new us thereby and hath promised, that whosoever comes unto him, he will in no wise cast out, Mat. xi. 28. And all that come unto him, shall find rest to their souls. That whosoever believeth in him, shall be saved; that he will keep them, and none shall pluck them out of his hand. That he will raise them up at the last day, John x. 28. Assuring us, that he is gone to Heaven, as our forerunner, to prepare a place for us there, and that he will come again, and take us to himself, that where he is, we may be also. Now, if we can but act faith on this Jesus, and on the covenant, whereof he is the mediator, and on his promises, applying them, and relying on them, our hearts shall not be troubled.

Besides let us consider, there is not a passage of providence from God to us, but it comes through the hand of this mediator. 1 Cor. viii. 6. All things are by him: Put what you will in the hand of a mediator, and in his power, it must needs turn to the good of him, for whom he is a mediator. Now to support and comfort us in all our troubles, let us consider two things :

1. This mediator steps in between God's wrath, and us, in all our afflictions; that no fury, or effects of it, may break forth from God on his people, for whom he is the meditaor, that nothing but fatherly love may be in the chastisement, and if love send the affliction, whatever it be, to try and purge, &c. there can be no hurt in that affliction. Again, our mediator interposeth, either to hold off the smart, or to allay and mitigate it, that it shall not distract, Dun. iii. 25. no, nor hurt.

2. He steps in to uphold us, and to strengthen our weakness enabling us to endure. Phil. iv.

4, 12, 13. It was the Mediator that did strengthen Paul; The Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, said he: Faith acted on this blessed Mediator, eyeing him, and believing that our afflictions come through his hands, even his who loved us, and died for us, our dearest friend, and who hath all power in heaven and earth, must be a mighty support to us in all our troubles.

Fourthly; Let faith be acted on the word of Christ also; Ye believe the word of God, believe the word of Christ also; his mouth is most sweet; none but gracious words proceed out of his mouth. Grace was poured into his lips; Psal. xlv. 2. and he poured out grace in all his words; His whole gospel is a gospel of grace, words of peace and salvation. Hear him speaking most sweetly, Mat. xi. 28. Come unto me, all that

are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. O what sweet words are these! Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters and drink, without money and without price, Isa. lv. 1, 2. I am theway, the truth, and the life, John xiv. 6. Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me, Rev. iii. 18. This is but a taste of those sweet clusters of most refreshing grapes which hang upon the boughs of the gospel; let us take frequent view of what lies upon record in the evangelists, and often read over the manifold promises of grace that fell from the sweet mouth of our blessed Lord, and meditate, and ponder, and consider of them, and act our faith npon them, and we shall find comfort in them; his words drop as an honey comb; his words are spirit and life. More particularly,

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First; Our faith must be acted upon Clirist's word of precept, his word of command in time of trouble Fear not him that can kill the body, but him that can cast both soul and body into hell, Luke xii. 4, 32. Fear none of those things which thou shall suffer. Let not your hearts be troubled, nor let it be afraid. Rejoice when men shall persecute you, &c. Luke xxi. 19. In patience posses ye your souls: with many such. Now christians must yield up the obedience of faith to such commands, and urge them upon their hearts, charging themselves to obey them, saying, O my soul, my Lord hath forbidden me to fear, to be troubled, to be thoughtful, to be dejected, &c. he hath commanded me to be patient yea, to rejoice in my suffering: He is my Lord, and I must obey him, I must keep his commandments, else I cannot love him; I must keep his sayings, or else I cannot be his dici ple; if I keep his commandments, he will manifest himself to my soul, his father will love me, and he will love me, and they both will make their abode with me: for it is his promise, John xiv. 21, 23. Say thus, O my soul, Jesus Christ is my king and law-giver, I must obey him; he is my prophet also, and I must hear him in all things whatsoever he shall say unto me. I have taken him for my Lord as well as for my saviour; my king to rule me, as well as for my Jesus to save me; for my prophet to teach me, as well as for my priest to satisfy for me. O my soul, consider he is the author of eternal salvation only to those that obey him. Thus applying the commands of Christ to ourselves, and urging his authority upon our hearts, it will help us to bear up under our troubles.

2dly. Act faith upon the promises of Christ, of which somewhat was said before. He hath promised to be always with us, to send the comforter, to manifest himself unto us, that he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoaking flax, Mat. xix. 29. That he will

give us an hundred-fold for all our losses for his sake. That he will gather us with his arm, carry us in his bosom; that he will hear our prayers, that he will give us a crown, a kingdom, everlasting, life, with many more. O, could we act our faith upon these precious promises, and lie sucking by faith on those full breasts of consolation, and draw by faith, prayer, and meditation, from these wills of salvation, we should find sweet support under all our troubles.

3dly. Faith acted on the word of threatening, may put a stop to heart-trouble: Jesus Christ hath dreadfully threatened those that love father or mother, son or daughter, more than him, or their own lives and those that are ashamed of him, or his word, and those that fall from him, and those that hear his sayings, and do them not and those that are fruitless branches, &c. Mat. x. 37. Luke xiv. 26. Mark viii. last, Joh. xv. 3.

Faith acted on the examples in the word of Christ, especially his own example, learn of me, saith he, I am meek and lowly in heart, Mat. xi. 29. He was as a lamb dumb before the shearers, 1 Pet. i. 21. and we must follow his steps. We have also a cloud of witnesses, the examples of the primitive Christians, who bore all their troubles with patience, and holy courage: and we are expressly commanded to be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the pro

mise, Heb. vi. 12. Thus faith acted on the word of Christ, will help against all heart-trouble.

Fifthly; Faith acted on the work of Christ, will either prevent or cure heart-trouble. And that again, if faith be acted upon the work he hath done for us already, and upon the work he his now doing for us, in heaven, and upon the work he is now doing in us on earth, and upon the work he will do for us, and in us, and upon us at the last day. All which works of Christ, if we act our faith on them, we shall not be much troubled in our hearts. Believe also in Christ; Believe me (saith he) for the work's sake, John xiv. 11.

1. Faith must be acted upon that great and glorious work of Christ for us when he was upon earth, that work which his father gave him to do in the days of his flesh, as our Redeemer, and that in doing aud in suffering; for he came to do the will of God by his obedience, as well as to suffer it by his satisfaction and this is his state of humiliation. He assumed humane nature, entered the virgin's womb, was born here, yet without sin. He lived on earth a time, doing good, and healing all manner of diseases; spent most of his time in preaching, praying, fasting, and reveiling to men the whole will of God for their salvation, and fulfilling all righteousness. He professed he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him, John vi. 38, 39. And, saith he, this is the father's will which sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. A comfortable consideration indeed, and a cure for our hearttrouble That our Lord Jesus will raise up all our dead, dear relations and friends, now rotting in their graves: All that died in Jesus

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