should liue by faith Because this last point is of great moment I will spend some time in the explaning of it That a man then may liue by his faith two things are required the first that faith be rightly conceiued grounded in the heart the second that after it is once conceiued it Raigne and rule in the heart That faith may rightly be conceiued two things are required The first is the knowledge of the word of God for faith stands in relation to the word the word alone is the foūdation of our faith Hereupon the word is called the foundation of the Prophets Apostles By light of naturall reason we vnderstand that the world had a beginning and was made of God Yet cānot reason breed in vs a certen perswasion of this point but onely the testimonie of the word of God and therefore it is saide By faith we vnderstand that the world was ordained by God And this made Dauid say In God I wil praise his word Furthermore in the Word three things are to be knowne precepts or commaundements because they teach obediēce threatnings because they restraine disobedience promises because they serue to confirme vs in our obedience Againe promises are either principall or lesse-principall The maine or principal promise is that in which God offereth and reuealeth righteousnesse and life euerlasting by Christ. Within this promise is contained the graunt of remission of our sinnes of necessarie patience of the assistāce of the spirit of God and of all gifts that are inseparably ioyned with faith Promises lesse-principall are concerning deliuerances in temptations safetie in daungers health wealth libertie peace c. And these must all be vnderstoode with an exception of the crosse and correction and they shal so farre forth be accomplished as they serue for Gods glorie and the good of them that beleeue Now all these heads points of the word of God must be knowne and that in some particular sort that a man may liue by his faith The second thing required for the right conceiuing of faith is after the word of God is once known To trust God vpon his word yea to depend vpon it to build vpon it This is the first principall worke of true faith it is called by Paul the obedience of faith and it is made the end and scope of the preaching of the Gospell and not without cause For this is the first and principal honour of god to beleeue him vpon his bare worde and thereby to make a cōfession of the truth of God This the deuill knew right well and therefore the first thing that he sought to ouerthrow in Adam was his faith in the word of God and the scope of the first temptation wherby he assaulted our Sauiour Christ was to ouerthrow that faith confidēce he had in his father saying if thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread but this thou canst not doe therefore thou art not the sonne of God That this obedience which we giue to God by trusting his very word may be right obedience it must haue sixe conditions First of al it must be absolute for we must as it were shut vp our owne eyes and simply without any more ado trust god vpō his bare naked word and suffer our selues to be ledde by it In naturall things experience is first and then faith comes afterward And Thomas following nature desired first to feele before he would beleeue But God must be trusted though that which he saith be against reason and experience Thus Abraham beleeued God against all humane hope The secōd cōdition is that this obediēce must be sincere For we must trust Gods word for it selfe because it is Gods word all by-respects set apart They which are as the stony groūd receiue Gods word and reioyce in it and yet afterward in time of temptation goe awrie The reason is because they receiue the word reioyce in it not properly for it self but in respect of honour profite or pleasure which they looke to reape thereby Iohn the Baptist was a burning candle and the Iewes reioyced in his light onely in respect of the noualtie of it and therefore the holy ghost saith they reioyced in it but for a season The third condition is that we must trust God not in a part but in his whole word and therefore many faile in their faith that are cōtent to trust him in his promises of mercie saluation but list not to beleeue him in his commaundements and threats The fourth condition is that we must trust God in his word with al our hearts that it may take deepe roote and be an ingrafted word It is not sufficient for vs to haue a taste of the good word of God and to receiue it with ioy vnles we thoroughly and soundly build and relie our selues vpon it The fifth condition is that this trusting of God must be with an honest heart that is with an heart in which there is a distinct and setled purpose not to sinne but in all things to doe the will of God The good hearers are they which receiue the word with an honest and good heart Without this can no man possibly liue by faith He that puts away his good conscience makes shipwrack of his faith It is godlinesse alone that hath the promises of this life and the life to come And none can liue the life of faith but he that is a iust man After that men haue made some good proceedings and doe know the word receiue it reioyce in it bring forth some fruit if the heart for all this be euill it will cause them at length to depart frō God by distrusting or by denying credence to his word The sixth condition is that the obedience of faith must be stable and constant The Lord saith my soule hath no pleasure in them that withdraw themselues that is which for a time beleeue God and afterward pull backe their foot and goe backe from their faith Seeing this is the right way to cōceiue faith to know the word of god and to trust him vpon the same word all such as would liue by faith must haue their harts kindled with a desire to doe the things before named specially to giue credence to euery word of God We may not forsake God for any creature now we forsake him when we distrust him in his word Againe not to beleeue God is very Atheisme For by this meanes God is made a lyar and his glorie and maiestie is abolished It is the greatest part of our glorie to beleeue God as Christ saith He that receiues his testimonie puts to his seale that God is true that is giues vnto God as it were a testimonial of his truth and thereto puts his hand and seale And what greater honour can there be then this that the creature should giue testimonie to
