THE ARRAIGNMENT OF UNBELIEF, AS The Grand Cause of Our Nationall Nonestablishment: Cleared in a SERMON to the Honourable House of Commons in PARLIAMENT, at Margaret's Westminster, upon the 28th. of May, 1645. being the Day of their Public Fast.  
By JOSEPH CARYL, late Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolns-inn, now Pastor at Magnus near the Bridge, London.  PSAL. 78. Ver. 32, 33. 
For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.  
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.  
LONDON, Printed by G. Miller for Giles Calvert, at the Black-spread-Eagle at the West end of Paul's, M. DC. XLV.   

May 28ᵒ. 1645.  
ORdered by the Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT, that Sir Robert Harley and Sir Peter Wentworth do from this House give thanks to M. Caryl and M. Ford, for the great pains they took in the Sermons they preached this day at the entreaty of this House at St. Margaret's Westminster (it being the day of Public humiliation) and to desire them to Print their Sermons; And they are to have the like privilege in printing of them, as others in the like kind usually have had.  
H. Elsing, Cler. Parl. D. Com.   

August 5. 1645.  
I appoint Giles Calvert to print this Sermon.  
Joseph Caryl.   

TO THE Honourable the House of Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
WHen I was called by your voice to prepare this Sermon, your affairs were much unsettled, and so were the hearts of most about them. This (besides the everlasting usefulness of the subject) was one special motive leading me to this Text and these Meditations; It hath pleased God, since that, to shine very graciously upon your Counsels, and to prosper Those Heroes who act abroad by your Orders and Authority, with amazing successes: which raise this hope, that God instead of punishing, is healing our unbelief; as also that (possibly) this Sermon hath had (through his blessing) a hand in helping on the cure. When the woman touched Christ by faith, he quickly perceived that virtue was gone out of him: while we cannot but perceive that much virtue is gone out from Christ, in giving our late Victories; may we not conclude, that some body hath touched him? Faith may justly be surnamed Long-hand, it can reach to Heaven. And one battle won by the hand of faith reaching Heaven, is more glorious than a thousand by an earthly naked sword. We read (Num. 21. 14.) of an ancient record (of which there are now no remains but that mention) whose Title-page, is, The Book of the wars of the Lord. And why the wars of the Lord? Surely, because the Lord engaged for his people in those wars. What ever else may, the actings of holy faith will engage the Lord. Act faith, and then the records of these times (on your side) shall bear thus to all posterity, The Book of the wars and counsels of the Lord. If these words preached have had, or printed, shall yet give any advantage toward such a Title of your Acts and Monuments, in the great work of our Nationall establishment, you have the desires and ends, which lie next to the glory of God, in the heart of,  
Sirs, Your humble servant in the work of the Lord, Joseph Caryl.   

Erratum. pag. 38. lin. 15. for proofs read reproofs.   

A SERMON PREACHED To the Honourable House of COMMONS at Westminster, upon the 28th day of May, 1645. the day of their solemn monthly Fast.  ISA. 7. 9 the latter part of the verse. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. 
AT the beginning of this Chapter we read a war prepared, and a strong confederacy entered against Judah and Jerusalem: It was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim, ver. 2. It is worth our consideration, who were joined in confederacy, and against whom; Syria and Ephraim, are confederate against Judah. The Syrians were professed enemies to the Jews, they had no civil relation to them, and their religion was at furthest distance: but Ephraim was near to Judah, both in religion and civil relation; and yet Syria and Ephraim (that is, the revolted ten Tribes) join together, and mingle their forces and counsels to invade Judah, who held forth the true worship of God. Whence note,  
That mongrel corrupt professors of true religion, will join with open enemies, against those who are zealous and faithful professors of true religion. We see at this day Syria confederate with Ephraim, lose libertine Protestants mixed with Papists, against those who are close-covenanting, and close-walking Protestants. And there is a clear reason for it; corrupt hearts seek their own ease, and therefore will easier join with those who are more lose, then with those who are more strict than themselves: Ascents and improvements in holiness pinch corruption; nature had rather go backward, then come onne in religion, and thinks we have gone beyond all reproof, if we keep pace with our forefathers, and tread in their steps.  
Syria is confederate with Ephraim.  
This report being brought to Ahaz the King of judah, his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. We are ready to imitate, as the sinful actions, so the passions of Princes; when Magistrates and Leaders are afraid, the people seldom take courage. His heart was moved, and the heart of his people: All judah shakes from head to foot, they shake within as well as without, their hearts were moved. The heart (as Astronomers tell us of the highest sphere,) is the primum mobile, the first mover, whose motion turns all the spheres of this lesser world (man) If the heart be moved with fear, all the members of the body move with fear; if the heart be moved with joy, all the members of the body move with joy: This moved-heart is opposed to a fixed-heart (Psal. 112. 7.) his heart is fixed. The heart is like quicksilver, if you can fix that, you have fixed all; if that flee, all flees.  
His heart was moved, and the heart of his people.  
When they were in this fit and fever of fear, shaking at the very heart, behold the goodness of God (ver. 3d.) Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, and say unto him; Take heed, and be quiet, fear not. Two things I will note from this, in passage.  
First, That God is acquainted, not only with our outward distractions and troubles, but with our inward fears and perturbations. He knows the stir of every heart: if your hearts do but pant at any danger, the Lord observes it. And then.  
Secondly, That as soon as the Lord sees a wound in the spirits of his people, he presently provides a Physician, and sends a plaster. As soon as ever it was said, their hearts were moved, God raiseth up his Prophet, and puts a healing reviving word in his mouth to strengthen and settle them again: Go forth now to meet Ahaz, and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet, fear not, etc.  
As the Lord gives them counsel not to fear, so he shows them reason why they should not. First, from the persons who appeared so dreadful, ver. 4. They are but two tails of smoking firebrands. As if he had said, You look upon these men as a devouring fire, or unquenchable flames; but I assure you they do but smoke, and they are but brands, and they are but tails of brands, they have almost consumed themselves; they are but brands ends, and they are smoking rather then burning. As that phrase in the Gospel, smoking flax, notes the lowest degree of grace which Jesus Christ will not quench or put out: so here, smoking firebrands, note the least degree of remaining power, or malice almost spent and going out, not in regard of desires, but abilities to do mischief.  
Again, As the Lord shows their power, so near extinct that they could do no great hurt; so he declares his own will that they should not, vers. 7. For thus saith the Lord, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. there's no reason we should run for fear, when we are assured the counsels of our enemies shall not stand: They are confederate, but they shall be broken: they have taken counsel, but it shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. The counsels of men stand or fall at the pleasure of God. The opposition of all creatures cannot hinder one of his counsels, and all their endeavours cannot produce one of their own. Though a conclave of Achitophel's (every one an Oracle) should lay a design, yet it is at the will of God whether it shall succeed. The policy of man is no match for God: thus saith the Lord, it shall not stand. Not stand! why? who is able to throw it down? by whose hand shall it fall? Syria and Ephraim are mighty in power, as well as deep in policy, shall their counsels be made void? The Prophet Amos knowing the weakness of jacob, questions (chap. 7. 2.) By whom shall Jacob arise, for he is small? And the Prophet Isaiah, knowing the strength of Syria and Ephraim, might question, By whom shall these fall, for they are great? Yes, saith God, I assure you how great so ever they are, they shall not stand; I can reckon up the greatest of their strength, and the top of their confederacies, The head of Syria (that is, the chief power and strength of Syria) is Damascus (the mother City) and the head of Damascus is Rezin (the King of Syria) and in threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people; And the head of Ephraim is Samaria (I can tell you likewise what strength Ephraim hath, and who is the strongest person there) The head of Samaria is Remaliahs' son: I can soon cast up all the power of your enemies, I can go to the very head of it, it is but Damascus, and Rezin, and Samaria, and Remaliahs' son, this is the outside of their strength. We may quickly see an end of all worldly perfections, both in power and policy. Now, that which is secretly implied and couched in this contemptuous account of Ephraim's and Syrias strength, is, that judah had such a head, as they were not able to reach, such forces as they were not able to tell over, much less to triumph over. It is as if he had said, You see the head of Syria, and the head of Ephraim, but the head of judah is jerusalem, and the head of jerusalem is Jesus Christ: Who is able to reach the head of judah, which is Jerusalem, while that hath Jesus Christ for the head of it? who is Rezin, or Remaliahs' son, put into the balance with Jesus Christ?  
