thou doest that which thou wouldst not as Rom. 7. 14. to 25. in our selves we are imperfect at the best Gal. 6. 1. The strongest is not able to stand alone also some of the Lords partake more of naturall choler which increaseth naturally and as that choler is we are more or lesse hasty and passionate A wicked man may be naturally patient and a childe of God may be sinfully passionate Jam. 5. 17. Thou shouldst not measure Gods love to thee nor the truth of his grace in thee by thy mortification of sin consider Rom. 7. God may for ends best knowne unto himselfe suffer corruption to be too strong for thee it may be to abase thee more as Paul Rom. 7. that thou maist see what need thou hast of a Lord Jesus to pardon and heale thee who knoweth but God may leave thy personall sanctification the more imperfect that we may minde and behold Jesus Christ and our righteousnesse in him and so live the more in him and our joy the more in our justification by him Rom. 4. 6 7. It 's one thing to have thy sinnes forgiven or not imputed Psal 32. 1 2. and another thing to be clensed from it live in the apprehension of the love of God and down goeth sin and all discouragements so live in discouragements and sinne prevailes as Psal 77. 2. 7 8 9 10. Wee ought not to fetch our comfort from our subduing of sinne but in Christ in whom we want no righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods When we are at the best we may not live in our selves nor by sight but by faith and when we are at the worst we are to live upon Christ by saith and comfort our selves in him and in him onely many when they want strength or comfort they seek what they want from their duties and comfort themselves in their abstainings from sin but for Christ he is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. What I once felt is now decayed The ground of our faith is God in his Word and not our sight and feeling that is sensuall 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live not by sight and feeling but by faith Whilst thou maintainest feares and jealousies of Gods love to thee it is no wonder it is so with thee call to minde the dayes of old as Psal 77. It 's certain if ever God manifested his love unto thee he is still and ever will be the same unto thee having loved his owne he loved them unto the end Joh. 13. 1. With him there is no variablenesse or shadow of turning Jam. 1. 17. A child of God may decay in parts sight feelings and exercise of grace for a time as Phil. 4. 10. these are sometimes more and sometimes lesse but alwayes as God seeth best that wee might rest and relie upon nothing but Christ I see and feele nothing in my selfe or all is as nothing to me save onely Jesus Christ who is all in all to me We ought to beleeve that we neither see nor feele faith is the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. To live by faith is to walke after the Spirit and to live by sight and feeling is to live after the flesh Rom. 8. 1. I am discouraged because nothing is made good to me I doe not possesse it If thou beest included and art under the promise of it and under the hope of it thou shalt possesse it It may be made good unto thee without thy possession of it for wee must not ground faith in the possession of what it beleeves possession is sutable to sense and there is neither faith nor hope in what we possesse To have right in it and to possesse it are two things they died in faith and yet they did not possesse what they beleeved Heb. 11. 17 18. The possessiō of things gives no being unto faith nor is essentiall unto it no otherwise then as faith gives being unto it Abraham beleeved he should have a sonne here was his faith Rom. 4. 3. 17. 18. yet he did not possesse his sonne his sonne had no being but in the promise of God therefore to place enjoyment to be essentiall to faith is a very great mistake As a man must first beleeve God is before he can goe to God Heb. 11. 6. so a man must first beleeve in Christ to have remission of sinnes by him and after receive remission of sinnes as appeares Acts 10. 43. It thou hast power to close with God in the truth of his Word as Sarah did that shee should have a sonne not onely before shee had him but against reason shee beleeved shee should have him thou hast faith But I am not assured that I shall be saved therefore I have no faith Faith and assurance is not one thing but are differing and distinct assurance cannot be without faith but faith may be without assurance for assurance is not the proper act of faith assurance is an effect of faith and a higher measure then that is and the greater our feeling of assurance is the lesser our faith is Faith in the act is an assenting or cleaving to the truth and faithfulnesse of God in his promise not from any thing shee feeles in her selfe but from something it apprehends in God in his word Rom. 4. 20 21 22. The act of faith is sometimes attended with much strife and strugling for Satan saith to the soule it 's in vaine for thee to looke to Christ to beleeve in Christ Christ saith Come unto me beleeve I will ease thee Now for the soule to rest upon the fidelitie and abilitie of Christ in his promise is no small measure of faith assurance is not from the habit of grace nor from the direct act of faith but from the reflect act of faith which is for a man to see and know that he beleeves which assurance is from the immediate testimony of the Spirit of God in the conscience of one who is already a beleever causing the soule to know it beleeves The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our Spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Now abideth faith 1 Cor. 13. 13. therefore faith doth at all times one way or other sufficiently evidence the truth of our estates if we did at all times truly discerne the testimony or true act of faith and the reason why we discerne it not is for want of a full measure of faith to withstand all that is opposit to faith for some there be who have faith yet by reason of their ignorance and unskilfulnesse as Heb. 5. 14 15. 10. 15. forgetfulnesse babes are unskilfull and have not experience of Gods dealings with his both for order and manner so that when faith doth not so lively act and when Christ doth not clearly appeare in the soule he begins to doubt whether he be not deceived and when
