their nothing hee may create the fruit of the lips peace and he well vphold Gospell Ministery and the power of both in the midst of the enemies and although they be neuer â—o fâ—râ—â—us yet Mica 2.7 His Spirit shall not be streightned but his Word shall still bee good to such as walke vprightly And of these two Articles seuen Branches so much Q. What is the third Article of the second Part A. That the act of God the Father imput ng rhe merit of the Actiue and Passiue righteousnesse of our Satisfier to a sinfull soule is the true formall and being cause of his Iustification Q This Doctrine of Imputation is somewhat darke to me Rom. 4 6. 2 Cor. 5.17 therefore explane it and first the phrases vsed by the Holy Ghost for somâ—time he speakes of Imputing somewhat sometime of not imputing and againe in one place hee speakes of Imputiâ—g righteousnesse sometime of Imputing Faith to righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 Cleare these termes A. By the terme of not imputing Sinne and not imputing Righteousnesse he intimates in how many respects Châ—ist hath holpen vs to wit both to forgiuenesse in the one being made sinne for vs and to acceptation in the other by clothing vs with his righteousnesse yet so as by both Actiue and Passiue righteousnesse iointly not seueraâ—ly considered Conferre Psalm 32.1 with 2. Cor. 5.17 where both couering sinne and reconciling are made the effects of not imputing sinne By the second phrase we must conceaue one thing to bee meant For its familiar with Paul to vse these two phrases for one thing namely imputation of Faith and of righteousnesse Not that faith can in any sence be our righteousnes but because Christ apprehended by faith is the same thing with Faith it selfe in the Scripture Besides we know faith must euer concurre with imputation in the act of it and therefore the Holy Ghost honors it with the name of being imputed to righteousnesse That Faith must needs so concurre note three things in this worke First God enables the Soule to beleeue on the Lord Iesus by the promise and the spirit thereof Secondly the Soule yeeldeth and consenteth Thirdly God casteth heereby this righteousnesse thus beleeued vpon the Soule and imputes it to pardon and life Faith then alway concurres with imputation the life wherto may be said of iustification which it were blasphemy to ascribe to faith seeing its God that iustifieth but yet Faith is still said to iustify because of her necessary concurrence The which Phrase is tropicall the instrument being put for the principall agent Otherwise in proper speech alas How shall poore faith apprehend in the soule an infinite righteousnesse except we take it thus that God by faith as his owne instrument doth conuey all the obiect of Christ at once into vs And this I would haue the Reader to marke for two causes The first to decide that Question so much demanded whether faith apply Christ in each of his merits particularly or no To which I say that it is the worke of God the Father to proportion the merits of Christ Iesus in particular to the soules need its God the Father who accepts the merit and therfore he onely can proportion it Poor finite faith though it know neuer so much of the particular merit yet cannot do it because the merit is infinite Faith onely hearing the offer of God already reconciled and appeased by this merit to be freely tendred to her receaues this tender as God makes it that is all the Lord Iesus made by God to the soule wisedome righteousnesse and what else soeuer So that whether wee comprehend the thing offred or no it s no materiall if we beleeue the offer to be truly made to vs we receaue it in the kind wherein God bestowes it and in a word when we cannot comprehend it the Lord comprehends vs. So that faith is casting of the soule vpon the offer of Christ from the Father giuing him all at once in all his good things which the Spirit reueales and the more the better yet faith is not in this most to bee admired for particular applying each benefit but for her accepting of what the Lord hath couched in the offer that is whole Christ Secondly I say this answer is to be noted against a Schismaticall opinion of some that hold the Act of Beleeuing to be that which God accepts to iustification A dangerous conceit which makes Christ a meer seruant to faith and vnder the colour of ascribing honour to faith takes away all Christs preeminence For although this opinion exclude not Christ wholly from the reckoning yet in the act of iustifying it onely giues all to the worke of faith And they say As the act of Adams sin condemned him so the act of our faith iustifies vs. But the