PERFECT TRUST  PSAL. 37. 5. 

Cast both thyself and thine affairs  
on God with perfect Trust:  
And thou shalt see with patience  
th'effect both sure and just.   
THe Question put by a Christian Friend to a Minister, was, How Trust in God may be said to be perfect? The Ministers Answer, sent by Letter, was to this effect.  
SIR,  
I Am well assured, that I can add nothing by way of Answer, concerning the Question proposed, to what you are already experimentally acquainted with; however, to satisfy your desire, and in regard God can make old things new unto us, by giving us a new taste and favour of them, I shall say something.  
I must premise, that I remember not that epithet of Trust any where expressly to occur in Scripture, onely in Psal. 37. 5. our English metre useth it. But however, the same thing we meet with in Scripture, though in other terms: For perfect Trust can import onely two things; 1. The Truth of it for kind, as a perfect man is a sincere and upright man; 2. The Strength of it for degree, and so it notes not absolute perfection, but an eminent and singular measure of that grace, above what many, or possibly most attain unto; and this the Scripture expresseth by Trusting in the Lord with all the heart, Prov. 3. 5. that is, truly and strongly. Such an eminent measure of this Grace, no doubt, had Hezekiah, in respect of which, as well as of other Graces, 'tis said of him, that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah, nor any that went before him. 2 Kin. 18. 5. But when all is done, the most perfect Trust attainable by us here, is mingled with much Distrust; which yet doth not deprive us of the benefit thereof, otherwise our condition were sad: Though we believe not, God is faithful, 2 Tim. 2, 13. that is, though our Faith be weak, though it often fail, and be at a loss, as to the actings of it; yet being true, God it by promise obliged, and cannot deny himself: And so though we trust not, not so firmly, not so constantly as we should; yet where there is any measure of that grace in truth, God is faithful: and yet it must be granted, that the greater measure of Faith and trust we can attain, the more we may expect from God. According to our faith( and so according to our trust) so be it unto you, is his language to us; we impair and lessen our Mercies by the weakness of our Faith and Trust, as Barak did, judge. 4. 9. but an eminent Trust and strong Confidence in God, never fails of some eminent appearance of God for us, according to the proportion and measure of our reliance on him.  
Now our Trust may be known to be right,  
1. From its Foundation, which is some word or promise of God, Psal. 119. 42. and that rightly understood and applied, else it is a presumptuous confidence without warrant.  
2. From the Descriptions of the nature of it, which is excellently represented unto us in variety of significant expressions: 'tis described by relying on the Lord, 2 Chron. 13. 18. by resting on him, 2 Chron. 14. 11. by staying ourselves on him, Isa. 50. 11. by leaning on him, Cant. 8. 5. by casting ourselves, our cares, our burdens on him, Psal. 55. 22. 1 Pet. 5. 7. by having our eyes on him, 2 Chron. 20. 12. and all our expectations from him, Psal. 62. 5.  