and upholds them The Saints are sure to persevere it is impossible they should fall finally or misse of glory because they are maintained by God 1. They shall never perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand and none are able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand Joh. 10. 28 29. 2. For they are in the love of God Eph. 2. 5. Joh. 17. 26. 1 Joh. 3. 1. 16. 4. 16. They shall unavoydably come unto mee Joh. 6. 36 37. 3. God hath promised to preserve them Heb. 13. 5. For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 4. God is faithfull 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes 5. 23 24. Jer. 31. 40. And immutable I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. 5. And onely wise he knows how to preserve them Rom. 16. 27. 6. He hath power enough to preserve them 1 Pet. 1. 5. 7. Because they are in Christ Ephe. 1. 4. who shall ever live Because I live yee shall live also Joh. 14. 19. 8. Because they are so united to God that God they are but one Jo. 17. 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one Joh. 17. 23. Oh sweet and happy union that is so intire reall full and eternall 9. Because God dwells in them and they in him 1 Joh. 4. 13. Joh. 17. 23. Therefore they are secure and safe enough being out of the reach of all the Devils in earth or hell The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Christs lot and inheritance is his Saints who are delightfull and precious unto him Deut. 32. 9. I have a goodly heritage Christ is wonderfully taken with the Saints comelines it is a maine part of the excellency of Christs inheritance that it cannot be taken from him nor spent nor lost Goodly heritage Christ hath a high esteeme of his Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee Song 4. 7. They are without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5. 25. to 28. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Psal 51. 5. Rev. 19. 8. My beloved spake and said unto me Rise up my love and faire one and come away Song 2. 10. Oh happy Saint have thee a high esteem of Christ he is satisfied in thee and be thou satisfied in him rejoyce in nothing else but him Psal 33. 21. and sing praises to him THE SAINTS COMMUNION with God by Faith The life of Faith in effectuall calling Justification Sanctification infirmities in graces in means in time past in prosperity and adversity in glorification and to dye by Faith Wherein the life of Faith consists IT is in the communion the soule hath with God in Christ and the soules injoying of Christ in his promises both spirituall and temporall 1. Faith in effectuall calling It is the soules cleaving and depending upon Christ in his promise for pardon and life 1 Joh. 12. 1. Joh. 3. 23. Upon such places as these 2 Cor. 5. 20. Mat. 11. 28. Mat. 5. 2. The life of faith in Justification The Lord having spoken peace to the soule that Jesus Christ hath fully satisfied for all his sinnes so as they are all done away and shall be remembred no more Isa 53. 5 6. Jer. 31. 34. c. And that as the soule is happy so it injoyes the comfort of it and is filled with joy and peace in beleeving and now the soule lives a life of comfort chearfulnesse and holinesse 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 5. 1. So that no sinne nor Satan and if corruption increase and God hides himselfe or seemes an enemy not any thing can cause this soule to let goe the Lord and cast away its confidence Though he slay me saith Job yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. Rom. 8. 38 39. Isa 54. 7 8. 63. 16 17. Some hold the act of faith is that which God accepts to Justification but this is a mistake because it makes Christ inferior to faith and in ascribing such an honour to faith they dishonour Christ for although they doe not exclude Christ wholly yet in the act of Justification it gives all to faith They say as the act of Adams sin condemned him so our act of faith justifieth us Answer Adams sinne was enough to condemne him and us but our faith cannot save others nor our selves They reply Wee are justified by faith Answ Christ is called faith Gal. 3. 23. Before faith came which must be understood of Christ Wee are justified before God in his sight onely by Christ Rom. 3. 20. 24. My righteous servant Christ shall justifie many Isai 53. 11. We are not justified before God by faith which is in us but by Christ by his bloud justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. That which saves us is the bloud of Christ Jesus Christ hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his bloud Rev. 1. 5. Also wee are said to be justified by faith because it is the instrument whereby we apprehend and apply Christ our Righteousnesse by faith wee know our selves to be justified Rom. 5. 1. Though faith be a grace of God yet as it is an act it is a worke and to be justified by it is to be justified by a worke of our owne for with the heart man beleeveth Rom. 10. 9 10. That which justifieth us must be perfect and so it is no act of ours for all our Righteousnesses are as filthy rags c. Isai 64. 6. Not of workes least any man should boast Ephes 2. 9. Before wee had faith it seemes wee were not in Christ or in him and not justified for wee were in him before the world was Ephes 1. 4. And that at one time God should be angry with us as he is with all unjustified persons who are out of Christ Heb. 12. 29. He hateth all the workers of iniquitie Psal 5. and that our beleeving should make him to be at peace with us this is to make God changeable like man which is contrary to the Word for with him is no variablenesse Jam. 1. 17. I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. Nothing can be charged upon Gods elect Rom. 8. 1. therefore they are justified 2 Cor. 5. 19. Those who have no sin upon them are justified but Christ hath taken away all the sinnes of the Elect Job 1. 29. with Isai 35. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 6. 6. And to say wee are not justified before God untill we beleeve is to say Jesus Christ hath not justified us which is contrary to the Scriptures which saith Wee are accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption by his bloud Ep. 1. 6 7. We are justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. Jesus Christ hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud Rev. 1. 5. Wee were reconciled by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 9 10. A full satisfaction Heb. 10 11 12 13 14. And in this God is well pleased before wee beleeve Mat.
