proved and disallowed by persons of equal capacity and learning. But to leave this, which is above the ordinary sort of Christians, the Lord's people, to whom he has evidenced his own authority, in the way above mentioned, will be moved with none of these things. They will not forego the word, but retain it as their life, and pay respect to it as the word of God; and they have good reason to do so.

I shall now observe hence,

1. How justly divine faith may be said to be infalli ble, as standing on an infallible ground, the faithfulness and truth of God in the word. Through darkness we may sometimes not discern, through negligence not observe, or through the force of temptations interposing betwixt us and it, we may lose sight of the evidence of this authority; and so our faith may shake or fail. But while it fixes on this, it cannot fail, though we may quit, or by violence be beat off; the ground is firm, and cannot fail, the scriptures cannot be broken.

2. Hence it is, That the meanest and weakest believ ers, who know nothing of the props others have to support them, do cleave as firmly to the word, run with all courage, and much cheerfulness, all hazards for it, to the loss of whatever is dear to them, life not excepted, as the most judicious divine, and oftentimes they are much more firm. This is upon no other grounds accountable: This reason of faith is as much exposed to them as to the most learned.

3. All objections arising against this ground of faith, will be easily solved, if we consider, 1. That the scriptures are a relief provided by sovereign grace, for those of the race of fallen man, to whom God designs mercy, and so God was not obliged to adjust it in all respects to the natural capacities of men in their present state, but it was meet that the word should be so writ, that room should be left for the discoveries of the sovereignty of grace, and the other means God designed to make use of in subserviency to the word. It was not meet nor necessary that all should be so proposed, as to lie open to men without the assistance of the Spirit, and without the ministry of the word. 2. The word was not designed alone to conduct us, but God has given the Spirit with

the word, who teaches us in and by it, as he sees meet, 3. The word is designed to be a rule to all ages, and therefore it was not meet or necessary, that what concerns persons in one age should be equally exposed in its meaning unto other persons, who lived in different times. It is sufficient, that in every age, what concerns that time lies so open, that in the use of the means of God's appointment, men may reach that wherein they are concerned. 4. The word was designed for persons of different stations, capacities and cases, who ought to rest satisfied in the obvious discoveries of what concerns them, in their own particular circumstances, and is required to be believed and obeyed, more particularly in a way of duty, of them, though they cannot see so clearly what belongs to others in different circumstances. 5. God has not systematically and separately discoursed all particular cases under distinct heads; but to leave room for the conduct of the Spirit, for exciting the diligence of Christians to study the whole scriptures, and for other reasons obvious to infinite wisdom, he has digested them in a method, more congruous to these wise ends. 6. The Lord designing the exercise of the faith of his own, and to humble them, and to drive them to a dependence on himself, and to punish the wicked, and give them who will stumble at the ways of God somewhat to break their neck on, he has digested them so, as that there may be occasions, though always without fault on God's part, for all those ends: Wisdom will be justified of her children, and to some he speaks in parables, that seeing they may not see.