3. It may be known by the inseparable Concomitants of it, which are, 1. A disclaiming and renouncing of all other props and supports, Prov. 3. 5. Hos. 14. 3. Psal. 20. 7. Psal. 2. 5, 6. 2. Frequent recourse to him in every exigency. A man will be often running to a faithful Friend in whom he trusteth, in reference to any business of importance; he shall be often consulted with, his assistance often implored, upon occasion of every emergent difficulty. So if God be our strong Tower, in every danger we will be running into it for safety, Prov. 18. 10. If our trust be in him, we will be addressing ourselves to him, be acknowledging him in all our ways, Prov. 3. 5. Committing our works and affairs to him, Psal. 37. and pouring out our hearts before him at all times, Psal. 62. 8. 3. Trust in God is accompanied with a Care to please him: No prudent man will provoke him, on whom his trust and dependence is for any thing which he valueth; nor can he have any good ground of confidence in his help and assistance, whom by his daily affronts and miscarriages he makes his Enemy. He that hath friends, must carry himself friendly, Prov. 18. 24. and so must he that will have them for the future, or else in reason he cannot expect to have them long. Hence trust in the Lord and doing good are linked together, Psal. 37. 3. This will greatly strengthen our trust, Prov. 14. 26. and without this all our confidence is vain, Jer. 7. 4, 5, &c. 4. True trust in God is attended with the diligent use of such lawful means as Gods providence offers. Thus Paul so trusts in Gods promise for saving himself and the rest in the ship, as he no way opposeth the use of such means, by which the Providence of God was to be served, Act. 27. Neglect of Means makes our Confidence no other then a presumptuous tempting of God. 5. True Trust in God is accompanied with a sense and bewailing of, and a mourning under our Distrust, together with a striving against it, and a stirring up ourselves to hope in God. So David, Psal. 42. 5. Why art thou cast down, why art thou disquieted, O my soul? still hope in God, &c. And the man in the Gospel, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. So, Lord, I trust in thee, help thou my distrust. 6. 'tis accompanied with a sense of our unworthiness of whatever favour or relief we are trusting in God for. So Jacob, Gen. 32. manifesting his trust in God by his recourse to him in his distress, acknowledgeth himself unworthy of all the mercy and truth which God had formerly shewed him, and consequently much more of that protection against Esau, which he further begged of him.  
4. This holy Trust in God may be discerned by the Effects of it, which are such as these: 1. It quiets the heart, composeth the spirit, and frees it from distracting fears and cares, at least according to the measure of it, and at such times when the actings of it are not by temptations or otherwise obstructed. Isa. 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, &c. 2. It holds up the heart, and keeps from sinking, yea, sometimes fills with joy and holy triumph, even when all outward means fail, Hab. 3. 16, 17, 18. Though the fig-tree shall not blossom, &c. yet I will rejoice in the Lord, &c. 3. It enables and strengtheners the soul to wait Gods season for Deliverance, yea, though he should seem long to hold us in expectation. Isa. 28. 16. He that believeth, and so he that trusteth in God with all his heart, will not make hast. 4. It effectually preserveth from making use of any unlawful means. He that trusteth in the Lord needs not do it, for he knoweth whom he hath trusted, even one who knows how to deliver, 2 Pet. 2. 9. and never fails those who trust in him, Psal. 9. 10. To reach forth the hand to take hold of any unwarrantable relief, were to renounce his trust in God; wherefore in this sense also, he that believeth or trusteth, will not make hast, as that place is likewise understood. 5. Sound Trust in God will make us willing, and in some measure enable us to refer all to his good pleasure, to give up all to his disposal, to put all our all into his hands. And thus much is implied in the phrase of committing our way to him, Psal. 37. 5. When we entirely trust a wise and faithful man in any weighty business, we refer all to his Wisdom, Care, and Integrity. They who can thus trust God, do as it were engage him in point of Honour not to fail them: And indeed, it is impossible he should fail them, not onely on this account, but likewise upon another, to wit, that he himself hath caused them to trust in him, as the phrase of the Psalmist is, Psal. 119. 49. 1. By Promises to those who shall trust in him; 2. By Commands and peremptory charges laid on them to do it; 3. By manifold Experiences of his never failing their expectations formerly; and 4ly, By most sweet and efficacious Encouragings and drawings of his own Spirit, he hath induced them, and prevailed with them to trust in him: and after all this can he fail them, or betray them? The Philosophers good nature would not deliver the poor bide to the Hawk, from which it had taken shelter under his Cloak, and yet he never alured the bide into that refuge: God hath alured us to take Sanctuary under his Wing, and therefore Heaven and Earth can sooner pass away, then he fail us. How well also he takes it at our hands that we will trust in him, and the security he hath thereupon given us, that one excellent place, Psal. 91. 14, 15, 16. abundantly manifesteth.  HAB. 2. 4 ROM. 1. 17, &c. The Just shall live by his Faith.  

LONDON, Printed for S. G. 1665.