THE ETHIOPIAN EVNVCHS CONVERSION OR The summe of thirtie Sermons vpon part of the eight Chapter of the Acts. By SAMVEL SMITH Minister of the Word LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Thomas Alchorne and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Greene Dragon 1632. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir RICHARD NEWPORT Knight one of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace for the County of Salop Grace mercy and peace be multiplyed Right worshipfull THe whole bodie of Theologie may well bee rendered into these two heads The knowledge of God and of our selues the latter consists principally in the knowledge first of a mans naturall misery secondly of his selfe-insufficiencie to come out thereof And thirdly the All-sufficiencie that is in Christ And all sound preaching that aymes at the conuersion of hearers must ayme at these things as most necessarily to be knowne to life and saluation The Subiect matter of the ensuing History of the Eunuchs Conuersion is excellent to this purpose if the workmanship were sutable But herein haue I applyed my selfe to my countrey hearers euer endeuouring that they of the lowest forme might learne something But now as my defects in handling the History haue need to be couered and graced by the countenance of some who is of note and respect in Gods Church So why should I doubt of this fauour from you Sir hauing so constantly heard of your most religious respect vnto our Tribe and loue to the truth Blessed be his Name that hath so engrauen this part of his image vpon you whereby a good euidence is ministred vnto your own heart that you are translated from death to life It is the portion but of a few and therefore you are to esteeme it your greatest honour and your vnperishing riches whereas all earthly greatnesse abstracted from this cannot make you truly happie Theodosius that Noble Emperour was wont to say Magis se gaudere quod Membrum Ecclesiae Dei esset quam Caput Jmperij He accounted it more honour that he was a member of the Church then Head of the Empire Hoc est enim omnis homo Eccl. 12.13 To feare God and keepe his Commandements Continue herein and let your works be more at last then at first I dare promise your conscience more true tranquillity herein and your person more honour then the whole world besides can affoord you And thus humbly crauing pardon for my boldnesse I commend this worke to your reading The Noble Ethiopian to your imitation and your body and soule with all yours to the protection of the Almightie My selfe remaining At your worships seruice SAMVEL SMITH A Short view of such Doctrines as are enlarged with their Reasons and vses in this Booke Doctrines MInisters must discharge their duties notwithstanding all appearance of danger Page 9 Faithfull Ministers most subiect to persecutions Page 13 Good Angels serue for the good of Gods people Page 20 God will teach men by men Page 26 Good Ministers sometimes discouraged when they see not the fruite of their Ministery Page 37 Ministers must bee called before they preach Page 42 Wee must yeeld obedience to Gods Commandement though we see no reason Pag. 48 We are to take speciall notice of the obedience of Gods seruants Pag. 54 It is a rare thing for great men to bee good men Pag. 60 Of all sorts of men God hath some that belong to his kingdom Pag. 70 The Gentiles to be called Pag. 75 The greatnesse of none may exempt them from the performance of holy duties Pag. 77 The publike assemblies of Gods people ought highly to be esteemed and diligently frequented Pag. 87 Catechising a necessary duty Pag. 104 Religious duties ought earnestly to be pursued Pag. 109 A true Christian must bee the same in priuate hee is in publike Pag. 121 In Gods worship we must setch our direction from Gods word Pag. 125 Godly must bee conuersant in the Scripture Pag. 133 Men must diligently reade the Scripture though many things bee therein obscure Pag. 141 God will be found in the vse of the meanes that hee himselfe hath appointed Pag. 149 Ministers must still haue a calling for that they doe Pag. 154 God hath a seasonable time to speak to his people Pag. 163 A great mercy of God to send a faithfull Minister vnto a people Pag. 168 God giues things not onely for necessity but for ornament and delight Pag. 176 God loues cheerfulnesse in his service Pag. 185 Truth of Gods word not to be measured by outward appearaÌ„ce Pag. 193 Ministers to instruct in priuate as preach in publike Pag. 198 Holy duties must bee performed with vnderstanding Pag. 205 Signe of a gratious heart to confesse ones ignorance Pag. 211 Humilitie an excellent ornament in a Christian Pag. 217 Men by nature