The Prophet having brought them this message, not to fear, and strengthened it with these reasons, concludes all with an Epiphonema, in the words of the text, If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established: As if he had said, I have brought you as good news as you can desire, should the Lord have sent you down a blank from Heaven, and bid you write the wishes of your own hearts in this condition, and engaged his own faithfulness and all-sufficiency to perform them, what could you have requested that I have not offered? could you frame any more suitable mercies, as your case stands, than these? that your enemies shall fall, that their counsels shall not stand, that their projects shall not come to pass? yet let me tell you, ye may obstruct these blessings, and deprive yourselves of this promised deliverance; your unbelief may weaken the arm of your salvation, and re-enkindle these smoking brands into a consuming flame; your unbelief may shake your kingdom, more than your fears have hitherto shaked your hearts, If ye believe not, surely ye shall not be established.  
The words are diversely read: The margin of our Bibles gives them thus out of the Hebrew; Do ye not believe? it is, because ye are not stable: As if he should say; What! after the report of these gracious promises, do ye persist in your fear still? are you yet in your trembling fit? ye are unbelieving sure, and therefore ye are unstable. An unbelieving heart, must needs be (when put to it) a trembling heart.  
The Septuagint give us another sense; If ye believe not, ye shall not understand: according to which translation, the text is often cited by the Ancients, to prove that the jews did not therefore understand the Scripture, because they did not believe: faith is the light, as well as the strength of the soul; and they who are shut up in unblief, are usually shut up in ignorance: Our reading suits the Prophet's message, and bears fair with the Grammatical construction of the text, If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established: though ye have heard of much good, you shall not taste a drop of it; though God hath infinite strength for you, yet he will not put forth the least of it, except ye believe. There is an elegant Paronomasia 
●●●phil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cr●d●d●●, fi●it, in n●phal, tabile, statum esse. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  in the Original: That word which in the active Conjugation signifies to believe, signifies to be established in the passive.  
If ye believe not.] Unbelief is of two sorts; either, first, an impotency or inability to believe; or secondly, a crookedness or perverseness of disposition against the means of believing: understand this text of the latter. Again, unbelief may be taken either in general, in reference to the whole revealed will of God; or secondly, in particular, in reference to some special manifestation of it. The Jews, to whom the Prophet here speaks, were all believers in the former notion, but many of them proved unbelievers in the latter; even as on the other hand, the Ninevites, who were unbelievers, in respect of the general word, proved believers, in regard of that special revelation by the Prophet jonah.  
Surely ye shall not be established:] That is, ye, in your politic capacity, as a Kingdom and Commonwealth, shall not be established.  
Two points arise from the words; the first I shall but touch in general: take it thus;  
Promises of mercy from God include man's duty,  
Acts of spiritual duty, and acts of corporal and civil duty. Deliverance and establishment are promised to King Ahaz and his people; but they cannot enjoy either, except they believe. The Lord made glorious promises for the restauration of Israel, and concludes them all with this asseveration, I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it (Ezek. 36. 36.) nevertheless he adds (ver. 37.) Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet, for this, be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. What the Lord will do, we must believe he will do, and we must pray that he would do it: These are acts of spiritual duty. And these are not all, when the Lord promises, we must not only set our hearts a-work to believe and pray, but we must set our hands a-work, to labour and do.  
While jacob was travelling to Padan-aram, the Lord appears to him in a vision at Bethel, and thus encourages him: Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, till, I have done all that I have spoken to thee of, Gen. 28. 15. And when upon the discourteous usage of his uncle Laban, he meditated a departure from him; the Lord gives him his Passport (ch. 31. 2) Return unto the land of thy fathers, and I will be with thee. How might jacob at the appearance of any danger have pleaded these promises, and rested under the shadow of them for protection? Lord, I have thy word, surer than the foundations of Heaven and earth, for my safety; unless thy truth, or thy power fail, I cannot miscarry; let Esau threaten and muster all his forces against me, let earth and hell enter league and associate themselves against me; here I sit under the banner of those gracious promises which thou hast displayed over me; I will not trouble myself, Lord, thou standest charged to keep me from all annoyance. But doth jacob make this use of the promise? Nothing less. He believes, but he is not careless; he trusts in God, but he neglects not himself; though God had said, I will keep thee whither soever thou goest, yet he labours to keep himself; read, how upon the approach of his bloody brother, he sends presents to appease him, how he divides his flocks and family, to make resistance or escape him. That of Paul (Acts 27.) is eminent to this purpose; where, with his weatherbeaten companions in that voyage, having been in great stress at sea, he steps forth (ver. 22.) to revive their fainting spirits, with a comfortable message; Be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life amongst you, but of the ship; For there stood by me this night the Angel of the Lord, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying; Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar; and lo, God hath given thee all those that sail with thee. Paul's faith closes fully with this promise (ver. 25.) I believe God, that it shall be even as he hath told me: Yet at the 31 verse, when the ship-men, under colour of casting out Anchors, were about to escape in the cockboat, Paul saith to the Centurion and the Soldiers, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved; Not saved, Paul! where then is the word and promise of thy God, upon which thou didst even now so confidently pronounce safety to us all? If we run out of the way of God, we run out of the word of God: To rely upon the word, and then go out of the way of God, is not faith, but presumption: Providence will not serve our negligence, neither will the promise keep us, except we keep the condition of the promise: If ye believe not, surely ye shall not be established. Observe secondly;  
Without believing there is no establishing: Unbelief is a bar in the way of promised blessings.  
I (saith the Prophet) have made you large promises, but take heed ye do not straiten the hand of God, in giving out the mercy promised. As faith stops the severest threaten of destruction, so unbelief stops the sweetest promises of deliverance. Jonah prophesies (chap. 3. 4.) Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown; but the faith of Nineveh overthrew that prophecy; the City stood, and the prophecy fell; Why? The people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, etc. ver. 5. What faith can do to a prophecy of judgement, the same can unbelief to a promise of mercy, overthrew it.  
The Psalmist assigns this to the unbelief of the works of God, as well as of his word (Psal. 78. 32, 33.) They believed not his wondrous works, therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. But are not the days of all men consumed in vanity? Is not man at his best estate altogether vanity? Yes: but here was a special vanity, and somewhat more poenall and judicial lay upon that generation, for their unbelief, then lies upon mankind, as the fruit of sin in general. And what was that? even the evil threatened in the text; they could not be established: God lets them wander forty years in a wilderness, up and down, forward and backward, now in hope, anon in fear; now in joy, anon in sorrow; now a success, by and by a disappointment. They looked for Canaan, but to Canaan they could not come; they looked for a settled condition, but God kept them upon uncertainties; they went toiling about the wilderness to seek a passage out, yet most of them found none, but at the door of the grave: this was the spending of their years in vanity; and they spent them thus, because of their unbelief. The land of Canaan was so much promised to the Israelites, that it was called the land of promise, yet unbelief kept them out forty years. The Apostle is as plain (Heb. 3. 19) So we see, they could not enter in, because of unbelief: Their unbelief built a wall between them and Canaan; it locked up the passages so fast, that they could not enter in. And as it blocked up the way against the unbelieving Israelites, so against Moses, the Captain and conductor of Israel: he must deliver up his leading-staff, and resign his Commission to his servant joshua, he must die on this side jordan: The reason is given (Numb. 20. 12.) And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Because ye believe me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel; therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the land which I have given them.  
The Prophet jeremiah (chap. 17. 5.) pronounceth a curse upon the man, that trusteth upon man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. The Apostle expounds whose heart that is (Heb. 3. 12.) Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. An unbelieving heart, is an heart departing from the living God. The antithesis in the Prophet (ver. 7.) confirms that exposition; Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. Hope and trust are the contraries to unbelief. But what is the portion of this unbelieving heart? No good I warrant you. The sixth verse assures us so, He shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh. As unbelief locks sin upon our souls, sorrows and judgements upon our bodies, so it locks our souls out of eternal, and our bodies out of temporal salvation. An unbeliever shall not see when good cometh, that is, he shall not taste or enjoy good when it cometh. So Elisha told that unbelieving Lord, when in the name of the Lord he had promised plenty in Samaria; Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof, 2 King. 7. 2.  
