of the children of darknesse Iames 4. 1. Now were it not for the enmity of this wicked One and ones against the Gospell there would bee no hurt in all the maintenance of holinesse Onely here note how wide they are that call for and commend an unlimited peace whereas the Gospell onely cals for a well conditioned peace 1. No peace is good but which flowes from peace w th God none against him defie that peace that is at defiance with the God of peace beware of an impious peace 2. No peace but joyned with holinesse Heb. 12. 14. carnall companionship is a peace in sinne drunkennesse swearing the devill divideth not his kingdome Christians must owne no such hellish peace detest such a prophane peace 3. No peace but with truth which is magnified above peace against popish pacification conversing with Papists shall wee betray the truth of God under the pretence of peace no peace without contention for truth 4. No peace but with good conscience secure Protestants will have peace in their sinnes let them alone they will let you alone runne with them they like you oppose godlinesse these precise wayes oh you winne them for ever but all is against the Gospell but better is a godly distraction than a wicked peace The Church and members must be in perpetuall warre while it is upon earth as Israel in the wildernesse had daily warres and resistances so all the Israel of God in the wildernesse of this world Hence it is that the Church of God on earth is called militant because it is an inseparable adjunct of it to be in perpetuall flight and battell Ephes 6. 12. wee wrastle against principalities and powers and that without intermission and if wee must still put on the armour of God this implyeth a perpetuall battell God will have us put a difference betweene heaven and earth and know that this is not our resting place and that rest is not gotten with ease hee will have us prize the worth of it in the difficulty danger and strife in attaining it he will crowne none without lawfull striving because none can overcome that fights not The Lord hereby provideth for his owne glory for whereas if it pleased him he might put forth his mighty power in preventing all molestation and overthrowing all his and the Churches enemies at once and so procure to his Church perfect peace and prosperitie even in the world but he more magnifieth himselfe in the victory of his servants than in their peace and they are more glorious in their faith constancy fortitude and patience than in their peace rest and security The state and constitution of the Church is such as none can be servants of Christ but souldiers for 1. So long as the enmity of the seed of the woman and the Serpent lasts there is no hope of truce or cessation of armes 2. There cannot be spirit but there will bee a combate betweene flesh and spirit which if neither the first Adam nor the second both in innocency can escape how shall wee expect to avoid it in state of corruption so long as there is light darknesse will fight against it 3. Where any grace is as is in every true Christians heart there is something worth stealing there the thiefe layeth battery where hee knoweth the treasure is yea the same men who were quiet enough before the appearing of grace are now so raged against it as if either inward temptation or outward fury can prevaile they shall be cast downe as Paul 4. Where there is but an entrance into the profession an admission into the family of Christ a receiving of our Captaines presse-money and a promise to fight the good fight of faith that is cause enough of quarrell and even so much or so little shall not want keene blowes from the dragon and the world 5. Suppose a man should want enemies without him yet he wanteth no enemie so long as hee carrieth about himselfe himselfe is exercise enough to himselfe all his life long and the better he knoweth himselfe the better shall hee know this truth The Lord hereby provideth for his Churches good and the furthering of her salvation and that many wayes 1. He letteth her see the great malice and hatred of the dragon against her and the extent of his mighty power against her against which shee could no way stand but in the power of God thus hee humbleth her in her selfe shaketh her out of her security driveth her out of her selfe and chaseth her to her fort and refuge even God himselfe her rocke 2. Hee letteth her see the desert of her sinnes in some measure and so to further her repentance for though hee have laid the chastisement of her peace on his Sonne yet he by these wicked instruments fatherly correcteth us as children so Iob 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possesse the sinnes of my youth This good the Lord bringeth out of the evill intentions of the dragon