vnderstaÌ„d nothing in the Sâ—â—â—ptures Pag. 224 Without preaching of the word impossible truly to know Christ Pag. 233 We must not only see our ignorance but labour to come out of it Pag. 242 Great men must be great Professors Pag. 253 Christians ought to bee dayly conversant in the Scriptures Pag. 254 Christ the true sacrifice for sin Pag. 262 A dangerous sin for man to bee Instrument of his owne death Pag. 278 Christ went willingly to death Pag. 289 No other way to purchase life to the Church but through Christs death Pag. 301 As Christs death is cause of mourning his resurrection is cause of reioycing Pag. 334 Godly must through afflictions enter into glory Pag. 337 Christs death momentany but his life perpetuall Pag. 361 Heauenly truths are hardly beleeved and applied by vs. Pag. 366 In all straights goe to Gods Ministers for direction Pag. 378 True knowledge of God comes not by nature Pag. 378 Gods word must bee handled with all reuerence Pag. 384 Ministers must choose special texts on speciall occasions Pag. 393 Christ the subiect matter of true preaching Pag. 397 End of the preaching is to bring mâ—â—â—â— Christ Pag. 405 Time 〈◊〉 to be well spent Pag. 411 God neuer wanteth meanes for the good of his seruants Pag. 414 Gods will once knowne must be obeyed Pag. 419 Hartie Christians must be harty in their profession Pag. 421 Ministers must first instruct their people before they administer the Sacrament vnto them Pag. 433 Faith necessary to the due participation of the Sacraments of the Church Pag. 438 No perfection of Faith here Pag. 451 A beleeuing heart is a sincere heart Pag. 457 A particular Faith necessary to salvation Pag. 469 True Faith hath euer Christ for the obiect of it Pag. 481 All must stoupe to Gods ordinance Pag. 490 No place since the death of Christ more holy then another Pag. 495 The Lord would haue his seruants setled grounded in the truth Pag. 509 Sound Conuersion breeds sound ioy Pag. 514 The calling of a Minister a laborious calling Pag. 537 The Ethiopian EVNVCHS Conuersion ACTS 8.26 27 c. AND the Angell of the Lord spake vnto Philip saying
Angels to attend them Psal 34. 3 Haue a heauenly Father to take care to prouide for them Mat. 6. 4 Haue assurance that their names are written in the booke of life Mat. 1â— 5 Are reserued for a glorious Kingdome 6 That crosses Rom. 8. miseries and afflictions shall all turne to their comfort and death to their advantage And haue not these cause to reioyce Reas 4 Besids hath not a godly man a good conscience and is not that a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 The poiut is cleare let vs first remoue some doubts that may lye in the way before we come to the vses Doe we not see that many of those that goe vnder the name of Gods people men that heare the word diligently c. Seeme to be strict Christians in their liues yet goe heauily hang downe their heads and mourne more then others where then is their ioy Besides none liue more merily and haue their liues full of iolity and pleasures then wicked men that run most licentious courses make no reconing or accompt at all of grace or godlinesse Giue mee leaue to answere to them both Resp 1 Concerning the Godly it is true their ioy is not seene to the world but for the most part is secret and inward and therein doth abound when otherwise their liues many times seeme to bee full of misery for as Salomon saith of the ioy of wicked men In the middest of laughter the heart is sad Pro. 13.14 So may it as truely be said of the Godly in the middest of their sorrowes their hearts are full of ioy Howbeit their ioy is not carnall nor in carnal things as before in the time of their vnregeneracy for so saith the Apostle As sorowing 2 Cor. 6.10 yet alwayes reioycing Secondly If the Godly at any time seem to be full of sorrow and heauinesse it is not Religion and godlinesse that makes them so but rather indeed the want of it See this in Dauid Thou didest turne away thy face from mee and I was sore troubled When the Lord shall withdraw himselfe at any time from his seruants as one that will not be spoke withall no mervaile then though trouble and anguish sease vpon the soule Resp 3 Thirdly this thing so comes to passe many times in the godly by reason they are ignorant of their owne present condition they are not able to iudge aright of their owne estate and herein depriue themselues of that comfort which otherwise they might haue living more by sense then by Faith A man may haue true grace and yet for the present want the vse and comfort of the same which the Lord is pleased to with-hold from them to humble them to make them search more narrowly after their corruptions thereby to discouer some