Paralell is foolish and absurd Adams sin might condemne himselfe and vs but our faith can neither saue ours nor our selues of it selfe that which it saues vs by is the obiect and merit which it apprehends and that by the act of Gods imputing it to vs. Q. You seeme to make imputation an act of Gods free grace but the word is vsed as an act of iustice for Paul saith To him who worketh righteousnesse is imputed by debt A. I answer Paul there opposing Iustification by works and iustification by Faith Rom. 4.4 5 for the more curâ—ant expression vseth one word in both cases but very improperly For it s as if a man should say to his debtor Pay me an hundreth pound and I will impute it as an whole discharge This we know is no proper speech for in such a case its small thanke to him to impute that for which hee is bound to giue acquittance so that imputing properly is gracious For it is such an act of God as comming betweene our beleeuing and his iustifying doth not legally take any discharge of debt from vs but doth graciously impute that which is not ours as if it were ours for the making of vs guiltlesse and accepted Q I conceaue you somewhat better Howbeit I still see that imputation is of such a thing as is our owne really why then not as well of a thing inherent viz. a righteousnesse of our owne as the Papists dreame A. Because these two haue a winde difference viz. to be really made ours and to be from or inherently in vs. The righteousnesse of Christ imputed cannot iustify vs except it be ours how be it it is so not because it comes froÌ„ within vs but because it s cast vpon vs and in a word it s not first in vs and then imputed but first imputed and then made ours Q. But can meere imputation make a thing really ours A. Yea. Nothing can be more reall then imputation The imputing of a man is reall when he imputes an vncertain and vndue payment as if certaine and due and this is good and firme among men 2 Sam. 19.19 23. Dauids not imputing Shemei's rayling
by faith in me Note the phrase Iustification is much ascribed to faith As Act. 13.38 Rom. 5.1 Rom. 3.25 but heere sanctification also So Act. 15. Hauing purified their hearts by faith 1. Pet. 1.22 And Saint Peter Hauing purified your harts by faith to the obedience of the Gospell Yea the Apostle Paul Ephes 1.13 seems to make faith to bee the instrument of the spirit sealing the soule After ye had beleeued ye were sealed by the spirit of promise faith attending the Spirit in beleeuing the promise it selfe doth further attend also the seale of it and applies both to the soule The reason is because although the seale is aboue a word yet it 's by a word and with it and not else Q But here it a great scruple how faith should be the apprehender of both these at once viz forgiuenesse of sinne and renuing of the soule For who sees not how wide a difference there is betweene receauing a thing without vs as imputation of righteousnesse and a thing really inherent in our natures as the image of God and renouation A. I grant the point needeth due consideration yet as the Lord shall guide me I will endeauour to answer it And seeing the truth hereof is as cleere in the Scripâ—ure as any one therefore the manner thereof wil the better be found out To this end note that faith being the instrument of the spirit in both the acts of regeneration I meane reconciling and renuing doth of necessity attend the worke of the spirit in both If then it be true which I sayd that the spirit reades a lecture of the Couenant to the Soule according to the whole purpose thereof then needes must faith do likewise euen follow the direction of the spirit in applying them equally to her selfe for faith is as the eye of the handmaid to the Mistres that is do that which the spirit suggesteth and takes all which the Lord offers her euen the Lord Iesus at once and wholly If the spirit say take Christ both for pardon and sanctification lo it takes him for both together of the former there is no doubt Let vs see for the latter Eph. 1.18 the Apostle prayes that the eyes of the mindes being enlightned by faith they might ver 19 20. see the exceeding powerfull and mighty worke of the Lord Iesus in them that beleeue that is whaâ— hee can doe by the power of his death and resurrection So in Eph. 3. end he praies that they might haue Christ dwel in their harts by faith that so they might comprehend his length and depth that is take him as hee is to the soule and haue the knowledge of him that passeth all knowledge beeing filled with his fulnesse So that faith takes the Lord Iesus in his fulnesse that shee might bee compleate in him both for mercy and sanctification