That text of the Apostle carries a show of opposition against this truth. Rom. 11. 32. God (saith he) hath concluded them all (sc. Jews and Gentiles) in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all: It seems then that mercy rather comes in then is shut out by unbelief. God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all, as if God intended to make his advantage and opportunity of showing mercy to that people, by finding them in an unbelieving condition.  
I answer; There is a twofold mercy; First, the mercy of vocation; Secondly, the mercy of salvation; when the Apostle saith, that God concluded or shut them all up in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon them all, he means it of the mercy of vocation: The Gentiles in their time, were all unbelievers, than God called them; and the Jews at this time are unbelievers, they deny obedience to the Gospel, yet God will call them again; the calling of the Jews hereafter (as heretofore the calling of the Gentiles) shall be of free grace; there was no preparation in the one, there shall be none in the other, to move God to call them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. God calls us to faith, when we have no faith: He calls to believe, while we are in unbelief: The mercy of vocation prevents faith; God doth not call men because they are believers, or because they have faith, but he calleth them to believe, he calleth them unto faith. So the Apostle arguing about that great mercy of justification (Rom. 3. 19) shows how the Lord stops every mouth, and makes all the world become guilty before him. God doth not justify any person because he is guiltless or holy; but that he may be guiltless and holy: He doth not justify any man because he is free from sin, but that he may be free from sin. Thus the mercy of vocation prevents our faith, and the mercy of justification prevents our righteousness and obedience: God justifies the ungodly. But in giving the mercy of salvation, whether it be temporal or eternal salvation, God looks upon a people or a person believing; and therefore makes promises for faith to act upon, that we may be saved, that we may be established.  
A second objection rises against this point, from that speech of Christ, in the close of the Parable of the unjust Judge and the importunate Widow, where assuring his elect who cry unto him night and day, that he will avenge them speedily, he adds, Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? that is, he shall not find faith on the earth: and yet then he comes upon a gracious design, the deliverance of his elect; It seems then that unbelief or want of faith, doth not hinder mercy, for this great mercy shall be given in, when faith shall not be found to believe it: See here a plentiful harvest of comfort, and yet at the same time a dearth of faith; none to be found upon the earth.  
I answer, first, The words import only a great declining of faith in those times, not a total decay of it.  
Secondly, The intent of those words is not to bring unbelief into any credit, but only to support and cherish the faith of some few, in the appearing of much unbelief and despondency in others: For in hard times we hear frequently such complaints as these: Do ye not see, how the hearts of men fail, how their spirits are down, how they give up all for lost? Faith was never so low as now, and therefore surely we must shortly be lower than we are; this prevailing reign of unbelief among us, is a sad argument that evils shall reign over us too: thus the heart misgives.  
To relieve such, our Lord Christ saith, Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth? As if he had said, though all aught to increase and strengthen faith in darkest times, both in themselves and others, yet let no man despair, because some, or many do not believe: for as their unbelief shall not make the faith (that is, the faithfulness or faith-word) of God without effect (Rom. 3. 3.) so neither shall it make the faith of other men without effect. Yea, in this sense, the less faith, the more hope. When you see the spirits of most drooping, their flesh trembling, and their hands hanging down; This looks most like the time wherein Christ will come to avenge his elect, and do great things. And those Saints, in whom faith bears up its head in such times, may use the general unbelief of their brethren, as a strong advantage for their own faith; and representing it to God in prayer, may plead thus, Lord, faith fails exceedingly, very few of thy oppressed people do, or can be persuaded to believe that thou wilt help them; why, therefore Lord hasten in help now, come to our succour; Is not this the day of thy coming? for thou shalt scarce find faith on the earth to believe thou wilt come.  
Thirdly, Though Christ will come at last to relieve his people, when little faith is to be found among them, yet it shall be best with those in whom he finds most faith: and woe to those who neglect the raising of their faith, because they hear Christ will come when faith is down. The freeness of his grace, in helping an unbelieving generation, will be no excuse, but a reproof of their unbelief. Our duty to believe is not the less, because his goodness to those who believe not, is so great: yea, they who (to put themselves into a posture for deliverance) cast away their faith, are clothed with presumption: And though Christ may establish those who, through weakness or want of faith, cannot believe, yet surely they shall never be established, who, through boldness with, or wantonness upon his grace, strive not to give him glory in believing.  
To clear which, I shall now proceed to give you some demonstrations of this point, why unbelief is the bar and stop of blessings. This appears;  
First, From the greatness of the sin of unbelief; Every sin, in the nature of it, is a bar in the way of mercy, jer. 5. 25. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. But unbelief is a huge mountain, and when once we have removed the mountain of unbelief, all other mountains will quickly become plains and valleys before us. Unbelief is a sin of a very high stature; a sin of the first magnitude; it is a spiritual wickedness, and therefore a great wickedness. There is much dispute among the learned, whether unbelief were not the first sin, that which opened the door to let in every sin? I believe we shall not wrong unbelief, in giving it precedency, or in affirming, that as unbelief now shuts the door, and keeps out mercy; so unbelief opened the door, to let in misery upon the world: it was faith, respecting the threatening of God, which the Devil laid his first siege against, and against which he first prevailed: Man had never eaten the forbidden fruit, had he believed death was in the morsel. Hence unbelief is called a provocation: To be provoked, is more than to be displeased: Provocation notes the highest act of displeasure, and therefore that sin which is a provocation, is one of the highest sins. A day of unbelief is a day of provocation, Heb. 3. 8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of tentation in the wilderness. Now what was the provocation of that day? or by what did the people provoke God at that time? Was it the making of a molten Calf, and falling down before it? Was it the joining themselves unto Baal-Peor, and eating the offerings of the dead? Was adultery or unclenenesse acted in the day of that provocation? All these are provoking sins, yet none of these denominated that day, a day of provocation; unbelief gave the name to that day: For the Israelites provoked God at the red sea (Psal. 106. 7.) and that was before they made their idol calf to worship it, and before they fell into those bodily abominations and defiled themselves; their fear and murmur storied (Exod. 14.) were but the overflowings of their unbelief, and these provoked God at the red sea.  
Again, The greatness of the sin appears, from the many provisions which God hath made against it. God hath even studied the prevention, or the cure of this sin: He hath appointed faith, many helps, much assistance, he hath prepared many antidotes against, many remedies for unbelief. Now look how much the more provision God makes to keep us off, or pull us out of any sin, by so much the greater is that sin, if we fall into, or continue in it. When God gives many charges against a sin, and sets many bars in the way to stop us from it, and yet we break thorough all, this mightily aggravates a sin, and makes it out of measure sinful. For the cure of unbelief, we have not only the Word of God; but secondly, the Promise of God; and thirdly, the Covenant of God; and fourthly, the Oath of God; fifthly, all elder and later experiences, the mighty works which God hath done, the signs which he hath given, the wonders and miracles which he hath wrought. Hence, after Christ had preached and done many wondrous works among his countrymen, it is said, Mark. 6. 6. that he marvelled at the unbelief of the jews: unbelief is a marvellous sin, and, which makes it most marvellous, Christ marvelled at it. We read not that Christ marvelled at any other sin of that generation; he marvelled not at their adulteries, or oaths, or hypocrisy, etc. why then doth he marvel at their unbelief? Not because it is a sin above, or besides the nature of man, nor because it was a rare sin, a sin he had not seen before (Unbelief is as level to our sinful nature, and as daily acted, as any sin whatsoever) The reason then of this marvel, was, the strange course which those men ran, and all do, in acting their unbelief: They overrun and slight the word of God, the promise of God, the Covenant of God, the Oath of God, all the works, the wonders, marvels and miracles of God; is not this a marvellous sin which breaks thorough all these? Lastly, Unbelief is a very great sin, for, it is the mother of most sins, and the sweetner of every sin; many sins had never seen the light, and all sin would be gall and wormwood, bitterness in the acting, did man believe it would be (as it will be) bitterness in the end: Unbelief gilds over that poisonous pill, and wraps it up in sugar, and so man takes it down as a sweet bit, as pleasant bread, with death, and hell and all.  
If then a great sin be a bar to blessings, unbelief must; which was in order the first sin, which is in kind a spiritual sin, in degree one of the greatest sins, a provoking sin, a marvellous sin, a mother sin, a promoter of sin.  