he both awakeneth the conscience to finde out and hunt out secret sins which before she was not aware of as this sharpe water of affliction cleareth her sight so she findeth that the greatest strength of the dragon is in her owne corruption she is now more wary to prevent sinne for time to come as the buffettings of Satan kept under Pauls pride and suffered him not to be exalted above measure 3. The Lord hereby setteth and keepeth all the graces of his servants in exercise and so preserveth and strengthneth them as the health of the body is preserved by bodily exercise so the health of the soule Now in conflict they find the use and worth and measure of their faith hope patience prayers which before were weake and languishing 4. The Lord setteth enimies perpetually in the necks of his servants not that they may be overcome but that they may not bee overcome hee knoweth standing brookes gather dregs that unused iron gathereth rust David in all his battels stood unconquered but in his peace and rest was soone foyled whereas in this battell none are foyled but cowards and none can hold out but are crowned Seeing he can be no Christian that knoweth no combates let us lay up the point of wisedome to forecast and make account of the battell and know we have blowes and bullets to passe through Holy Iob waited when his changes would come and it was his wisedome for time came when hee had thrust upon thrust messenger upon messenger yea changes and armies of sorrowes encamped about him in one day Chap 10. 8. Quest. How shall wee wisely forecast dayes of tryall and battell Answ. 1. Know wee have enemies round about such as will slip no advantage offered we say opportunity maketh a knave our enemies are wrathfull watchfull and never farre off 2. Labour to stand prepared Dost thou not see an enemy now in the field against thee yet bee wise in peace provide for warre a
end of falling Ester 6. 13. 4. The fervent and faithfull prayers of the Church are as an heavy Hatchet to knock the enemies on the head never could any prosper still that had the prayers of the Church against them Hezekiah prayes against Senacherib and Rabshekah and God sends a blast on them and shakes all their power in pieces 2 Kings 16. 6. The like in Haman Iudas Iulian. If this thundring Legion come against them they cannot stand against the showre and storme of shot like Haile that gals them on all sides more than all the Horsemen and Chariots than all the Muskets and Pikes mustered against them This was confessed by Marcus Aurelius Emperor to the Senate people of Rome the Christians by praier obtained for him a sweet showre of water when he wanted five dayes and a showre of Haile and Thunder and Lightning against the adversaries The Use hereof concernes both the godly and their enemies 1. The godly have hence a ground of patience and contentment and learne not to envie or fret at the exaltation of wicked adversaries consider the end and thou shalt see no cause see Nahum 1. 2. and Psal. 37. 7 10. 2. Here is comfort for the people of God a time comes when the place of Gods enemies shall not bee found Now they are in place and hope to prevaile but they cannot for 1. Satan the head of the dragon the God of peace shall tread under our feet Rom. 16. 20. 2. For those spirituall powers which he brings against us sin death hell and damnation they shall bee no more their place shall not bee found Rev. 20. 14. 3. For the world all that is borne of God overcommeth the world 1 Ioh. 5. 4. and it passeth away and the fashion of it shall bee no more 4. For wicked men and temporall enemies as Moses said to the Israelites at the Sea Those enemies whom your eyes hath seene to day ye shall never see more Exod. 14. 13. so may we say of these 5. For Antichristian and Popish tyrants and enemies yet a little while and they shall be found no more in the cup shee hath filled unto us shall be filled double No man shall buy her wares any more Rev. 18. 11. all her glory and wealth called fat and excellent things are departing and none shall finde them any more vers 14. with violence shal the great City Babylō be cast as a Milstone into the Sea be found no more ver 21 22 23. she hath brewed blood blood must bee her drinke Our owne Babylonians began not long since to prate of the price of Fagots to shew what they meditate and that they are of the right blood of their bloody Parents But I assure them fire and Brimstone shall bee cheape enough when that showre appointed fals upon that filthy Babylon to revenge their fiery rage against the Lords servants Thus shal the Elect see all their foes their footstool let us make our faith our present victory this shall bring fruition which is a full and finall triumph 3. It teacheth the godly seeing the place of wicked men shall not be found to make sure of a stable and firme estate and that is 1. By repentance and reconciling our selves to God see Iob 11. 