So if we looke Ioh. 17. vlt. As thou O Father art in mee and I in thee so thy loue may be in them and I in them Marke Christ is not onely offred to the elect to be for them in pardon but to be in them to dwell to rule to comand to exercise power ouercorruption and for gouernment to bee as a soule in the body to act guide and beare sway in them as the branches in the vine out of which they wither so that the promise offers Christ both for vnion of reconciliation and also Communion and influence of grace In both which she takes him for he is not diuided a pearle is little worth being broken Now then looke how the hand of the Prophet was vpon the Kings in shooâ—ing so is the hand of the Spirit vpon the soule in beleeuing and as the hand of the writer vpon the learner to frame it his way so is the spirit vpon faiths hand And as the wax takes all the whoâ—e print of the seale so doth faith of the promise by the hand of the spirit So that although its certaine that nothing is more vnlike than the things themselues which faith applies in the manner of apllication the one taking a grace onely imputed and resting onely in the act of God casting forgiuenesse vpon the soule without any addition of inherent goodnesse to it the other taking Christ as infused and dwelling in the powers of the soule yet this puts no difference vpon the apprehension of faith seeing with one hand and one act both the Lord offers them the Spirit ioynes them the soule beleeues them The spirit is that which doth order these two benefits and settles them vpon the soule and in the soule but faith with one hand and act doth receiue them according to the seuerall vse and seruice as the spirit pleases to apply them It pleases the law to conveigh a Copy-hold by Court roll and a free hold by other conveyance of writing seale deliuery and possession but the same hand takes the copy and receaues the liuery and season So heere Q. What doth faith in the application of this Gift of Reneuation or the new creature A. Two things It workes the heart to be renued by an argumentation See 2. Cor. 5.14 For the loue of Christ constraineth vs because wee thus iudge c. Marke faith iudges the matter aright and passes a sound verduict vpon it If Christ haue so loued vs how should our soules earne toward him in all conformity to his blessed nature faith is in this as in all other respects a deepe Logician shee argues for God strongly shee brings euidence vnanswerable for him that as a she carries about her the marke of a diuine cause beeing the most Divine worke of God that ever hee did since the Creation above all the gifts of Adam and ayming at a better end so she carryes also strong reason to move the soule to bee like to her workeman and to resemble his holy nature The word constreine vs signifies such an hemming in as of the beast in a Pound or Pinfold that is put into it and câ—nnot get out by any euasion so doth faith controll the heart that it cannot wind out must needs yeeld to bee as hee who hath imputed his righteousnesse to forgiue her that is righteous and holy The very savour and instinct of faith tends to holinesse she serves to abandon nature to set vp holines in the soule As she settles an imputed holinesse to iustifie from Christ so she cannot rest till she her selfe partake it within Such things as are alway lying among sweets cannot chuse but resemble and sauour thereof Faith comes from the divine breath of God and is his gift therefore cannot degenerate but as riuers flow from the sea and runne thither so doth faith come from God and returnes to him shee sins not till shee haue so pleaded for God that she haue drawne the heart to sauor him in his holinesse And secondly by infusion She is the Tunnel of the spirit to convey the renuing of the holy Ghost into the soule As the hand of the workman
discerning and practice Read therefore and consider Pray for blessing also that this Treatise may returne into your bosomes with double fruit If you profit not how shall strangers In hope whereof I commend your Reading to the Lord and my selfe to your prayers Farewell A necessary Table of direction how to finde any poynt contained in the Treatise The Table of the first part ARtic 1. Touching the integrity of Adams estate p. 1. The Explication of it generally to p. 2. particularly in his body to p. 3. In his soule to p. 4. In his person ibi The vses to p. 7. Artic. 2. Adams fall from his integrity p. 7. The explication of it 1. By the description of it p. 8. 2. The parcels of it ibid. partly circumstances p. 9. partly the causes eyther remote p. 9. or neere p. 10. The vses p. 12. Artic. 