Page:Sermon preached on a preparation-day, before the sacrament of the Lord's-Supper, at Bruntisland, upon 2 Sam. vii. 20. Do as thou hast said.pdf/3

 IV. How it pleads the accompliſhment of the promiſe.

V. Whence is this the buſineſs of faith to take God at his word, and to put him to his word.

VI. Make application of the whole.

I. We are firſt to ſhew, That it is the buſineſs of faith to God's word, or to take him at his word: this is plain, becauſe the word is the immediate object of faith. We have no other glaſs wherein to ſee God ſavingly, but his word, particularly his word of grace and promiſe; "Say not who ſhall aſcend to heaven, that is, to bring Chriſt down from above; or who ſhall deſcend into the deep, that is, to bring up Chriſt again from the dead. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart: ſo then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Rom. x. 6, 7, 8. is a relative word, it relates to the faithfulneſs of the ſpeaker; believing relates to a word to be believed. That it is the buſineſs of faith to truſt in the word of God is evident from the whole ſcripture. How many times Pſal. cxix. doth the pſalmiſt ſpeak of truſting in his word, and hoping in his word and rejoicing in his word, and ſo taking him at his word?

II. We come in the next place, to ſhew, That it is the buſineſs of faith to put him to his word, or to plead the accompliſhment of his word, that would do as he had ſaid; this is evident from Pſal. cxix. 49. Remember the word unto thy ſervant,upon which thou haft cauſed me to hope. And how many times doth be plead with God, to do to him according to his word? Quicken me according to thy word, ver. 25. Again and again we have this repeated; as ver. 107, 154. "Strengthen me according to thy word, ver. 28. Save me,according to thy word, ver. 41. Be merciful to me, according to thy word, ver. 58. Deal well with thy ſervant, according to thy word, ver. 65. Let thy merciful kindneſs be my comfort, according to thy word, ver. 76. Give me underſtanding, according to thy word, ver. 169, Deliver me, according to thy word,” ver. 170.---All comes to this, Do as thou haſt ſaid.

III. We proceed now, to ſhew how, or in what manner faith takes the word nfof [sic] God.

1. It takes it by an intelligent apprehenſion of it in the underſtanding. The man is taught of God, and gets his eyes opened, to ſee the faithful ſaying, and worthy of all Rh