14. and 22. 21. 2. By stedfastnesse in faith and other graces all our stability is founded in Gods covenant as on a sure rocke stable faith upholds the whole estate truth of faith and grace is an impregnable hold and fortresse but a wavering minde in faith and religion is restlessely tossed and carried every where by temptation or persecution from the truth 3. By joyning in Gods worship with Gods people Iob 22. 27. He that is a pure worshipper that lifts his face to God and makes his prayer and renders his vowes unto him the light shall shine upon his wayes when others are cast downe he shall say I am lifted up 4. By uprightnesse and integritie walking conscionably before God and man only uprightnesse and a good conscience can bring in a sure estate when an evill conscience rageth as the sea a good and pure conscience hath peace and confidence yea assurance in life and death The next Use belongs to the enemies of the Church and First to terrifie them in that they cannot chuse but worke their owne woe and wracke The woefull condition of persecutors enemies is that howsoever they lift up themselves against God and his truth they must come downe was it not a wofull fall of Haman when hee sought his life of Hester whose life hee had sought Now this must needs be 1. Because they fight with the Lambe and the Lambe overcomes them Rev. 17. 14. nay the Lambe will never leave them till they confesse themselves overcome Pharaoh with all his power chased Israel as a company of fearefull Hares before him but was not he forced to yeeld the bucklers were not his Sorcerers forced to say This is the finger of God Ex. 8. 19 did not himselfe beg prayers of Moses Aaron did not his Princes say Let us flie frō before Israel for God and the Lambe fights for them Did not great Nebuchadnezzar confesse himselfe overcome when hee cast the servants of God into the fire but could not command the fire to burne them when he loosed those whom he had bound and was forced to extoll whom hee had ignominiously vilified yea to absolve justifie and advance those whom hee had condemned Iulian must say Vicisti Galilaee 2. Their rage and fury against the Church makes them runne headily upon their owne ruine for it suffers them not take any good counsell but in pursuite of their chase march furiously as Iehu and plunge themselves into such a depth as they cannot wade out againe Could Pharaoh get back againe when himselfe his Princes power and Chariots were in the bottome of the Sea now hee found hee was too deepe and hee that found a way in could finde no way out had hee consulted with himselfe hee might well have thought that God made that not a way for him but for Israel whose businesse lay beyond Sea Could Haman get backe againe when hee had laid that wicked plot without breaking his owne necke Could Iudas having betrayed innocent blood get backe againe without shedding his owne 3. Their instance and furious pursuit of their purposes carry them so farre that commonly nothing can be the deliverance of the Church but their owne destruction as in the former examples of Pharaoh and Haman The like we might observe in that fierce intended invasion of 88. and the same in the Hellish Powder-plot wherein the godly came out of trouble and the wicked came in his stead Thus saith Salomon The wicked shall bee a ransome for the just and the transgressors for the righteous Prov. 21. 18. Such is the irreconciliable rage of wicked men as having the godly at advantage no ransome will be taken and they have no ransome if it
of his foule death and damnation both in soule and body with many passages after his buriall and stirre of the devils about him which comming to Luthers hands hee answered Of Queene Elizabeth they spred in forraine parts some yeares before shee dyed that shee was dead and had reconciled her selfe to the Pope Iohn Husse yet alive was accused that hee affirmed a fourth person in Trinity who when he desired the author or witnesse to bee brough forth and could not obtaine cryed out O miserable man that I am who am forced to beare such blasphemies and standers 2. Another note of an impudēt blasphemer accuser is to accuse in things wherein himself is most guilty With what impudency did Potiphars wife accuse Ioseph of incontinency when only her selfe was unchaste and the solliciter Satan accuseth Iob before the Lord that if hee touch Iob a little hee will curse and blaspheme him to his face whereas nothing is more usuall with Satan himselfe than to curse and blaspheme God perpetually Nero to picke a quarrell against the Christians set Rome on fire and charged