3. The misery of Adam fallen both by sinne and punishment p. 15. The explication of it in generall p. 15 16. In particular eyther first sinne and that Originall both guilt p. 17. and staine p. 18. So Actuall p. 20. Or secondly Punishment p. 21. The vses p. 22. Artic. 4. This misery is vniuersally ouerspredde the race of Adam p. 26. The explication of it generall p. 27. particular p. 29. the vses p. 30. Artic. 5. No possibility to manward out of himselfe to escape p. 33. The explication of it ibid. p. 34 The vses ibid. Artic. 6. The Morall Law preached soundly reueales this misery p. 37. The generall explication ibid. The particular First by knowledge of sinne p. 38. and that Actuall p. 40. First by dispersing mists of error p. 41. Secondly by giuing light p. 43. and that in tw particulars First Theâ—selues Secondly Penalties Themselues in fiue respects First Her authority p. 43. Secondly Her Coherence p. 44. Thirdly Her Royalty p. 45. Fourthly Her integrity p. 46. Fiftly Her extent p. 47. Then two Penalties p. 50. Secondly Originall sinne three waies First by termes of Scripture ibid Secondly by Comparison with Actuall p. 51. Thirdly by her properties First Eminency p. 52. Secondly Predominancy p. 53. Thirdly Perpetuity ibid. Fourthly Generality ibid. Fiftly Bondage p. 54. The vses ibid. Secondly by Conuiction of sin and that twofold eyther of iudgement p. 60. that eyther by remoouall of lets p. 61 Or effecting the worke and that many waies p. 63. The vses p. 66. Or else of the whole man p. 68 The explication of it in generall ibid. or specially in three things First the difference p. 70. Secondly the Nature of it the effects and end First Nature ibid. Secondly the effects three First stopping of bad course p. 75. Secondly vnsettling rotten peace p. 76. Thirdly Spirit of Bondage p. 78. The vses p. 79. Then the end p. 81. The vses p. 82. Or the extremities desperation and presumption p. 83. 84. and abuses p. 85. Heere of legall Rebellion The Nature of it vnfolded at large p. 87. The vses p. 92. Then the vse of the whole Doctrine of terror p. 96. Addition The Lord vpholds such as he will saue in this extremity and that by a secret hope p. 98. Explication of it p. 99. 100. The markes of it p. 101. The vses 102. to the end The Contents of the second part ARtic 1. That there is a deliuerance ordained for miserable man out of this thraldome p. 112. The explication of it ibid. the vses p. 113. A further opening p. 114. A further vse p. 116. Artic. 2. The onely meane and meritorious instrument to procure this is Iesus Emanuel p. 120. the Explication p. 120 121. Whereby this is done to wit by a satisfaction where two things First the Qualification of his person First by vnion and vnction Secondly satisfaction it selfe p. 122. the seuen welsprings of Saluation named p. 123. prosecuted after the first Incarnation with the vse p. 123. the second the Godhead with the vse of it 124. the third vnion of flesh with Word and the vse p. 126. the vnction and the vse 226. the fourth the merit and first of Actiue obedience p. 127 the explication of it fully to 130. The fift the Passiue obedience p. 130. the vses of both p. 134. the sixt the conquest with the vse p. 149. the seuenth the application of his merit and by what with the vse p. 153. Artic. 3. The act of God the father not imputing sin c. is the forme of our iustification in it selfe p. 157. the explication of it ibid. the vses p. 162. Artic. 4. The meane of externall dispensing this deliuerance is the offer of grace in the Gospell p. 176. the explication p. 177. the vses p 180. till 187. Artic. 5. That the Lord offring Christ to the soule doth not offer him barely but furnisht with al the benefits of his satisfaction p. 207. the explication and sorts of these benefits p 208. the things to bee considered herein are three First the difference p. 209. Secondly their order p. 211 Thirdly their nature in speciall where of vocation ibid. vnion p. 213. Iustification p. 214. Reconciliation ibid. Adoption p. 215. Redemption ibid. Regeneration p. 216. Sanctification p. 217. Glorification p. 218. The vses p. 219. Article 6. That the Subiect vpon which the Lord bestowes all these good things is his Church p. 223. Explication of sundry Names of the Church p. 224. The vse p. 228. The Adiunct of the Church Communion p. 234. though fouly mis-placed in p. 187. the Explication of it in the qualification and markes of it ibid. and p. 188. the exercise of it First In graces p. 561. Secondly In Ordinances p. 200. Thirdly In Seruices both to bodies p. 203. And soules p. 205 the vse p. 206. Artic. 