Secondly, Unbelief is a stop in the way of blessing and establishment, because it diverts us from the fountain of blessings, from him who only can establish, from him who bears up the pillars of Kingdoms when they shake and totter: If not, then, where and who is he? (Job 9 24.) show me the creature, man or Angel, that can do these things. The Apostle describes unbelief to be a departure from God (Heb. 3. 12.) That which carrieth us away from the fountain, carries us from the waters: that which carrieth us from the Sun, must needs carry us from the light. If then unbelief carry us away from God, who is our fountain, who is our Sun, who is all good, and who hath all good, how, or where, or by whom shall we be either comforted or established? Is it possible to gain by deserting him, who is our treasure? upon what coasts shall we trade to fraught our vessels, when we have loosed and set sail from Heaven? As that Disciple said unto Christ, Joh. 6. 68 when he questioned them, Will ye also go away? Go away, saith Peter; Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life: Where shall we mend ourselves? where shall we have life, if we go from thee, who hast the words of eternal life? So may we say, to whom shall we go, when a dying distressed Kingdom lies upon our hands? where shall we get help, or strength, or deliverance, if we depart from God, the living God, the God who gives and preserves the life both of persons and nations?  
Thirdly, The stability of a people is founded upon promises, but unbelief attempts to shake the promises, and more, to make them of none effect. Though we have precious promises, laden and enriched with blessings, yet we can do nothing with them, nor make any earnings out of them, except we set faith to work upon them: Nothing can fetch out the sweetness of a promise, but faith; nothing can suck those breasts, or draw water out of those wells of salvation, but faith; faith makes a living out of a word of promise; but unbelief will let us die and starve in the midst and throng of all the promises; yea, unbelief (as to us) destroyeth the promises, and cuts the sinews of them, so that they cannot stir hand or foot to help us. Yet further, unbelief (as much as in it lies) turns all the promises into fallacies, and the truth of God into a lie: Faith feeds upon the goodness of the promises, and unbelief devours the truth of them: Surely they shall never receive the good of a promise, who deny and destroy the truth of a promise.  
A fourth reason is this; Unbelief destroys all former mercies, therefore certainly unbelief will hinder future mercies: by unbelief God loses all the favours he hath bestowed upon us; when we believe not what is to be done, we unbelieve all that God hath done. He that having been pardoned his sin, doth not believe that God will pardon him still, unbeleeves that he was ever pardoned. It is so in the case of temporals: And can we think he will bestow new favours, where he hath lost those he hath bestowed? God will never trust that, which distrusts him. The seven lean kine of Pharaoh, eat up the fat kine; though we have had seven fat kine, and full ears of corn; though God hath given us seven full mercies, seven great deliverances, yet unbelief will swallow them all at a bit (as it were) and yet be as lean and empty as before: We see it clearly in that passage of the people of Israel, Exod. 14. 11. God had wrought a great deliverance for them, he had brought them out of Egypt with a strong hand, and they had seen the wonders of God ten times there; but as soon as ever they came to the red sea, unbelief seized upon them: Oh, they should never overcome that difficulty, never get past that danger: What doth this their unbelief? even what I have said, it devoured all former mercies: Nay, it not only took away former mercies, but turned them into afflictions and crosses, so we may interpret their complaint, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? for it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, then that we should die in the wilderness. See how angry they were at former mercies, how they prefer bondage before deliverance: Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us out of Egypt? Can we judge a people who are angry with former mercies, fit to receive new mercies? Such is the language of unbelief at this day: How many in their distresses, when they are brought as it were unto the red sea, wish that this Reformation had never been begun; it had been better for them to have served their old taskmasters, both in spirituals and in temporals, then to endure such hardship, then to run such hazards, and be at such cost, to free themselves? they look upon all the wonders which God hath wrought, as matters of their sorrow: We see what we have brought ourselves to, O that we had suffered any thing, rather than what we suffer.  
Fiftly, Unbelief robs God of his honour: and that which takes glory from God, must needs hinder mercy from man: we can never enrich ourselves by robbing God; unbelief is a God-robbing sin; and it robs God of that which is most precious to him: unbelief is a bold sin, it goes into God's Cabinet, and takes away his chiefest jewel, it takes away that which he saith he will not give away, his glory. The glory of God, is nothing else but 
Isa. 42. 8.  that reputation which he hath in the world, (I speak not of his essential glory, which he hath from all eternity, and shall have, whether men believe or no; but I speak of his extrinsecall, manifestative and declarative glory) this unbelief obscureth and casteth a vail upon, yea steals quite away. You know a man's glory is gone when his credit is gone; if a man be in such a condition, that no man will believe him, or take his word, or give him credit, that man hath lost all his honour and reputation in the world: Now unbelief makes God of no credit in the world; let him speak what he will, let him give his word, his hand, his covenant, his seal, his oath, he hath no credit among unbelievers. It is said of the old Saints (Heb. 11. 2.) that by faith they obtained a good report: There is no grace brings so much honour to man as faith doth; and I do assure you, there is no grace brings God so much honour as faith doth; by faith God himself obtains a good report among the Saints: His Name is great among those who are of great faith: Gods Name is up, when our hearts are up in believing; and his Name is down, when our hearts are down in unbelief. He that receiveth the testimony of God, sets to his 
Joh. 3. 33.  seal that God is true; but he that will not receive the testimony of God, he (as much as he can) hath set to his seal that God is false. The Apostle queries, Rom. 3. 3. What if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? His denying question implies, that this was the attempt of unbelief, even to make the faith of God, that is, the faithfulness of God of none effect: It is as if he should say, This is it which these by their unbelief would do, or to do which, there is a tendency in unbelief; God doth and will right himself in honour, show himself faithful, though all the world should prove liars and unbelievers: But no thanks to unbelief; that would put the highest dishonour upon God, even that of falsehood to his own word, and unfaithfulness to his people. Consider this, can we thrive by endamaging God? or is it probable God will increase our comforts, while we are decocting and wasting his honour?  
From all these considerations, the point is clearly demonstrated, that unbelief is the stop of public blessings, and therefore I conclude for the truth of it, That Without believing there can be no establishing.  
Hence learn, first, how excellent and useful a grace faith is: Some think little of employing faith in any business beyond the line of the justification of a sinner: But (as the Saints of old) so we may make other improvements of it. For as by faith the walls of Jericho were shaken and fell down (Heb. 11. 30.) so by faith the walls of Jerusalem may be settled and raised up. As by faith those ancient Worthies subdued Kingdoms: so by faith, at this day, we may establish Kingdoms. We must not only go to prayer by faith, but to counsel by faith, and to war by faith; by this grace we may wax valiant in fight, and turn to flight the Armies of the aliens, ver. 34. When Jehoshaphats Armies went forth to battle, his military Oration had but this flower of holy rhetoric in it, Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; believe his Prophets, so shall you prosper, 2 Chron. 20. 20. The prosperity of our worldly affairs, as well as of our heavenly, depends upon, and flows from the actings of our faith.  
In the next place, Give me leave (Honourable and beloved) to be an informer this day against the Kingdom's greatest enemy, and the hinderer of our National establishment. It was the custom of the jews (as some of the Learned have observed from the story of Naboth (1 King. 21. 10.) upon the day of their solemn fast, to accuse and charge notorious offenders. How many things and persons have been, and still are suspected, yea charged with (that notorious offence) the shaking of this nation, while that which is most guilty, is not thought on at all by many, and not enough thought on by any: I mean, and I'll name it, unbelief. And I mean not only unbelief abroad and at large, but your own, in whose ears I chiefly speak this day, and into whose hands, that great and noble work of establishing this shaken, and of uniting this divided Kingdom is committed. Though it be uncomely for me to charge you, yet it is the duty of this day, for you to inquire of your own hearts, whether your own unbelief hath not impeded that long prayed for, and long waited for effect and issue of your counsels, the establishment of this Nation.  
This Nation hath been long in counsel, and yet it is not established; long in action, and yet it is not established: We have prayed long, fasted long, and yet we are not established. I have the text and my point to warrant, if I accuse and arraign unbelief as the cause of all this.  
Why, what hath unbelief done, or who hath seen it doing this evil? Unbelief is an invisible enemy, and therefore a more dangerous enemy. But though it be invisible in its nature, yet it is not only visible, but palpable in its effects: as holy faith also is. Hence, as faith is called effectual faith, and prayer effectual prayer, because these break forth and operate in glorious effects: so unbelief may be called effectual unbelief, because it breaks forth and operates in lamentable effects. And whatsoever is, or can be looked upon as a cause of our continued troubles and shake, is without any strain or slander reducible to unbelief, as the cause of those causes, and therefore the cause of those effects.  