the Christians with it hence were they apprehended clad with skinnes of beasts and torne in pieces with dogs and many crucified and heapes of them cast into blazing fires as if they had been cōmon burners destroyers of men The most treasonable massacre that ever the Sun saw was laid upon the pretended treason of poore innocent men drawne into the shambles as sheepe thirty thousand of whose throats were cut in one month At home the Parliament House must bee blowneup and the fact laid upon the Puritans with extreme and ridiculous impudence whereby also Papists charge us with heresie with corrupting the Scripture with Idolatry c. and as impudently doe grosse Recusants accuse conformable men of inconformity some of faction being most factious themselves Athaliah cryes Treason 3. The impudency of accusers appeareth in that when they can prove nothing they lay many hainous things upon the godly to oppresse them with multitude and make the world thinke something must be true among so many and whereas one such crime would beare action enough if true they lay on loade with all manner of crimes Daniels fellowes were charged with First singularity they alone stand out against the Image of the King Secondly Irreligion they will not worship the Kings God Thirdly rebellion and sedition they rebell against the Kings commandement Mar. 15. 3. the High Priest and Pharisees accused Christ of many things And Christians must expect from this impudence all manner of evill sayings for Christs sake falsly Mat. 5. 11. 4. To accuse all the godly for one is a note of an impudent accuser Haman thought it too little to destroy Mordecai but all the seed of the Jewes also For the quarrell is seldome private or personall but generall against all the persons of them that feare God Satan would root out all the godly The same cause that stirres up his wrath against one doth inrage him against every one that is Gods grace and Image Hence it is that no one good man can bee falsly accused but so is every good man in him for they are all alike all dissemblers hypocrites never a good c. See Satanicall impudency 5. A tricke of Satanicall impudency is for some persons sake to accuse the whole religion it self for it is not enough to throw downe the persons but the worship and religion of God also being so contrary to them which is apparent in a number of gracelesse men who never take offence against a godly man but presently flie upon his religion Wilt thou impudently raile on the Sunne because a man stumbles in the Sunshine here is a more hatefull madnesse 6. Another is to seeke occasions of accusing and not finding occasion yet to accuse as they Ier. 18. 18. Come let us devise against this Ieremy and smite him with the tongue Dan 6. 4. the impudency of Daniels accusers is that they fought an occasion and will not stay till occasion be offered and they confesse Daniels innocency among themselves saying Wee shall finde no occasion but in the matter of his God and yet contest against it to the King himselfe Luke 6. 7. The Pharisees watched Christ to get accusations against him Let watchers and devisers of plots against innocent men see with whom they runne 7. It is high impudency in accusing that when they cannot for evill they will for good Daniel for praying Christ for healing on the Sabbath the godly for the matter of their God for tendernesse of conscience for going to heare Sermons for singing Psalmes in their houses for carrying Bibles for care in keeping the Sabbath for repeating Sermons at home for exercises of religion for not swearing for not being gamesters tosse-pots and Taverners his impudent accuser can make it more easie and seeme more gracefull to bee manifestly prophane and vile than sincerely good and a resister of evill 8. It is shamefull impudence to accuse where speciall respects binde to defend honour and imitate But a shamelesse accuser casts off with all shame all bands and respects 2 Sam. 16. 3. Ziba will not spare but falsly and villanously accuse his raiser and Master Mephibosheth and that of no lesse than high treason that he stayed in Jerusalem to be made King and so got his lands 2 Sam. 15. 