other Penalty; remember that God threatens Hell, which is infinitely more to be dreaded, 'where their Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched (f). In Proportion as Love to God, and Hatred to Sin, prevail in you, you will no more need divine Threatnings, than an affectionate Wife needs to be forbid to abufe her Hu band. But the Degrees of divine Love are imperfect on Earth, and therefore all Men need to be quickened by the Fear of divine Threatnings. And thus the Law was not made for a righteous Man (g);' because he fears the Threatnings of it, and fo falls not under its Condemnation. § 16. Remember that all who profefs Chriftianity, have confented to Gospel-Threatnings. Every Chriflian profeffes to be governed by Chrift, and confequendly by his Laws; and by this Law in particular, He that believeth not, fhall be damned;" as well as by that, He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved.' Chrift requires your Confint to both thefe Laws, or to neither; and why will you embrace the Promife, and reject the Threatning, when they are fo closely united, and when you yourselves have folemnly confented to both? § 17. Obferve that all faving Faith contains in it a Belief Loth of Chrift's Threatnings and Promifes. Not that all Fear of divine Threatnings is faving Faith. But there are many ferious Chriftians, who believe and tremble at the Threatnings, and alfo truly believe the Promiles, and yet verily think that they |