First, Some say, we are not established, because we are so divided. And are not our divisions the fruit of our unbelief? Hearts not joined in faith to God, cannot join, or not firmly join to one another in love. They that go off from God (and every act of unbelief in us, is a step from him) seldom keep close to one another, Faith is the cement and solder of affection.  
Secondly, If it be said, we are not established, because still so unreformed, sin abounds still, and therefore trouble abounds still, I grant it. But whence is it that sin abounds? I must set that also upon the head of unbelief. It is unbelief which protects sin, and keeps it alive, notwithstanding the sentence of death hath gone out so often against it: Though it hath so often (in these sin-mortifying duties of prayer and fasting) been carried out to execution. Sin laughs at all our days of sorrow and humiliation, at our fasts and prayers, while unbelief backs and stands to it. For as faith is a shield to the newman, which quenches all the fiery darts of the Devil: so unbelief is a shield to the old-man, which quenches all the holy darts of the Spirit. The word cannot wound a sinner, while he is armed with unbelief. Sin will save its skin, much more its heart, till faith sets it naked to the strokes and smitings of the word.  
Thirdly, If it be said, Surely we are not established, because we are grown so careless, so cold and formal in those Kingdom-establishing duties, fasting and prayer. Many neglect to keep them, as counting such days lost out of the calendar of their lives: But most are negligent in keeping them, and have turned the whole business into a mere bodily exercise, or the hanging down of their heads for a day: This neglect to keep fasts, and negligent keeping of them, is so gross and notorious, that it makes many hearts to bleed while they think of it. Hence some have thought it most safe, to move for the supersedeating of these duties, fearing that such settled fasts will but more unsettle the Kingdom, and rather provoke the Lord, then pacify him towards us. Reason's may be given for the laying down of these Monthly, and the keeping only of occasional fasts: though in one sense our monthly fasts are occasional, the great occasion why they began, continuing to this day. But how sad is it, to consider that this should be given as a reason, That we have laid down these fasts, because we are weary keeping them, or are grown formal in keeping of them. To break off from such a duty, upon these terms, is a lamentation, and will be one: What? have we fasted away the tenderness of our hearts, and our sensibleness of God's hand? have we prayed away our zeal for God, and our love to communion with him? this is dreadful.  
But how dreadful soever it is; this (which God forbidden) if it be so, must be charged upon unbelief. Why do any neglect fasts? it is, because they do not believe it will quit cost to observe them; they believe more gain is to be got by working in their callings, and more comfort will come in by letting themselves out in pleasures: & therefore they will not forbear their labours, or abridge themselves for a day of their pleasures. No man will afflict his body (as in such days he must) much less his soul (as in such days he ought) unless faith show him a benefit, which will bear his charge, and comforts, which will swallow up his sorrows, in doing them.  
And whence is it, that many who appear outwardly in these duties, are so formal, rather personating the faster and petitioner, then being fasters and petitioners? is it not from unbelief? They who have slight thoughts of a duty, must needs act it slightly.  
And whence is it, that prayer and fasting are at any time successelesse and ineffectual? is not this from unbelief? Praying without believing, is a taking of God's Name in vain, and (in regard of any fruit) a vain help for man. Prayer without faith, is nothing but a noise of words, mere babbling: it is but speaking, not praying. In the sixth of Matthew, Christ reproves those, who thought to be heard for their much speaking. We shall surely be heard if we pray but a little, but we shall never be heard how much soever we speak. And if faith be mixed in the duty, how long soever we continue speaking, how many words, yea repetitions soever we use in it, Christ will not call it much speaking, but much praying: Though he reproved much speaking, yet he neither did, nor ever will reprove much praying: Now unbelief makes that which is commonly called praying, how much soever it is, to be but much speaking: And for that (because Christ is not in it) neither man nor nation shall be heard. The establishing of an unsettled Kingdom, calls (as for the highest and purest motions of reason in counselling, so) for the holiest and most spiritual motions of faith in praying: But as unbelief darkens the light of reason, that it cannot see, or holds it in unrighteousness; so it eclipse the wings of prayer, that it cannot ascend, or returns it answerless.  
Fourthly, Should it be said, Instruments have been unfaithful, they have not acted up to the highest, either of their abilities, or of their duties, and therefore surely we are not established: Then, I must return unbelief as guilty of this unfaithfulness. Want of faith is the cause of all the unfaithfulness that ever was in the world; the very root of apostasy both from God and man. Faith keeps the heart steady, and will see us die, rather than offer a thought of withdrawing from a known duty: Faith blasts all tempting objects; yea, it out-bids all tempers, showing greater good in doing our duty, than the world can offer us for omitting or falling off from it; showing us greater evil in neglecting our duty, than the world can threaten us with for doing or coming up to it. When Paul began to be jealous of his Thessalonians (1 Ep. 3. 5, 6, 7.) Lest by some means the tempter had tempted them, he presently sent a messenger to them, to know how their faith did; and as soon as the messenger returned, bringing good tiding of their faith; namely, that their faith was in heart, and in good plight, Paul was comforted; he knew, as long as their faith stood, they would stand against all temptations; he might turn them lose into the world, they would take no hurt. A believer is the greatest conqueror. This is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith (1 Joh. 5. 4.) and that which betrays us into the hand of every temptation, is unbelief: It makes men act basely, and render themselves prisoners to every promise of preferment, or hope of profit, to every whispering threat of danger, and fear of loss. Where unbelief reigns, it either divides the man, or amazes him: either it makes him an hypocrite with two hearts, or a coward without a heart: And between those who have two hearts, and those who have no hearts, the best work in the world may soon miscarry. Unbelief nurses ignoble emulations, undue ambitions, base covetousness; it moves to selfseeking, caries to self-ends, makes the spirit poor and private; it bids us shift and comply with all humours, and advises to follow, not the reason, goodness, truth or justice of an undertaking, but the successes or advantages of it.  
Fiftly, Some charge our unsettlement upon unresolvedness, fearfulness and want of courage, in carrying on the work. If so, These also (I see by their complexion) are the children of unbelief: for that is it, which causeth a man to hang like a meteor in the air, between Heaven and earth, not knowing which way to move. They who have little faith, have much fear, and they who have no faith are in a readiness to be all fear, to be slain by fear: so were they of whom the Prophet Jeremy speaks (chap. 22. 1.) They are slain, and not by the sword: Fear saves the enemy a labour; courage in battle is usually flatted by unbelief; and though some may show valour who have no faith, yet faith is the truest spring and support of valour; By faith they waxed valiant in fight, Heb. 11. Courage in counselling and reforming fades also and dies away by unbelief: Unbelief makes a man afraid of displeasing any one, but God: It speaks as the messenger to Micaiah, (1 King. 22. 13.) Let thy word be like one of them, and speak that which is good. Many have given counsel before, suiting both the humour and design of the King; therefore said that messenger, do thou vote with them too, let there be no dissent among the Prophets, speak that which is good; that which is pleasingly good, (he meant) no matter whether it be justly or truly good; else it may go ill with thee, thou mayest be cast in prison, and fed with the bread of affliction, and the water of affliction. With such words as these, will unbelief (if it be admitted to speak its mind) prepare the heart for counsel every morning: It tells such fearful stories, or lying prophecies rather, as will not let a man speak or act beyond his own interests.  
When Hezekiah made that bold reformation, removing the high places, breaking the Images, cutting down the groves, and breaking in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses made (and was now made an Idol) calling it Nehushtan: to the record of those noble acts, the Holy Ghost affixes the character of the agent, He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, 2 King. 18. 4, 5. What difficulty or danger will not trust in God, carry man thorough, in God's way: And sutely it carried Hezekiah thorough very great ones in that his zealous reformation. What visions of fear and danger might unbelief have represented to Hezekiah? What! remove the highest places? it may remove you from your high place: will you cut down the groves? that act may cut down your life: will you break the Images, especially that famous one, the Brazen serpent? take heed it be not the breaking of your Kingdom: Do you not know how your people are engaged to these courses? I grant they are superstitious, but this nation will not easily part with them, if you will be so strict in reforming, you may embroil all: Consider what the Kingdom will bear, inquire how the City will take this, and how the country; it is wisdom to look to your own peace, and to follow safe counsels, as well as right or holy counsels. How did the faith of Hezekiah triumph over these discouraging base suggestions? And if ever any have been or shall be led into captivity by their power, resolve it, that man was first captivated by unbelief.  