13. Absalon spares not his owne father There is no man to doe justice Not the nearest band of nature can stay an evill heart from accusing where it should honour and defend It will neither acknowledge him from whom it hath received benefits nor yet beeing in the world The sinne is likest Satan when it is most ungracious and unnaturall II. Next the motives or disswasions from false accusation are so much the more to bee urged because of our great pronenesse and inclination to this sinne For First slipperinesse of the tongue a nimble member casteth many headlong into this sinne unawares especially in persons addicted to loquacity and garrulity or chatting who as empty vessels give a loud sound but no soundnesse or savory matter or choise discourse can bee heard from them and wanting matter in themselves will finde it upon others Secondly lying and false accusing agreeth best with the corruption and depravation of our nature which being at first corrupted and spoyled by a lie wee leane that way ever since and as a vessell keepe the smell of our first liquor yea our whole nature is degenerate into a lie Thirdly wee have selfe-love in abundance and pride of heart by which wee set up our selves and contemne and treade upon others This admiration of our selves makes us disdaine others and according to this distemper we speake and fil our mouths and others eares with detraction and false accusation lest so much be detracted from us as we heare or see added to another Seeing therefore we are so prone to drinke in this puddle water of detraction and false accusation
that is borne of God keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Keepeth himselfe that is groweth up in holy watchfulnesse and resistance of temptations to which care God addeth his blessing that he abides untouched that is of raigning sinne the wicked one strikes him not deadly nor can wholly and finally foyle him Examine this strength of CHRIST if it bee in thee for so it is called Ephes. 6. 10. 6 A sixt note is child-like affections 1 To our Father 2 To this Mother The child-like affections to our Father are two 1 Honor. Is Christ thy Father how doest thou honor him Mal. 1. 6. The Apostle Pauls care was that Christ should be magnified in his body by life or death Phil. 1. 20. What obedience shewest thou to his commandements and to his corrections doest thou honor him by trusting in him and depending upon him 2 A second child-like affection to Jesus Christ is love The child loveth his father better then all men else and canst thou be a child and not love him that begat and not as a Creator but a Father If thou canst doe no more for thy parent canst thou doe lesse then love him dearely Examine thy love to Christ and see if thou canst say as Peter Lord thou knowest I love thee Happie is the soule that dares thus appeale to Christ as a witnesse of his unfained love But how canst thou saie thou lovest him when his commandements are heavie and irkesome when thou wilt doe nothing for his sake suffer nothing for his name when thou wilt part with nothing for his words when thou hatest his servants his words and Ministers and risest up in armes against him by horrible sinnes David may have a rebellious sonne an Absalom Christ hath no such All his children love him better then their owne lives Now secondly the child-like affections to this mother are also two 1 To honor love and obey this mother in all her directions in all her corrections according to the word Good children will honor the Mother aswell as the Father according to the Commandement Ob. The Papist catcheth at this as making much for him The Commandements of the Mother Church must be obayed and therefore in their Catechismes besides the commandements of God they injoyne a number of the Churches commandements which must be obeyed in paine of damnation aswell as Gods Sol. To this I answer 1 That this Mother must be obeyed of her children as other parents of their children namely In the Lord. Eph. 6. For this is the difference between the commandements of this Father and this Mother His must be obeyed simply and absolutely as the Lords but hers onely in the Lord. If the precepts of this Father and Mother agree then the Mothers commandements must be obeyed but not if they be either contrary or diverse from his He that brings another doctrine must be accursed He or she that addes to his commandements must be accursed and all the plagues added to them And seeing Jesus Christ the Lord of his Church would deliver no doctrine nor commandements to the Church but what he heard from his Father no more must the Church but what she heares from Christ. 2 Why should Rome a particular Church rather enjoyne lawes on other Churches then other Churches on her seeing that parity admits not superiority 2 The second child-like affection to this Mother is compassion Children of the Church must be sensible and grieved in their Mothers sorrow affliction and oppression It is an unnatural child that takes not to heart his mothers miserie Humanity will make us mourne in the miserie of strangers yea of enemies as David put on sackcloth for his enemies much more will Christianity for the sorrowes of friends especially friends of God How have the Papists shewed that they have not a drop of the blood and spirit of Christians in their late joyes and triumphs and braggs before