sin that yet hath not bene discouered and to make them to prise his fauour and loue at the higher rate when the Lord shall bee pleased againe to smile vpon them Resp 4 And last of all Though the Godly somtimes be in heauinesse yet their heauinesse shall bee turned into ioy as our Sauiour saith Ye shall sorrow for a season but your sorrow shal be turned into ioy So Paul wee are afflicted on euery side but not forsaken cast downe 2 Cor. 4.8 but perish not Marke the vpright man and behold the iust Psal 37. the later end of that man is peace Nothing is more sure and certaine then comfort to the Godly after their time of mourning But now come vnto a wicked man he hath many times the semblance of ioy but no true ioy it is not harty nor sound in the face not in the heart the reason is a wicked man hath in his bosome a halter that strangles his ioy a guilty and an accusing conscience which howsoeuer hee labours to smother and stifle yet is alwayes telling him heauy newes so true is that of the Prophet Esay Esay 48. vlt. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God But these are the men that seem to haue the pleasant liues Obiect Is their condition the better Answ because they are insensible of their misery haue we not seen a fellow drink and swill the same morning hee hath gone to the execution would any enuie this mans felicitie and desire his condition how many traitors haue had a Satten sute on their backs when they haue loked euery day to be quartered Surely all the mirth and pleasures of wicked men is none other hee is euer destitute of the true ground of ioy and that is Gods spirit assuring his soule of the pardon of sinne Now ioy is a fruite of the spirit Gal. 5.23 and wanting this such must needs want true ioy And howsoeuer a wicked man doth not by and by meete with the wages and stipend of his sins but hath ioy now in stead of sorrow yet as our Sauiour saith Woe to you that now laugh Luk 6. for you shal wayle and weepe as they haue multiplied their sins so shall their sorrowes bee multiplied at last when the Lord shall cause them to possesse the sins of their youth Iob 13.26 We come to the vses Vse 1 Seing then that sound conuersion breeds sound ioy This may then in the first place serue to stop the mouthes of those that thinke a Christian life to be the most vncomfortable life that may be and conceiue that when men once begin to liue a Godly life they must then bid adieu to all ioy mirth whatsoeuer Thou lyest thou prophane worldling as our Sauiour said I haue meate to eate that ye know not of So hath the child of God a ioy and reioycing that the world knowes not of Indeede now his cheefest ioy is not in eating and drinking in vaine pastimes and pleasures as in times past But in the inward consolations of Gods spirit The Kingdom of God standeth not in meate and drinke but in righteousnesse and peace ioy in the holy Ghost This peace this ioy the world knowes not and whilest the wicked mock and scoffe thereat the righteous solace themselues therein Surely this disgrace thus put vpon Gods people and on the profession of the Gospel that it ouerthrowes al comfort and delight came not but from hell to dash the countenance of grace and godlinesse and to bring the profession of Religion more and more out of request Whereas indeed none haue more cause to ioy reioyce then they they haue their sins pardoned in the blood of Christ they haue the ministery of Angels to attend them haue a heauenly Father to care for them haue a Sanctified vse of all estates and conditions of life are assured their names are written in the booke of life and are reserued for an euerlasting kingdome what then should hinder their ioy Vse 2 Secondly this may serue my brethren to bring Religion and Christianity daily more and more into request with vs who would not liue a ioyfull life and see
admittance into the kingdome of heauen By that new and lining way which he hath prepared for vs through the veile that is his flesh Heb 10 19 20. Whereas in the sacrifice of the Masse there is no benefit at all to any of these vses And last of all this great worke that Christ hath wrought for vs should worke in vs thankfulnesse towards God there is nothing in all the world should affect our hearts more with thanksgiuing then this The common blessings that we receiue should at all times moue vs to thankfulnesse as our meat drinke c. but this aboue all Christs sufferings are the Christians treasure let our hearts be there and neuer let this worke of his be forgotten of vs. So opened he not his mouth Here we haue the reddition or application of the whole vnto the person of Christ that as the sheepe goeth vnto the slaughter and Lambe to haue his fleece shorne off so was it with Christ in the putting off of his tabernacle and laying downe of his life And herein hath left vs in his admirable patience of his an admirable paterne of patience and an example as the Apostle Peter saith of suffering affliction 1. Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we also should follow his steps who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered Vers 23 he threatened not but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously Now should we thinke much to take vp his crosse and to follow him to suffer afflictions for his sake and for his Gospels sake that hath suffered so great things for vs. Shall we not bee content to loose a little nay all if need be seeing wee shall receiue an hundred fold Mat. 29. And what though we meet with mockings and scoffings at the hands of men say with Dauid It may bee that God hath bid him do it 2. Sam. 16.11 Num. 12 Mat. 11.29 Moses suffered Aarons and Miriams reproofe patiently Take my yoke vpon you saith Christ The greatest honour that can betide any of Gods children is to suffer for Christ Phil. 1.29 So Paul To you it is giuen not only to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake But of this before VERSE 33. In his humiliation his iudgement was taken away and who may declare his generations for his life is taken from the earth THe Spirit of God hauing spoken of Christs humiliation of his death and passion how he was smitten and afflicted of God his Father for our sinnes Now lest any should bee dismayed beholding nothing but his death and those vnsufferable sorrows he vnderwent and think that he was swallowed vp of these as the nature of man is to feare at such a spectacle Hee therefore comes here to shew the notable victory he got ouer these In his humiliation his iudgement was taken away The meaning is Christ hauing beene thus humbled and brought so low not willingly but voluntarily seeing he had power to resist hee could haue commanded legions of Angels to fight for him for by his owne word he made those that apprehended him to fall backward to the ground yet was he content to be humbled to the death And in this his humiliation so meeke and humble so perfect and so exceeding great His iudgement was taken away that is the sentence he vnder went by Pilate vnder whom he suffered was remoued For that it was impossible he should be held downe by death Act. 2.24 He was at last taken away from prison Isa 53 and from Iudgement for as Christ saith Ioh. 19.18 I haue power to lay downe my life and to take it to me againe And who shall declare The meaning is that now that he is deliuered and set at libertie from the graue and from death Pilats Iudgement being remoued and the bitternesse of death being ouer past Who shall declare That is who shall set forth or expresse to the sonnes of men the meaning is it is beyond all humane art and Science to demonstrate the number of his dayes the length of his life or the perpetuitie of his kingdome the exceeding glorious successe of his death and resurrection againe according to that of the Prophet Who can number his seed Isa 53.10 or measure his dayes For his life is taken from the earth That is he liues now no longer vpon earth a place of mortalitie but in heauen a place of immortality he layed downe his life that he might take it to him againe He was cut off from the land of the liuing not for his owne transgressions for his very Iudge pronounced him innocent Mat. 27.24 But hee was taken off for the transgressions of the people euen for those whom God had giuen him to redeeme by that death of his according to that of the Prophet For the transgressions of my people he was smitten Isa 53.8 9. And now his Iudgement being remoued and hee againe raised from the dead dyeth no more Death hath no more dominion ouer him for he indeed dyed vnto sinne or for sinne once but now liueth vnto God or for God The summe then of this verse is this That Christ so humbling himselfe and meekly submitting himselfe to death and the graue in the very depth of his humiliation he was extolled his iudgement remoued the bands of death broken and himselfe set at libertie And now being raised vp againe his life is euerlasting his dayes past numbring and his kingdome shall neuer haue an end And therefore no man can be found that is able fully to expresse his generation for his life is no longer on earth but in heauen He is no longer subiect to mortality but is he who onely hath immortalitie and shall enioy the same for euermore Thus of the sense of the words In his humiliation was hiâ— Iudgement c. The Spirit of God hauing spoken of the death of Christ and how he was afflicted of God his