Sixtly, Some charge our nonestablishment, upon our carnal confidence, our trusting in an arm of flesh; They will tell us, we have made an Idol of the Parliament, an Idol of our Armies, we have leaned so much upon our staves, that we have broken some of them, cracked others, and endangered the rest.  
If this be a true charge, I must lay it, as all the former, upon the back of unbelief. They who believe God too little, do always believe man too much; that which makes God but as a man, will quickly make man as a God whereas faith, while it causes us to be so diligent in the use of means, as if God would do nothing for us, causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means, as if God were to do all for us; faith shows us as much need of God in our fullness, as in our wants. It is a hard thing to depend upon God, in the weakness and want of means, but it is harder to depend upon him in the fullness and strength of means. This is the noblest act of faith: And though (we know) in Heaven sense will swallow up faith, yet on earth faith ought to swallow up our sense; When we see, and hear, and enjoy most of the creature, we should be as if we heard, and saw, and enjoyed nothing of the creature, but lived upon God alone. Observe this instanced in two great Kings: Asa had an Army of men that bore targets and spears, out of judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand, 2 Chron. 14. 8. A gallant Army: Yet when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him with a more numerous Army, Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help with many, or with them that have no power, ver. 11. But are six hundred thousand men no power? Asa's faith saw no power in this complete Army, that he might see all power in God, and engage him in the battle; We rest on thee, let not man prevail against thee. He makes nothing of his Army, in case of victory, while he made nothing of it in case of an overthrow: Let not man prevail against thee.  
That of Jehoshaphat is yet more full, who had an Army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fight men (besides his Garrisons) for the field, as appears upon his musterroll, 2 Chron. 17. 14, 15, 16, etc. yet when the Moabites and the Ammonites made war upon him, he prays thus (chap 20. 12.) O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. What, had he no might? knew he not what to do, when he had 1160000 men in the field? No, not he: He had no eye to see these or any thing, but God; and therefore saith, Our eyes are (not upon our Armies, but) upon thee. In this faith of the creatures nothingness, and the all-sufficiency of God, he prevailed over the Ammonites, as Asa had done before over Zerah the Ethiopian. We then receive most by humane helps, when we expect least; unbelief either takes our hearts off from God, or (which is as dangerous) divides them upon the creature; for when we lean upon two, of which one is infirm, we shall not stand by that which is strong, but fall by that which is weak: faith bids us use means, and unbelief bids us trust it: And though faith will trust some means, in regard of their faithfulness, yet it will trust none, in regard of effectualness. As God calls for all our obedience, so for all our confidence; confidence in man is ever accompanied with jealousies upon God; such confidences God rejects, and therefore we have not, we cannot prosper in them.  
Should this inquisition be enlarged, and the lot cast to find out every accursed thing, which hath obstructed the influences of Heaven, from making this Land a quiet habitation, I might with like ease and clearness resolve them all into unbelief; and therefore I leave unbelief under the guilt of this grand charge, The Kingdom's enemy, the hellish vapour which continues this our long Church-quake, and State-quake; or in the word of the text, The stop of our establishment.  
Let me then a while call in the help of faith, as the noblest expedient for the cure of all our evils? It is said (Joh. 7. 37.) that, In the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying; He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: Will it not be seasonable, in this great day of your Fast and solemn humiliation, to lift up a voice for faith, and cry out, saying, If ye believe, surely ye shall be established? Set faith a-work, in every work, let it be an ingredient in all your counsels, in all your actions. Ye act but as men, not as the people of God, as a Roman, not as a Christian Senate, without faith. As by faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain his brother; so by faith, one offers the Church, the state, better advice than his neighbour. When you prepare arms and Armies, arm yourselves with this shield. Faith is the best weapon, It will quench the fiery darts of men, as well as the fiery darts of the Devil; if your Armies were weak, faith would recruit and strengthen them; now they are strong, faith will continue and increase them: when your affairs are at a stand, faith will put them in motion, faith is a friend at a dead lift. If there be but a little meal in your barrel, and a little oil in your cruse, faith will lead you into the storehouses of Heaven, and show you all the treasures and riches which are laid up there. As Hezekiah led the Ambassadors of Babylon from chamber to chamber, and shown them all the riches and provisions of his royal house, both for peace and war; so will faith (but upon better principles) take you by the hand, and lead you from one attribute of God to another, and show you all fullness of all things, there unsearchable riches of mercy, here unchangeable faithfulness, there infinite strength, and here purest exactest wisdom to improve and manage it: We can never be at a loss while we can believe, for that will find out help for us, when sense can see none, when reason and policy can project none.  
If Information be desired, how or when we act by faith towards public establishment, take it thus.  
First, Faith acts in the strength, upon the truth and goodness of a promise. Promises are the air and element in which faith breathes and lives. Faith languishes, unless fed and dieted by divine engagements; it relishes no fare, but of Gods own providing; it must have a promise in the word, or a promise in the works of God to rest upon. The works of God have a promise in them, as well as the word of God, and are therefore the objects of faith, not only as faith notes the believing of what is done, but also as it notes the believing of what is to be done; In which sense we are to understand that reproof of the Jews, Psal. 78. 32. They believed not his wondrous works. They did believe, the history of his works, namely, that such things as are there recorded, were done; They could not but believe that God had wrought wonders for them in Egypt, that he had drowned Pharaoh in, and brought them safe thorough, the red sea: they saw these things, their senses were witnesses; but yet they did not believe the prophecy or promise, which was virtually in those works, namely that God would do more wonders for them, till he had finished and accomplished their deliverance: That history of their bringing thorough the red sea, had this prophecy in it, that they should be brought safe to Canaan; but they did not believe the voice of this prophecy: When God gave them water out of the rock, this work promised, that he would give them meat out of the clouds, if they needed it; but this they believed not: Hence the same Psalm reports their unbelief, under this notion, ver. 19, 20. They spoke against God, they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh also for his people? When the Lord heard this (language of unbelief) he was wroth. Then faith moves in the highest region of holiness, when it sees all to be done, in what is done; when it reads meat promised in waters given; and conquers a Goliath in the conquest of a Lion: when a slain Leviathan is its food in the wilderness. And thus the Lord directs the faith of his ancient people (Deut. 7. 17.) to outwrestle the greatest dangers, If thou shalt say in thine heart, these Nations are more than I, how can I dispossess them? thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt, etc. Hence the reason why the people of Israel provoked God at the red sea by their fears and murmur, is thus given (Psal. 106. 7.) They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies.  
If then (at any time) you think yourselves scanted in promises, send back your thoughts to those many experiences, both of elder and later dates: The invincible Navy in 88 overcome; the secret Powder-plot discovered and blown up; your yesterday protections, deliverances, successes, victories, should all be served up to the table of your hearts, for faith to feed upon, and nourish itself up into a holy confidence, That he who hath delivered you from so great a death, and doth deliver, will yet deliver you, that thanks may be given by us all in this behalf.  
Secondly, As faith acts upon the truth and goodness of a promise, so always by the justice and holiness of a rule. No man can act that by faith, which is either unlawful to be done, or is done unlawfully. Faith acts in the eye of God, and therefore must act holily. Faith tells us that God hath no need of our sins, to promote his cause, and that we must not lie for God.  
Thirdly, He that acts by faith, will look that his end be as good as his rule. As faith will not do evil that good may come of it, so neither will it do good that evil may come of it, or that such a private personal good may come of it, as is overbalanced with public general evils. Faith never drives a trade (knowingly) for itself, with wrong to the common stock.  
Fourthly, Faith carries with it chieerfulness opposite to worldly sorrow, courage opposite to worldly fear, resolvedness opposite to base neutralitry, zeal opposite to lazy lukewarmness, boldness opposite to sinful modesty, and a sober confidence of success, or an assurance that our labour shall not be in vain, opposite to all heart-sinking doubts, and despondencies of spirit.  