the victory as they use to doe fatting and feeding themselves in the savage barbarousnesse of Antichristian Captaines against the Church in Bohemia and the Palatinate But what other expectation from such as lay the principles of their Religion in blood and barbarous inhumanitie beyond Scithians or Man-eaters Yea and not a few sorry protestants there are who harbour but a little sorrow for the sorrowes of the Church bewraying the hardnesse and insensiblenesse of their hearts by their poore and penurious releefe Some out of base irreligion sowing scarce so many pence as they would have done pounds had they had conscience and affection of Children This Mother may wish she never stand in need of such children so flinty and degenerate 7 The seaventh note of one borne of this woman is brotherly-affection Christian love to all that are begotten of God as to brethren 1 Joh. 3. 14. highly esteeming them as the excellent in the earth Psal. 16. 3. A man borne of this woman respects not men according to their greatnesse or basenesse in the world but according to this birth be they rich or poore and according to this present relation and that future happinesse they are borne unto A child of this woman cannot disaffect and reproach his brethren because they be brethren and thinke the very brotherhood a sufficient scorne He cannot scorn them for frequenting their Mothers house Nay he cannot but affect them for the fellowship in the Gospell and their consanguinity in this new estate Now lay these notes on thy heart try by them thy estate and know it is better to be out of the number of men then out of this number And cried in paine ready to be delivered The Church bringeth forth no children to God without much travell and paine For as by an inevitable decree painefull sorrow is annexed to naturall birth so it is in this spirituall birth As our Saviour applieth that Ioh. 16. 21. A woman when she travelleth hath sorrow because her time is come I It cost Christ no small travell and sorrow to beget children to God For he must become a man of sorrowes and never was any sorrow like unto his Nay he must sustaine the sorrowes of hell and be broken to pieces with sorrowes of body and soule before one child could ever be begotten unto God and therefore the Prophet Esai 53. 11. saith He shall see the travell of his soule that is the seed for which his soule travelled And in the preaching of the Gospel sowing this seed in the dayes of his flesh in his owne person what great sorrowes sustained hee by the Scribes Pharisees Princes and wordly-wise men and was made a butte of contradiction all men resisting his person his doctrine blaspheming his miracles and mighty workes preferring murderers before him and setting him with Belzebub the prince of the devils II The painefull travell of the Church is by the Ministeriall paines and sorrowes of her Pastors and Preachers Gal. 4. 19. Little children of whom
followes with inward temptations some with outward afflictions some he lashes with the scourges of spitefull and lying tongues and all he drawes into what dangers he can He is no wise Christian that makes not account of all the spight that the devill by wicked men can create him 2 Take good notice why wicked men make godly men theit butt to shoot all deadly arrowes against If we beleeve them they are heretickes schismatickes rebells hypocrites the vilest monsters of men and so they harden themselves in impudency as the devill himselfe is not more fowle and nimble in horrible lying and false accusing But this scripture shews the just reason of the dragons hatred it is because they keepe the commandements of God and have the faith of Jesus Christ they cannot forsake their rule to runne with evill men into excesses nor swim with the streame nor enrich themselves by choaking their consciences nor cover or cast a mantle over mens sinnes by their society silence or the like practise Let none of such as feare God like themselves the worse to heare themselves blasphemed by impudent and shamelesse sinners For as these must do it being ruled by the devill so they must suffer it being ruled by God 3 Let men feare to persecute and blaspheme the remnant of the faithfull and obedient Christians who will not yeild to Antichristian devises nor depart from their owne rule Or else blame not the word for charging them to be his brats whose practise and language they here see it to be as Christ told the Jews Ioh. 8. you are of your father the devill his workes you do When the enemies of Gods Church cast the Saints into prison the devill doth it Rev. 2. 10. When Iudas comes to betray the souldiers to apprehend false witnesses to accuse Jews to scorne and mocke the prince of the world comes in them Ioh. 14. 