Father for our sinnes lest any should now thinke the state of the Church desperate and forlorne or that Christ was swallowed vp of these miseries He comes now to shew the happy victory hee got ouer them all And herein will teach vs Doct. As Christs death is cause of mourning Christs resurrection is cause of reioycing That to behold Christs death that he dyed for our sinnes and not to consider his resurrection will cause nothing but sorrow vnto vs. It is the consideration of his glorious resurrection That he arose againe for our Iustification that yeelds the most solid comfort vnto a Christian soule And hence is it that the Apostle Paul doth vsually ioyne these two together Christs death and Christs resurrection that as the one doth cast downe the other might raise vp as the one might cause vs to mourne the other might cause vs to reioyce So Paul Phil. 2.8.9 He humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse rests he
the time of the Law before the comming of Christ very costly So likewise his paines in trauell was very great it being farre distant from that place to serusalem yet not withstanding it is not the cost nor it is not the paines in trauell that can keepe him back or any whit discourage him but vp will he goe to Ierusalem there to worship God and herein will teach vs That the duties of Religion must earnestly bee pursued and followed after Doct. The duties of religion must be earnestly pursued and followed after not coldly negligently and carelesly but earnestly zelously carefully and constantly Men must not stick for labor for cost for their paines but the Lord must bee serued intentiuely and constantly In euery seruice wee doe vnto God he calleth for this zeale and godly resolution to go thorough with the same And surely this was the great commendations of the Prophet Dauid that he had a zeale as hot as fire Psâ—l 96.10 The zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp This forwardnesse and zeale wee may see to haue beene in the people of God in building of the Temple wherein they spared no cost as also in their diligent repairing to the same wherein they spared no labour and to this are we exhorted Seek for wisdome as for siluer and search for it as for hid treasures Now they that worke in Mines of the earth dig deepe and are not beaten off with much labour such resolution becometh it Gods people to haue in seeking the true treasure The Lord cannot abide that men should go about his seruice negligently coldly and carelesly Cursed are they that do the work of the Lord negligently Ier. 48.10 and How long halt yee betweene two opinions 1 Re. 18.21 c. And it was that our Sauiour was so highly offended with the Church of Laodicea Ren. 3.15 that shee was neither cold nor not and therefore the Lord threatneth to spew her out of his mouth It was the commendations of those in the days of our Sauiour that they flocked after him and pressed vpon him And in diuers places we reade that multitudes followed Christ to heare his heauenly doctrine Yea our Sauiour â—â—â—onisheth vs to labour but for what Not for the meat that perisheth Ioh. 6 but for the meat that endureth to eternall life Zoâ—â—◠〈◊〉 quâ—â—ed 〈◊〉 â—uâ—â—â— paâ—â— oâ—â—â—oâ—â— woâ—â—sâ—â—â— And this zeale and diligence I â—â—igâ—â—t haue â—hewed how God requires the same in euery part of his worship and seruice As First in the preaching of the word Wee are commanded to preach the word in season and out of season 〈…〉 to improue rebuke and exhort with long-suffering and doctrine Secondly in hearing of the word we are commanded to bee swift to heare Iâ—â—a 2.19 Thirdly in prayer we are com manded to be feruent in prayer 3 Râ—â—â— â—â— 12 And in all the duties of sanctification wee are commanded to redeeme the time and to worke out our saluation And great reason First in regard that such as do the worke of the Lord negligently Reas 1 slothfully and carelesly lye vnder an heauie and a fearefull curse Cursed is euery one that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Ier. 4â— â—0 But such are all those that come negligently vnto Gods seruice and therefore lie vnder this curse Secondly to doe any dutie to God negligently and carelesly Reas 2 it neuer hath any promise of any acceptation with him There is no duty that we can assure our hearts shall finde acceptation with the Almighty further then the same is zealously performed in faith repentance and obedience to Gods Commandement Thirdly such as performe any duty formally Reas 3 customarily and but for fashion sake are in great danger to fall away euen from that they make shew of as our Sauiour saith That shall bee taken away which they seemed to haue This was the curse