Thus he doth, who acts by faith, and all this, faith will do; yet, not every faith; True faith will do the former three, but the fourth is a task for strong faith. It was the Apostles caution, Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive, but not to doubtful disputations. The works of God put us as hard questions as his word. The disputes of providence are often very hard disputes: A weak faith may soon be overmatch by them. But where faith is strong and vigorous, it will untie all those knots, resolve all those doubts, run thorough all that work, with ease. That must needs keep our souls steady, and make us unwearied in the work of the Lord, which fetches in constant supplies, and feeds our lamp with oil as fast as it spends, which wipes off our sweat, and causeth us to act in his strength, who can do all things.  
But were it not better to fear always, then to be so high slown in faith? were it not better to prepare for the worst times, then to be confident of good, or better?  
I do not counsel any to slacken their preparation for evil and worse times, while I stir up your minds to believe and wait for the best. Sat down as oft as you please, and prepare for death, for sword, for famine and for spoiling; Sat down, and commune with your own hearts upon your beds about these things: Put the case to yourselves, and act the part of sufferers under hardest pressures: Think what to do if the sword were at your breasts, and the fire in your houses. But in the midst of your preparations for evil, take heed of casting away the hopes of good. An evil heart of unbelief, is seven fold worse than all the evils that can fall upon you.  
And though (all the unkind distractions and divisions at home, with the oppositions abroad being considered) the way of faith lies very much up-hill, yea up mountains and craggy rocks, yet know, There is no danger so great, or exigent so dreadful, which can be a plea for unbelief. If any people might have been excused for their unbelief, the people of Israel might; for they had an Army behind them, the sea before them, and the mountains on either side, so that the enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them, I will draw my sword, mine hand shall destroy them (Exod. 15. 9) yet their unbelief is taxed as a provocation. Never speak of the greatness of danger to lessen faith: for dangers are the element of faith; among them faith lives most, because among them faith finds most promises. When we have least of the world about us, we have most of the word about us; and when we have most of the world against us, we have more of the word for us. Faith hath best food in famine, the fullest table in a wilderness. Faith (like the Horse (Job 39 19) rejoiceth in its strength, (for it is the strength of God) and goeth out to meet the armed men. Faith mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth back from the sword.  
A second sort manage the objection further: We know God is able (be the difficulties never so great) to deliver, but we are not acquainted with his will: How then can we act faith? how can we be confident as you would have us? We, indeed, may say as he in the Gospel, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make us clean: thou canst settle and establish us: But we are uncertain of his will, though we are sure of his power.  
To these I answer: First, That howsoever the uncertainty of the will of God be usually held forth as a plea for doubting and unbelief; yet most doubt and are unbelieving upon suspicion of the power of God: For when faith is up, and acts strongly upon this point, that God is able, it seldom doubts about his will. We have a great instance of this, Numb. 11. 19 when God promised Moses to spread such a table in the wilderness, that all the Israelites should eat flesh, not only one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but even a whole month: Moses gins to argue, ver. 21. The people, amongst whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month (As if Moses had said; Lord, I pray consider your words, are you able to make good your promise?) shall the flocks, and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? Or shall the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? What is the meaning of these questions? even that Moses himself doubted whether God could perform this, whether God had not out-promised his own power. That it was so, is seen clearly by the answer that God makes, ver. 23. And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass or not. The hand of God is the power of God, and the shortening of his hand, the shortening of his power. Is God's power shortened? Moses his question intimated that it was: So Isa. 59 1. The Lord's hand is not shortened that he cannot save: Now as in Commonwealths, good Laws show ill manners (for Laws are medicines, applied by wise Magistrates, to cure the several distempers of a people) so good counsels and proofs show the evil which is in the heart of man. When God asks the question, Is my hand shortened? when he saith, My hand is not shortened, we may gather, Moses and the Jews had an apprehension that God's hand was shortened, that his power was not so great as he had reported.  
Again, If it be not doubting of the power of God; why do we believe least when dangers are greatest? in little dangers we believe God is willing; why not in greater dangers? surely, because then a greater power is required; so that the stick is at the power of God, though usually his will be pretended. When Abraham, that mighty giant in believing, had overcome this difficulty, that God was able, nothing stood in his way, Rom. 4. 19, 20. Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded, that he who had promised, was able also to perform. Observe, he doth not say that Abraham was fully persuaded God was willing to perform what he had promised; Abraham's faith acted most, to assure and settle him that God was able to perform: And as soon as he gave glory to God by believing him all-sufficient, his faith had no stop. So the holy Ghost expresseth the other great trial of his faith (Heb. 11. 19) when he was called to sacrifice his son, he was in a great strait; but in what was his faith most tried? It was about the power of God; God had promised him a son, and in that son a great blessing to himself and all Nations; Now, the text saith not, that he doubted not of the will of God, but he accounted that God was able to raise him up from the dead: from whence also he had received him in a figure: when he was settled in that, he never stayed at the offering up his son. And if we search our hearts to the bottom, we shall find that our doubtings reflect most upon the power of God, and we shorten his hand, though we commonly say, we are uncertain of his will.  
I answer secondly, to those who say they doubt of the will of God, and not of his power, that though we cannot directly and positively affirm, God will do a thing because he can do it; yet there is a mighty argument to help faith out, that God will do a thing when we are assured that he can: Where there wants power, faith cannot work at all. When the woman in Samaria bespoke the King (2 King. 6. 27.) Help, my Lord O King; the King answered her, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barne-floor, or out of the winepress. As if he had said, There's nothing in the barn, nothing in the winepress; and I cannot make corn or wine. What could this woman expect further? Where power is at an end, faith is at an end too: But seeing the power of God is never at an end, therefore our faith in coming to him needs not.  
Thirdly, God hath expressed himself in Scripture, as much, yea more, for his willingness, then for his power to help; therefore we need not make our uncertainty of his will the reason of our unbelief, when we say, we are assured of his power: God hath said, He is Almighty; etc. but there are not only words importing that God is willing to help his people, but promises and oaths that he will (Ps. 50. 15.) Call upon me, and I will deliver thee, Eze. 33. 11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked (that place is meant primarily of a civil death, a death in trouble) but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Yea, God hath manifested a willingness to help a people, which his power hath not seconded; but he never manifested his power, when his will did not concur: that most passionate exclamation, O jerusalem, jerusalem, How often would I have gathered thee! etc. Implies a general willingness in Christ to gather Jerusalem, yet Christ did not act his divine power effectually for their gathering.  
Lastly, I say to such, though we may not argue that God will do a thing because he hath power; yet we may argue from the power of God, that a thing shall be done, if he hath already expressed any willingness to do it, and made any offers or assays towards the doing of it. The Apostle would have the weak brother received (Rom. 14. 1.) upon this ground, He shall be holden up. (vers. 4.) He affirms confidently, that He shall be holden up; what doth he ground this confidence upon? upon the will of God? No, upon his power, For God is able to make him stand: But how could the Apostle argue thus peremptorily from the power of God that the thing should be done? He gave intimation before of the willingness of God, for he had said in the close of the third verse, God hath received him; I see God hath favoured this man, though he be weak, therefore because I see he is one, on whom God hath bestowed some mercy already, I will therefore argue confidently, that mercy shall be perfected; he shall stand, because God is able to make him stand, for he hath received him. We may argue thus for the public; This Kingdom shall be holden up, for God is able to make it stand: How so? God hath received it: Do ye perceive no break forth of the love of God to his people in this Kingdom? Hath he done nothing which intimates he hath received this people? Surely, he hath, therefore we may argue; God is able to make us stand; therefore we shall be holden up, for God hath received us.  
A third objection is thus raised: You will have us believe that we shall be established, but I pray show us a word for our faith: Can you give us any promise? Isaiah here brought a promise immediately from Heaven, he told the people from the mouth of God, that they should be established; can you do so too? Faith is a wise grace; Faith loves not to build upon the sand, much less to build castles in the air; Faith must have a sure foundation, and nothing will serve faiths turn, but the word of God; It will not build upon the bare word of all the Preachers in the world; As the great Mathematician said; Show me a place where I shall set mine engine, and I will shake all the earth; so saith faith, Give me but a sure word whereupon I may fix my foot, I will carry any thing; but where is that word to be found? what's the text, chapter and verse, that England shall be established? or have you any extraordinary revelation, that it shall?  