30. This of the second note 3 If wee would know our selves of this remnant we must finde this property that wee keepe the testimony of Jesus Christ. Tit. 1. 9. wee must hold fast the faithfull word And the reasons are many 1 Wee had need so do having so many with-holders the dragon puls it from us by temptation the beast by persecution the wicked by scornes and derision all would pull us from our hold and then were wee easily conquered 2 Our love to Christ commands it By holding the testimony we hold Christ himselfe Search the Scriptures they witnesse of me Ioh. 5. 39. The object of the word is Jesus the use of it to testifie of Christ. 3 The truth must bee firmely held as is said Buy the truth and sell it not it is true and testified by truth it selfe who is the mighty God and cannot lye 4 It is the sure evidence of our salvation of our heavenly inheritance a saving testimony because it is the testimony of Jesus Rev. 1. 3. blessed is he that readeth heareth and keepe it not meritoriously as if he therefore merited salvation but as it is an instrument of God and directive appointed as a rule to guide us unto salvation Now as men looke up their evidences in sure and safe places delight often to read them suffer no man to cousen them of them whatsoever casually comes these shal be by all possible meanes safe-guarded so ought we much more here without which we have no assurance or tenure to one foot in heaven Beware therefore of being ashamed of this testimony being the testimony of Jesus Christ as many be and let it go First for the contrariety of the doctrine to nature and naturall courses Secondly for the plainnesse and simplicity of it for Christ came from heaven to bring this doctrine which all the skill of Men and Angels could not reach Thirdly for the crosses and afflictions that attend it being the word of the crosse Fourthly for the infirmity of professors which makes many both Preachers and hearers ashamed of the sincerity and strictnesse of it Beware also of Apostasie from the truth The marke of a Beleever is to have the testimony not to have had it It is a misery to say Fuimus Troes I was a Protestant I was a professor of religion c. And beware of scorning hindring persecuting the truth which is most contrary to this of the remnant Each of these is a brand of a wicked man in whom the spirit of the dragon breathes This of the third note 4 The calling of ever Christian is to be a witnesse to Jesus Christ. Heb. 12. 1 being compassed with such a cloud of witnesses that is the godly who witnessed the truth and to whom the Scripture witnessed that by their faith they pleased God Esa. 43. 9 10. Ye are my witnesses This witnesse is either inward or outward The former is by the inward faith and affection of the soule by which wee give strongest testimony to Jesus Christ that he is the only Lord and husband of his Church our Emanuel the redeemer of his Church the saviour of his body and that he hath fully and perfectly fulfilled all righteounesse by the merit and vertue whereof the Church in generall and my selfe in speciall a beleeving member shall obtaine salvation True faith is the most reall testimony to Jesus Christ that can be For this is to set to his seale that God is true Iohn 3. 33. namely in his word and covenant concerning salvation by Iesus Christ. And he that beleeveth hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 Ioh 5. 10. Faith brings in the spirit of God and his office is to witnesse unto Christ and to acquaint us with the things given us of God And that spirit to which the spirit of God giveth witnesse will hold to the truth witnessed in him if all the world and power of earth and hell would witnesse against him What an honest man hath set his seale to he will never be driven off it but by his faith he hath set his seale to the truth and testament of Iesus Christ. Outwardly the Beleever witnesseth to Christ three wayes 1 By profession and confession of the mouth Rom. 10. 10. with the mouth wee confesse to salvation that is give cleare witnesse to all the doctrine concerning the nature person offices and benefits of Iesus Christ and that we rest and leane on him onely for salvation 2 By practise of life beseeming the faith of Christ for this is a witnesse that Christ liveth in us mooveth in us ruleth in us and that wee live not henceforth but Christ liveth in us Gal. 2. 20. 3 By passion and suffering for Christ and his holy religion for martyrs and witnesses are all one Acts 22. 20. Paul calls Steven Christs witnesse and Rev. 2. 13. Antipas that faithfull witnesse was slaine And not only the suffering of the paines of death but inferior persecutions by scourgings of hand or tongue or scornings is a witnessing to Christ in the lower degrees of Martyrdome Object