of the Church of Ephesus a drowsie and dead-hearted people Reu 2 5. Thou hast lost thy first loue Such drowsie Christians are alwayes vnder a spirituall consumption for it fares with such a one as with him that hath a Consumption of the body for there the naturall heate decayeth daily more and more and threatneth death Euen so such as haue a spirituall consumption of the soule the spirituall heat doth diminish and threaten destruction Fourthly Reas 4 earnestnesse and zeale in the publicke duties of Gods worship is an excellent meanes to prouoke others to be more diligent in Gods seruice And this the Apostle affirmes to the great commendations of the Church of Corinth Your zeale hath prouoked many 2. Cor. 9.2 And last of all Reas 5 without this diligence and zeale we haue no promise to meet with God in his ordinances Pro. 23.4 If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest vp thy voice for vnderstanding if thou seeke her as siluer and search for her as for hidde treasure What then Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God Feruency and zeale in good duties addeth wings vnto them and makes them sore aloft and pierce the heauens euen into Gods presence Whereas duties formally performed and but with lip labour onely bring no fruit at all but hasten Gods sudgements vpon him that doth them Seeing then that the duties of Religion are so earnestly to bee pursued and followed after Vse 1 This serues then for the iust reprehension of those that are so farre from being zealous themselues to trauell with the Eunuch here vnto Ierusalem to worship God as that they mocke and scoffe at others that doe their duties herein Certainly if this Nobleman liued amongst vs it were not his greatnesse that would free him from the imputation of Puritanisme and his zeale should not escape the disgraces of wicked men Is not this common in the world See wee not that if there be any one in a Parish as many God knoweth there be not that is more forward then others to sanctifie the Sabbath and to spend that day as set apart wholly for Gods seruice in the publicke duties belonging thereto how are these singled out aboue all others and derided and scoffed at for the same when drunkards swearers and prophane persons are neuer wondred at This hard measure Dauid met withall from Micol his owne wife 2. Sam. 6 20. who dancing before the Arke therein expressing the inward ioy of his heart she mockes him How glorious was the King this day To whom Dauid made answer It was before the Lord who chose mee before thy fathers house and I will yet be more vile Let it euer be the commendations of all Gods people so to be vpbraided and scoffed at for their godly zeale As for wicked men they are neuer so zealous as in the cause of sinne And this indeed is the misery of this age and time wherein wee liue that that which indeed is the greatest ornament to a christian man
the knife to the throat of our intemperate lusts and prepare for those more lasting pleasures Thirdly this giues boldnesse when we come vnto God especially in prayer when a man can say with Dauid I am thine Seruus sum expâ—cto alimentum à Domino Ambros O saue me this makes a man to come vnto God as a childe vnto a father and a seruant vnto a master with boldnesse to expect and desire things necessarie Whereas that man that wants this assurance wants therewith the principall royalties and priuiledges of Gods sonnes But do not many wicked men perswade themselues that they Quest haue this faith and full assurance of Gods fauour in Christ when indeed they haue it not but rather presume It is true Answ Sathan is Gods Ape and will in an apish imitation counterfeit the most excellent grace like a cunning Cheater that will foyst in slips for currant coine and these are so like to each other that many times the wisest are deceiued For the true faith of God Sathan hath his presumption which doth carry many a man along with this perswasion as if he had the faith of the elect And therefore as wise men will first bring their gold to the touchstone before it passe for currant so should a wise Christian bee carefull to try and to proue himselfe whether hee be in the faith lest he build vpon the sand and the same suffer a ruine in the end How faith may bee knowne from presumption Now true faith may be discerned from presumption diuerse wayes First of all by the ground of faith which ordinarily doth follow true humiliation for sinne For God vsually doth first humble whom he doth exalt Humiliation in the order of working of grace is the ground of exaltation I meane in a mans owne apprehension Otherwise I confesse there must be faith that must keep the soule in life hold it close vnto