CHAP. X.

Again, Of Faith, the First part of the

Gate.

Eaft we fhould Terrify any from Attempting to Enter, When all our defign is to Whet the Minds, and Enflame the Defires of Chriftians all, to get into their most sweet and Happy Countrey; Let us make now another Experiment, To fhew that the Gate, which in one refpect, for the Eminence and Perfection of thefe Virtues, is fo Strait; Yet through the Omnipotence, the Fidelity and Mercy of the moft High and Gracious God, it may be found Open, and Eafy of Accefs, to fuch as in earneft do defire and endeavour to Enter.

And to begin with Faith. This (I grant,) teacheth us many such things to be Believ ed, as are above Senfe, and the Reafon of men; yea, peradventure, above the natural Capacity even of Angels. But when the fame Doctrine of Faith acquaints us withall, That in thofe things, we are to give Credit unto God that cannot Lye, And not to take 'em upon Trust, from Men or Angels; The Straits then begin to be Enlarged, and we fee a Paffage clear before

us.

us. Had Faith bid me Believe God to be Three and One, Becaufe aiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Peter, Paul, and John had faid fo. I should have been at a ftand; and durft not take fuch things above Reason, upon the bare Word of Men, like my felf. But when this Faith affures me, That God has Reveal'd these things; and the Prophets and Apoftles taught 'em from the Mind of God, and juft as they themfelves were Taught by Him; and did not Preach their Own, but his Word: My Heart then is prefently Enlarged, and prepar'd firmly to Believe it.

Now, that it was God himself, who spake by the Prophets and Apoftles, He has by fo many Signs and Wonders made Evident, that there's no Room left for any juft Unbelief. The great Salvation which at first began to be Spoken by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that beard him: God alfo bearing them Witnefs, both by Signs and Wonders, and with divers Miracles, and Gifts of the holy Ghoft. Heb. 2. 4. And then what God fpeaks, who will call in queflion? Could he Lye, he would not be God.

But the things propos'd to our Faith, are above Reason? What then? They are not above the Power and Wifdom of God. He is greater than our Heart, and knoweth all things. 1 John 3. 20. He can do what we cannot Understand. His Effence is more

GS

Subs

Sublime, than we are able to Conceive. And of what belongs to Him, we must not take upon us to Determine, any further than he is pleafed to Inform us. But if an Unlettered man will easily Believe Philofophers and Aftronomers,in many things, concerning the Distance and Magnitude of the Sun and Stars, which feem utterly Incredible, according to vulgar Senfe and apprehenfion :

A Peafant may Believe as much

As a great Clark, and reach the highest Stature:
Thus doft thou make proud Knowledge bend and crouch,
While Grace fills up uneven Nature.

That which before was dark'ned clean
With bushy Groves, pricking the Lookers eye,
Vanish'd away, when Faith did change the Scene,
And then appear'd a glorious Sky.

Then burn thy Epicycles, foolish man,
Break all thy Spheres, and fave thy head:
Faith needs no ftaff of Flesh, but foutly can
To Heav'n alone both go and Lead.

Herb.

Why fhould not men much rather Believe God himself, in what he is pleas'd to Reveal and tell us concerning himself, and • those things of God, which no Man knows, but the Spirit of God? I Cor. 2. 11. When his Wifdom and Power fo infinitely exceeds the little Spark of Reafon, wherewith he has endowed us :

II.

They

They who will but well confider this, fhall not be preft with any Straits, in Believing any of thofe things, which are. propos'd to our Faith, upon the fupreme Authority of his own Word.

CHA P. XI.

Again, Of Hope, the Second part of the

T

Gate.

HE fame may be faid alfo of Hope. For if we fhould affirm, That the things which we Hope for in the Life to come, were to be Expected from Men, we might be deservedly cenfured and rejected, for Vain, and Impoftors: Becaufe Men may. Deceive us; and fuch Glorious things,they can never Give us. But here, the Hope: upon which we build our All, is from that God who is very Goodness, and Truth :. And neither can Deceive, nor be Deceiv.. ed. Nor is there any thing Impoffible with. him, who is Omnipotent.

Tho' the Rustic then might juftly defpife the Offer of Solomon's Wifdom, or Alexan-der's Power, when made by a Weak and fallible Man: Yet when God does make the: Promife of his Heavenly Kingdom, why fhall not the Chriftian Hope for it? and:

when:

when fatisfy'd as to his Power, Do we want fome Pledges of his Good Will? Behold then the Types. Did he not Lead his People through the Red Sea, as upon dry Land? Did he not Rain down Manna out of Heaven; Command Water to gufh out of a Rock; Bring 'em by the hand of Joshua, through all manner of Oppofition, into the Land which he had Promised?

And what will he not Give unto them, from whom he hath not withheld his only Son? What further can we Expect, at his hands, which is not Exceeded by such a Largefs, which (without our Seeking or Hoping,) he has already bestowed upon us? If he gave to Sinners, yea and Enemies, the Death of his Son, Will he not give to the Juftified, and fuch as he has made his Friends, (give to them) the Life of his Son? Nor does he count this enough, but has added also his holy Spirit, as a further Earneft of the Inheritance; to cry in our Heart, Abba, Father; and to Witnefs with our Spirits, that we are his Children, and alfo Heirs of his Kingdom. Rom. 8. 16, 17.

If then the Greatness of the things Promifed overcharge our Hope, Yet can it not Exceed the Power of him that hath Promifed; which being Infinite, may easily Erect our Hope, without Hefitation, to Seize the promised Inheritance; which

God