'Tis granted, We have no such revelations as Isaiah brought to Ahaz and his people; but we have that which serves faiths turn sufficiently; and so much as amounts to a particular promise. I may say, There is as much ground in Scripture for faith to build on, for the present temporal salvation of this distressed Kingdom, as any man at first hath, or had in Scripture to believe his eternal salvation. I clear it thus; Suppose we coming to a man lying in the state of nature, and under trouble of conscience for his sin, should offer him Christ, and pardon, and he should say, Show a promise which belongs to me: What promise could we tender him? could we bring one, with his name literally in it? doth any promise speak explicitly, Thomas, or John, do thou believe, and thou shalt be saved? There is no such word for the salvation of any man. There are promises of three sorts in Scripture. First, Promises of free grace, that God will justify the ungodly, and pardon sin, for his own Names sake. Secondly, Promises of grace, that God will give faith, repentance, love, and a new heart, etc. Thirdly, Promises unto grace, that if we believe and repent, we shall be saved. Promises of these three sorts, are all we have to build our faith upon for eternal salvation; and these we, or any other Nation that is under the same condition, hath to build assurance upon for temporal salvation. There are promises of free grace to Nations, that God will deliver and save them for his own Names sake: such a promise we have, though the Name of England be not expressed in it. Again, there are promises of grace to Nations, that God will pour out a spirit of repentance and humiliation upon them, and cause them to return. Lastly, we have promises unto grace, that if a people call upon God, repent and turn from their evil ways, they shall be delivered, If my people which are called by my Name, do humble themselves, and seek my face, and pray, and turn unto me, I will hear in Heaven and deliver, etc. 2 Chro. 7. 14. These promises were made not only to the people of Israel, but to all people who are the Israel of God. Say not then, this stops your faith, ye cannot believe establishment, because ye want a promise of establishment; these promises are ours, as well as this was Jerusalem's.  
These objections and stumbling-blocks being thus (I hope) answered and removed out of the way of faith: let your faith gird up her loins, and rejoice like a giant to run her race.  
Act faith for the Kingdom, as you would for your own souls. Is it not a duty, to believe when you pray and seek God about temporals (in their degree and kind) as well as when about spirituals and eternals in theirs? Hath not God given his people sometimes as clear evidences, as strong assurances that their prayers have been heard about temporals, as about eternals? What if we should not be under the influences of those promises which are made unto grace, to a repenting, reforming people: yet faith hath footing enough in those which are made of grace, to give give repentance and reformation to a people, and in those of freegrace, that God will save for his Name sake, though a people are generally impenitent and unreformed. A probability of prevailing, is a sufficient ground both for praying and believing. The Prophet Joel (chap. 2. 14) persuades that afflicted people to fast and pray (in that he persuaded them to believe) upon this offer only, Who knoweth if he will return and repent? Nineve is carried up to believe by the same argument (Jon. 3. 9) Who can tell, if God will return? A peradventure from God, is better than an absolute promise from any creature. So long as God hath not said, he will not, though he hath not said he will, let us venture; God hath not yet forbidden prayer, but rather bespoken it in the hearts of his people: God hath not yet declared by any work of providence against England, as he did against Judah by his word (Jer. 15. 1, 2.) Though Moses, and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be towards this people; cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth, such as for death to death, etc. No, he hath rather declared his willingness, if not his resolvedness to deliver, to save, to settle, to establish us: His heart seems to work toward us, let our faith work toward him; yea, let our faith have a perfect work, and then (I doubt not) but God will perfect all our works, If we believe, surely we shall be established.  
Lastly, If a shaking Kingdom be established by believing, then, how precious are believers! Are they not the bases and pillars of a state? Job puts the question concerning wisdom (chap. 28. 12.) Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? The depth saith, It is not in me, and the sea saith, It is not with me, ver. 14. Should I put such a query about the point in hand, Where shall the stability of the Nation be found? and what is the place of its strength? Your sea would say, It is not in me, and your ships would say, It is not in us; your Garrisons in fortified Cities, and your Armies in the open field, your correspondencies abroad, and your counsels at home, would, or must all bring in their disclaimers, and say, Strength is not in us, in us establishment is not to be found. Where is it then? the text answers, Faith is our strength, establishing is by believing: Believers are establishers.  
And if they be so useful, let them be as acceptable: It is but equal, that they who do the public so much good, should receive good from the public: I am sure it is not safe to let them be discouraged, by whom our safety is established, much less is it safe to let them fall, by whom (in their capacity) Kingdoms stand, or to cast them down, who (by the rule of Divine politics) are state-upholders▪ Stephen is described (Act. 6. 8.) A man full of faith and of power (where saith is, power is not fare off) yet this man was stoned (chap. 7. 59) How sad a spectacle was it to see a man stoned to death, whose life was (like a foundation or cornerstone) establishment to the whole building.  
Ob. But many pretend faith, who have no conscience.  
Ans. I am no advocate for such, for their faith is vain, and they are yet in their sins. And yet (I conceive) it is better for a supposed faiths sake to spare some, who (in the issue) will be found to have no conscience, then for conscience sake to afflict any, who (in the issue) shall be found to have real faith. It is our Lords warning to all, and it is a dreadful one (Mat. 18. 6.) Who so shall offend one of these little ones, that believe in me, it were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. A little one believing, or one believing though but a little (I mean little, in regard of the degree, not of the object) (I say, such a little one believing) is a great one in the eye of Christ; an offence given to such a scarce discernible believer, may bring very discernible wrath upon his offenders.  
And if Christ take it thus ill, when a little one believing in him is offended, will he not take it worse, when a great one, an Abraham, a Stephen, a Paul in believing is offended? Where there is greatest faith, there's greatest worth, and tenderest endearments to Jesus Christ. When we see faith budding out and flourishing in noble and generous fruits of holiness, when faith hath so purified the heart, that it keeps hand and life pure, and acts visibly; surely a millstone is not heavy enough, he shall have a mountain of millstones strung together, for his neck, who knowingly and willingly offends such a one.  
Ob. But whatsoever their faith is, they differ in opinion, and will not meet us in the same practice.  
Ans. Holy love, must and will bear much, where it sees holy faith. Charity (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 13. 7.) believes all things; I am sure it believes this, That they who indeed believe in God, cannot continue to be hurtful to any society of men. And though I nothing doubt, but that a good man may do very ill, and may very justly suffer for it too; yet of how narrow a use are those excellent graces of love, of meekness, of humility, of patience, of self-denial, if they are not (among other uses) to be laid out and bestowed in a brotherly, hearty, gracious, amicable compliance with, bearing of, and condescension unto those, who having obtained like precious faith with us, do yet differ in some things which concern order, they maintaining order amongst themselves, and peace with others?  
I hope there is a good stock of charity yet among us, none of which shall be lavished out in symbolising with the ignorant and profane, or admitting them to a participation in special gospel-priviledges; nor will it all (I am persuaded) be laid out (though that is like to be costly to charity) in admitting those of competent knowledge, and unblameable carriage in their lives, who yet evidence little (if any thing) of the life of faith: But (when the former charge is defrayed) charity will have a fair remainder in bank for those (to whom it is very due) who are unquestionably eminent and active in faith, though in some things they be found to differ in judgement, or in practices thereon depending.  
As to bear all differences would make charity blind, so not to bear some would make her more than lame. I know (Honourable Senators) your wisdom will easily find and discern the limit-stone, between liberty, and libertinism, between the humours of men, and their consciences.  
How  is it, that all the Churches should have, as one mind, so one way, that they should all mind and do the same thing? How pleasant, how blessed a sight were it, to behold not only unity of spirit, but uniformity of practice in all who call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours? But how woeful a sight will it be, (if ever it should be seen) that with whom we agree in every doctrine of faith, in the substance of worship and government, and in many forms; that from them we must irreconcilably break, till we can be uniform? What a woeful dearth of Gospel-love will be found amongst us, i● after all our former sufferings together, our praying and fasting together, we should upon these terms fall a vexing one another? If after we have poured forth our cries, our groans, our sighs, our tears together, in private chambers, and solemn assemblies before the Lord; if after we have poured out our blood together in the high places of the field before the enemy; if (I say) after all this, we shall on these terms, (I say not, cruelly pour out the blood of one another, but so much as) unkindly move a cry, a groan, a sigh, or draw a tear from one another, what a woeful dearth of Gospel-love will be found amongst us? Would it not also argue that there is some accursed thing, some provocation amongst us, if, after the Lord hath given us such clear light to pull down the pillars of Babylon, he should yet give us up to such thick darkness, that with our own hands we should (upon such dissents) pull down any, who are pillars in Zion?  
FINIS.