7. The vse of this whole part viz. that wee beleeue this deliuerance to be our owne p. 234. The Explication of it ibid. whereof two things First the condition of fayth wherein it stands p. 235. Explication of it p. 237. the vses p. 246. Concerning sayth it selfe p. 250. What particulars fayth includes p. 251. the vse of the whole part p. 262. The Contents of the third part ARtic 1. That whoso is in Christ is a new Creature p. 6. the Explication ibid. Foure things considered First the Author p. 8. How he worketh p. 9. Secondly the Instrument p. 10. A question decyded about it viz. How fayth both reconciles and renues p. 11. what acts it performes p. 12. Thirdly the Subiect of it both in particular and generall p. 15. Fourthly the parts p. 16. the vses of the Article at large p. 17. Artic. 2. That the Lord requires that this new Creature thus framed in the soule breake forth into the whole course and conuersation p. 25 The explication ibid. things heerein considerable First the circumstances concerning the persons p. 26. or the conuersation it selfe p. 26. 27. Secondly the substance of conuersation and that in three things First the Graces qualifying it p. 28. Secondly the subiect of it and that in three
soule were knowne by vs and the blood of soules prized and pitied hen the preaching declaring of this righteousnesse Iob 33. would bee the scope of our labours Wee are Ministers or the Law but onely so as seruing the Ministery of reconciliation Let vs mainly looke to this to saue our selues and them that heare vs if wee haue wrought the vse of the last Article of the former part vpon them learne the skill of this second and linne not with God till he say to vs Deliuer him Iob 33.24 Mat. 13.44 Gen. 29.20 I haue receaued a ransome If wee could find this veine and the treasure hid in this field all our worke would bee as Iacobs seuen yeeres for the loue of Rachel sweet and easie For people also secondly Consider yee who haue truly felt that Serpent of the Law sting ye mortally in the other part come apply the remedy in this looke vpon this brazen Serpent and liue and first I say feele the strength secondly take hold of it and make peace for the former know without a promise from God there is no peace vnto yee and promise there can bee none without this satisfaction This is the strength of an offer and a promise it s else as he spake of the Serpent Nehushtan and a piece of brasse As sinne is the strength of the Law so is this price of the blood of Christ the strength of the promise Thou hast to deale with the Father in the point of iustifying thee ponder well then this strength as thou wouldst try the waight of Gold in the ballance If thou canst feele this strenght so farre as to say Esay 27 4. or to heare the Lord say 2 Cor. 1.10 Anger is not in mee I am appeased thou beginst well Anger abides in God without this price and thou art but as the bushes and dry stubble before it Be assured then that no promise speakes to thy soule and to thy heart except it haue this strength of Christ in whom each one is yea Amen Looke vpon a promise if thou need it as it s furnished with this for hence comes all wrath to be turned to loue this will make God willing to offer faithful to performe els not That bottomlesse depth of mercy in thy Iudge enemy cannot be gaged without this bucket by this thou mayst reach it Againe as this is sufficient strength so it is that onely which can redeem thee Let that Mountebanke of Rome who would bring thee to the treasure of Saints merits be odious to thee Say thus Mica 6. What shall I giue the Lord for the sin of my soule My gold or pearles Oyle or wine or the first borne of my body No he hath shewed me the onely way to be his righteousnes He redeemed vs sayth Peter not with pearles but with the precious blood of his Lambe Wilt thou go to the holy ones in earth Alas they were as vile as thou but for this and they haue no more of it then will serue their turnes Wilt thou go to Heauen to Saints and Angels Alas Esay 63. Abraham knowes thee not What then Mat. 25.6 wilt thou go to thy duties performances grace Alas they haue no blood of expiation in them all these will say Satisfaction is not in vs. Where then Surely heere onely If so abandon all cling to this onely And that is the second branch Take hold of this sufficient onely sufficient strength as the Prophet bids thee Iob 9.15 1 Pet. 3.19 Carry it with thee to thy Iudge make supplication to him in this strength Peter calles it the answer of a conscience good in the resurrection of Christ What euer enemy pursue thee at the heeles this is thy refuge that heere thou mightst haue strong consolation in all feares against all enemies Fearest thou the sins of youth or age The Lord Iesus