God that with Adam it flie not away from his presence to despaire Otherwise men would neuer repent and turne vnto him Well then try thy faith thus Didst thou euer truly see thy sinnes and that miserable condition of thine by reason of sinne so as thou hast euen passed the sentence of condemnation against thy own soule If the Lord should deale in iustice with thee hast thou gone mourning all the day long and made it the cause of thy chiefest sorrow thy sinnes done against so good a God and gracious a Father in Iesus Christ so as thou hast prised the pardon of them aboue all the world And to this end hast sought earnestly at Gods hands for the pardon of the same confessing thy sinnes bewailing thy offences hast sought his fauour in the middest of his Sanctuarie in the vse of his ordinances wherein he hath promised to be found of vs. If after all this I say we come now to bee perswaded of his fauour and loue towards vs that he hath receiued vs againe into fauour in the pardon of our sinnes in his owne Sonne This is vndoubtedly the worke of faith and not presumption But if on the contrary thou neuer yet sawest thy selfe in what case thou standest by reason of sinne neuer hadst thy heart truly touched with sorrow for sinne neuer yet camest to prise the bloud of Christ at such a rate that thou wouldest giue all the world for the least drop thereof for the sauing of thy soule but hast passed ouer thy time in securitie with the neglect of Gods ordinances as finding no such sweetnesse in them This is presumption and not faith Secondly presumption commonly is accompanied with grosse ignorance they vsually accompanie each other Now hee that thus perswadeth himselfe that he hath faith in Christ and yet liueth in blindnesse and ignorance deceiueth his owne soule for an ignorant heart is commonly a faithlesse heart A faithfull heart is euer a fruitfull heart for so faith the Apoltle As the body without the spirit is dead so is faith without workes dead also a presumptuous heart and a fruitlesse life go together And last of all presumption builds on the sands as the Papists vpon traditions but true faith hath euer an eye to Moses and the Prophets Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. c. True faith neuer separateth the end from the means but waiteth to see the face of God in the midst of his Temple Wheras presumption would haue the end though it regard not the meanes conducing thereunto I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God As the faith of the Eunuch was commendable for the nature of it it was a particular faith of his owne I beleeâ—â— So here the commendations of the same is further enlarged by the obiect of it it was such a faith as was fixed onely vpon Christ And herein will teach vs Doct. True faith hath Christ for the obiect of it That true iustifying faith is bounded and set vpon Christ onely Christ and hee alone is the obiect of true iustifying faith it looketh vnto Christ and resteth vpon him alone for life and saluation There is no one point more cleare in all the book of God then this The Sacrifice in the time of the Law with the brasen Serpent taught this vnto the Iewes that health and saluation is to be looked for onely in Christ As many as receiued him Ioh. 1.12 to them gaue hee power to bee made the sonnes of God euen to as many as beleeued in his Name Ioh. 3.6 God so loued the world that all that beleeue in him should not perish c. This we may see in that prayer of our blessed Sauiour Ioh. 17.20 I pray not for them alone but for all that shall beleeue on my Name Act. 16.30 Thus Paul and Sylas willed the Iaylor to beleeue in the Lord Iesus and he should be saued Againe Gal. 2.16 A man is not iustified through the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Iesus And hence is it that the faith of the elect is called The faith of Iesus And in this regard we are said to be iustified by faith not in regard of any qualitie inherent in vs or in regard of any such excellencie that faith hath in it selfe but in regard of the obiect of faith which is Christ in applying him his righteousnesse and obedience vnto a mans selfe as the hand doth the gold that is giuen it So that indeed to speake properly it is not faith that doth iustifie as of it self but Christ himselfe whom by faith wee apprehend The Doctrine is cleare The Reasons are Reas 1 First in regard that the whole worke of our saluation is attributed vnto him So Paul 1. Cor. 1.30 He is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Amongst men there is no other name giuen whereby we shall be saued Act. 4.12 but onely in the Name of Iesus Christ Heb. 7.23 Hee is able perfectly to saue all that come to God by him