3. 17. Isai 53. 11. Also to say we are not justified before God or in his sight untill we beleeve is to say we must adde our work to Christ to make up our justification before God and if it be so then wee in part save our selves and if we doe joyne with Christ in this worke why may wee not joyne with him in the glory of it for that may be esteemed one of the greatest parts of our justification without which we cannot be justified But this derogates from Christ and all such tenets we are to hate with execration For saith Christ I have troden the wine-presse alone and of the people there was none with me Isai 63. 3. Wee rather say if wee beleeve not yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2. 13. What the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us is perfect and is by God imputed to us so as it is really ours though it be inherent in another and by beleeving it wee know it to be ours Rom. 4. 24. First Not any shall be saved by Christ but those who were predestinated in him according to his eternall purpose Eph. 1. 4 5. 3. 11. And that there was not any foreseene faith or works in any kinde why he chose these rather then others the will of God was the cause one was chosen and not another all was according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise and glory of his grace Ephes 1. 5 6. Are we better then they no in no wise c. Rom. 3. 9. It was from his great love wherewith he loved us Ephes 2. 4. This love of God was the cause of Gods sending Christ Joh. 3. 16. and the chiefe cause of mans election and salvation 1 Joh. 4. 10. Eph. 1. 4. Joh. 17. 23. And that it is impossible for this great love to decrease or increase because it is infinite as appeares by Psal 139. 17 18. Jam. 1. 17. God is perfect and infinite he knows and understands all things that ever were are or shall be at once So he is one pure act therefore when we were chosen in Christ wee were justified and compleat in him God looked upon the Elect to be in Christ before the world was Ephes 1. 4. and so he ever lookes upon the Elect So that they ever appeare to him perfect and righteous as Christ for they are one and are in him 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yee are in Christ Jesus and ever shall be in him being justified freely by his grace in his sight Rom. 3. 20. 24. God properly was never wroth with Christ nor the Elect and therefore Christ could not suffer Gods wrath see Heb. 2. 9. So that in respect of their justification God seeth no sinne in any of the Elect even before their calling and after And as it is Gods will so it should be ours to set his glory above our salvation that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 5 6. Ephes 2. 7. Secondly In time the Elect did breake a holy and just Law and so lay under the curse and wrath of it which was death Rom. 3. 21. 23. Christ in our nature for our persons suffered death Heb. 2. 9. the penalty to free all the Elect so that they are now actually justified by Justice That he might be just Rom. 6. 15. 3. 25 26. If God should have justified us without this propitiation after he had made this Law and we breaking it he could not have been just but having received this propitiation he could not be just if he did not justifie the Elect That he might be just and the justifier c. Rom. 3. 26. Thirdly The soule by faith doth apprehend and apply Christ and what he hath done to be for him by which it knoweth it selfe to be justified in the sight of God and in the Word and in his own conscience Whence flowes joy and peace in beleeving Rom. 5. 1. because all that beleeve are justified And as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Act. 13. 39. 48. So that by beleeving I know I am ordained to eternall life because Gods word saith so and that wee are justified in his sight without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 20. 28. viz. by faith wee apprehend our selves to be freely and fully justified by Christ without any workes of our own Gal. 2. 16. without any addition of inherent goodnesse in us c. Fourthly by our workes in our outward subjection to Christ to his word we declare to men as farre as they can judge that we have the faith of Gods Elect 2 Pet. 1. 1. Thou O Lord knowest the hearts of all men but faith without workes is dead to men and buried also James 2. 18. 20. If there be no workes they can see nothing of it shew mee thy faith by thy workes Yee see then how by workes a man is justified 21. 24. In the 1. we are justified in respect of the knowledge and purpose of God in his sight Rom. 3. 20. In the 2. we are actually and vertually justified in Justice by the bloud of Christ which payd the debt now the full price the full debt being paid is it justice in law by God or man to require it againe surely no. In the 3. wee are justified in our Consciences by the holy Spirits manifestation and application of Christs righteousnesse unto us In the 4. and last we are justified before men or unto men Object If it be so that men are loved of God c. before they repent and beleeve then men may live as they list c. Answ We are to own and confesse the truth and not what men of corrupt minds and base spirits will say and will doe the Apostle saith If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. But what if one say it seemes the Apostle incourages men to sin to tell them there is an Advocate who is alwayes heard And the Apostle saith Where sinne hath abounded grace did abound much more Rom. 5. 20. By the Apostles answer it appeares some did say they might continue in sin that grace might abound what shall wee say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead in sin live any longer therein c. Rom. 6. 1 2. But this is an old cavill and slander cast upon those that teach the truth as the Apostle saith it was then in his dayes We be slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say let us doe evill that good may come whose damnation is just Rom. 3. 8. Their exception is against the truth of God and therfore we leave them to God to answer and satisfie them And though all the Elect are freed from the curse of the Law yet we establish the Law Rom. 3. 31.