was conceaued in the wombe that the infant elect which neuer saw light might be saued by him youth notwithstanding her disobedience age for all her rebellion might be forgiuen Do thy morall sinnes of murther stealth vncleannes swearing distresse thee This Lord Iesus fulfilled all righteousnes for thee Do thy spirituall wickednesses oppresse thee and the penalties of them an vnbeleeuing secure hard heart by the contempt of the Gospell The Lord Iesus suffred the powring out of his blood to breake the heart of those that pierced him vpon the crosse Art thou poore Thy Satisfier was so Rich He was the Lord of all Are thy sinnes great He dyed for Noahs drunkennesse Lots incest Dauids adultery Small Lo euen thy least vaine word cost him his life-blood 2 Cor. 5. â—1 But perhaps not some sinnes but sinne it selfe and the body of death troubles thee He was made sinne that knew none Oh then whatsoeuer sinne can say yet go on to the throne of grace as Heb. 4.16 and looke to finde mercy in time of need Doth the Deuill the gates of Hell conscience or the iustice of GOD threaten thee They can not saue for sinne if they doe thy conscience hath her answere to God against all And so plead this thy pardon to the Lord. Say thus Oh Father euen thou cuttest off thy plea in giuing this price in accepting it in offring of it to mee I Lord am heere before thee pinched and damned by my sinne if thou do not reckon it vnto mee Oh Lord I put this blessed price betweene me and wrath LORD haue no power to deny it me Euen I if I were left with an orphans estate could not keepe it from him LORD I am fatherlesse my orphans stocke is in thy keeping thou tookest it to bestow it Lord let my soule haue strong consolation in her seeking refuge to thee because this price warrants mee If a debtor be in prison and be bid to come forth he will answer I am heere for debt I cannot but if vrged he will lay hold vpon this Strength Surely some Surety hath payd my debt and then his heart answers I will come out Oh! so let this strength be layd hold on by thee if thou looke for deliuerance In the end of this second part I shall adde somewhat touching faith Meane time let this be as the riuer leading to the Sea Q. But what is the word of Imputation so oft vsed by the Holy Ghost in the matter of Iustification A. I am glad you haue mentiond it in so good season I answer that as this whole righteousnes is the materiall so this act of God the Father is the forme and beeing of a sinners iustification And it s such an act of God as being satisfied takes this righteousnes and reckons it to the needing soule as her owne although not hers to put vpon her an estate of as full and perfect freedome acceptance as if she had neuer sinned or had fully satisfied For looke how he dealt with our Surâ—ty made him sinne for vs thâ—t is imputed it which imputation
the euidence saying If these men will sweare thus I beleeue it So when the soule sees the bottomes of the promise of GOD to bee sound it waxes conuinced of the truth and answers Lord I cannot see why thou shouldst trauaile with mee thus to bring me vnder the condition and reueale thy promise with such euidence but I must needes be conuinced Surely thou hast done thus because thou meanest to pardon and saue me I am Lord vnable to gainsay thou hast perswaded me to beleeue Q. What is the third worke A. It is the cleauing of the soule to the Promise against all her feares doubts cauils For marke when it is conuinced of cleere truth the scales of darknes fall from her eyes When Naaman had weighed the Prophets promise of clensing his cauils vanished no more speech of Abana and Pharfar So Thomas being conuinced by Christs hands and sides The soule is set betweene vanity and mercy Iona 2.8 if mercy preuaile then lying vanityes cease Then the soule lookes off from her former doubts and beholdes the Temple out of the belly of the Whale It then begins to set close to the promise As if a man that grafts a sien in a stocke should fynd some clay stone to get betweene the one and the other to keepe the sap away and make it warp from the stock and pulling it out le ts the sien come close home to it Hence it is that a conuinced heart comes forth and sayth I cut off my carnall reason I see no sauor in it I cut of my bold presumption I renounce my slauish feare I abhorre my base mixtures of selfe and duties vertues and preparatiues of my owne I abandon all my former proppes of nature art experience Religion which kept me from mercy I cut al knots in sunder which I cannot vnloose and let all my tackling fall into the Sea and commit my soule to thy promise through rocks waues and shelues that if I perish I may perish onely I will for euer cling to thy promise do with me as thou wilt if I be deceaued thou hast deceaued me Thus the soule beeing conuinced claspes to GOD and affiances it selfe to him as the Iuy to the Oke so that breake the one and breake the other As the wife forsakes all and cleaues to her husband And this affiance causeth that sweet consent and naked obedience to the Word according to the Word and the extent thereof whereof read Esay 1.19 If ye consent and obey ye shall eate of the good things c. Consent looking at a promise and clozing with it as the seale with the waxe and it with the seale concurring therewith and beeing carryed in the streame of it against the motion of her owne rebelling heart as beeing ouercome and yeelding vp her weapons As Rebecca conuinced that the marriage was from God being called to speake answered I will go to Ishac And so followes obedience which hath a respect to a command of God nakedly considered in the promise of God As Abraham simply looked at the charge of killing Isac in the meere power of God Heb. 11.17 18 19. and so to the promise also of Isac not beholding Saras wombe See these two examples Luk. 5. of Peter and Luk. 6. of the Centurion I haue fished all night yet at thy Word Lord I will let downe And Say the word Lord and I beleeue Luc. 7.7 So the poore soule sayth LORD in my selfe I see little why I should thinke thy Word to concerne mee but seeing thou wilt haue it so I come in and kisse the Sonne submit to beleeue and put my selfe vnder the authority of thy promise Q. What is the last act of the soule about a promise A. The last differs not from the former saue in degree and it is the cleauing to a promise when there is strong vnlikelyhood presented to the soule eyther from the Lords leauing it to her selfe or in temptation or in deepe sence of vnworthinesse feare c. Then shee labours to cling to the promise by pleading it secretly as wee see in that rare example of the Woman of Canaan who was content to be put off by silence denyall yea taunts and although shee was called a Dogge yet she held close to the Word that Christ was the Son of Dauid A true Dog and happy in this that shee would not bee beaten off Therefore our Sauiour sayd She was of great faith Like to which was that of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.9 when those enemies beset him and the City he gat vnto God in the promise made to Salomon in 1. King 8.17 Oh Lord Thou saydst If when our enemies besiege vs round about wee come and pray in this place thou wilt looke downe and haue mercy Oh Lord looke now heere they are our eyes are vpon thee By which plea of an old promise yet as fresh as at first he preuailed Let vs do so in our streights with the promise of free reconciliation Q. Well what vse make yee of _____ Doctrine A. Manifold First confutation of those desperate enemies of a promise the Papists They say to cleaue to a promise by fayth with cleauing to it for saluation is a Doctrine of presumption But we answer that as their Doctrine of iustification is the true Doctrine of presumption of their owne works so their Doctrine of fayth is a meere Idoll and fancy They adde we must haue reuelations before we come to Assurance Wee answere it is true for although wee abhorre their fantasticall ones yet wee grant Reuelation of a promise is the true obiect of faith And because as in all other so in this point they crosse themselues I will conuince them by their owne words In the point of Transubstantiation they being put hard to it answere thus I will translate their words In their adored Sacrament of the Altar it is meet that the edge of all carnall reason bee blunted and that the wisdome of the flesh beeing banished wee hold our selues close to the Word Their meaning is Hoc est corpus meum But oh yee hypocrites Is the word so precious vnto ye yea a word which no body grants ye to be Gods but by imposture it becomes your owne that yee bid vs looke all reason in the Word and when we teach the Word must be of like vse in all doubts of conscience and Religion doe yee then eate your owne speeches What knot can hold a Proâ—eus Secondly instruction to all that haue beleeued the promise Vse 2 of Grace once and seen cause to cleaue to it nakedly to vse the same method in recouery out of their particular falles Men seeme heere to forget themselues They confesse in their conuersion they must come empty-handed to God But in their recouery out of their sins they thinke they must first repent and then beleeue But if ye will be wise as yee vse the Lord at first so vse him after and hauing sinned let mercy first breake your hearts and