remission of sinne Thus newnes of life with all the parts thereof hath his offspring of our faith Yea after that a man is once made a new creature faith giues him his life and sense faith is the eye of the minde whereby we behold Christ in the word and sacraments By this faith Abraham saw the day of Christ and reioyced With this eye we may sufficiently beholde Christ and bodily sight in this case is not necessarie for the time of this life therefore Christ saith Blessed are they which haue not seene and haue beleeued Againe faith is the hand of the soule whereby we lay holde on Christ and receiue him with all his benefits It is the mouth of the heart whereby we feed on Christ eating his bodie and drinking his blood to eternall life It is the feete of the soule that makes vs walke with God Lastly it is a means to bring vs into familiaritie with God For it is an eare whereby we heare God speak to vs in his word and it is as it were the tongue of the soule whereby we speake to God by Inuocation of his holy name To goe yet further Spirituall life is most of all manifest in afflictions and temptations in the bearing whereof faith raignes and that by a threefold action First of all it makes vs to depend on gods promises and to trust God without limitation For it doth not limit God to any set time of deliuerance but leaues all to God He that beleeues doth not make hast Daniel waited 70 yeares for deliuerance out of captiuitie in Babylon and then finding the time of deliuerance to be at hand he praied to God for the same Againe faith doth not limit God to any meanes of deliuerance God made promise to Abraham of a blessed seede For the verifying of this promise he gaue him Isaac in his old age This don he commands him to offer his onely sonne in sacrifice A grieuous crosse for by this meanes all hope is cut off touching the promised seede Yet by faith Abraham still beleeuees the promise and that in the very offering of his sonne Lastly faith doth not limit God for the measure of affliction Iob saith He will trust in God though he kill him It was a grieuous affliction for Dauid to be driuen out of his kingdome by his owne son yet marke what he saith in the flight If he say I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe vnto me as shall seeme good in his eyes The second action of faith is to make vs beleeue the promises of God when we feele the contrarie and in one contrarie to beleeue an other Whē we feele our owne sinnes it makes vs beleeue our iustification when we feele our wretchednesse and miserie it makes vs beleeue our happinesse when we feele nothing but death it makes vs beleeue our eternall saluation when we apprehend Gods anger and feele him to be our enemie it makes vs to apprehende his mercie and to beleeue his fatherly kindnesse When Christ was forsaken of God he euen then by his faith beleeues God to be his God The third action of faith in afflictions is to assure vs of Gods presence and to beholde him with the eyes of faith Thus Dauid saith I haue set the Lord alwaies before me for he is at my right hand Moses left Egypt and feared not the wrath of the king because he saw him that was inuisible When the seruant of Elisha feared ouer much the host of the king of Syria that compassed the towne of Dothan the Prophet praies to God for him that his eyes might be opened to see the fierie charets of the Angels of God protecting him and we likewise are to pray to God that the eyes of our minds may be opened to beleeue and to acknowledge the same or the like protection And thus are men to liue by faith in the midst of their afflictions By this which hath beene said we are admonished first of all to acquaint our selues with the promises of God as they are recorded in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles secondly at all times to build vpon them by our faith and not to suffer our selues to be drawne from them though all temporall blessings of God faile vs yea health and life it selfe This is to arme our selues with a shield against all the fierie darts of the deuill and to put on a breast-plate that will saue the heart and life though otherwise in temptations we be grieuously maimed and foyled Thus much of spirituall life That our temporall life is lead by faith I make it thus manifest Temporall life is preserued and maintained by an honest calling euery calling hath his labour work and the labour of all callings hath miserie and trouble for his companion and fellow and in all these faith raignes and beares the sway in them that beleeue For the first that is for the choosing and holding of our callings with good conscience there is required a double vse of faith For we must haue a faith wherby we must be assured that our callings are good lawfull in themselues as Paul saith VVhat soeuer is not of faith is sinne For the setling of this faith this rule must be remembered That offices and callings which serue to preserue the good estate of any familie Church or commonwealth are lawfull and of God because these are estates ordained of God and established in the commaundements of the morall law specially in the first fifth and sixth commandements Againe faith is required wherby euery man must beleeue that the calling in which he is is the particular calling in which God will be serued of him For vnlesse the conscience be setled in this no good worke can be done in any calling And for the better establishing of the conscience an other rule must be remēbred That they which are furnished with gifts for their callings namely aptnesse and willingnes and are thereunto called or set apart by men whome it concernes to call are indeede called of God Thus the Elders of Ephesus hauing gifts to feede and being not called of God immediatly but by men are said to be made ouerseers by the holy Ghost And Paul saith that God committed not onely to himselfe but also to Timothie the ministerie of reconciliation and yet was Timothie not called immediatly of God but by men And thus in all other offices and conditions of life he that hath gifts sit for his place and is in good manner called thereto by them whose dutie it is to call may assure himselfe that he is called of God And from this double faith perswasion that our calling is lawfull in it selfe and lawfull or pleasing God in respect of vs ariseth an assurance of the presence of God and of his protection whē we walke in the duties of our callings In the labour and worke of our calling there is
men of yeares who if they haue contrite and humbled hearts are little ones beleeuing in Christ. Againe children after some yeares by good education and instruction may attaine to some knowledge and consequently to faith Thus Timothie was brought vp in the Scripture of a childe The second opinion is that all places of Scripture intreating of faith are to be vnderstood of men of yeares and that children are saued by some other vnknown and vnspeakeable way without faith I somewhat doubt of this because it is said VVhosoeuer beleeueth not is alreadie condemned Againe VVithout faith it is impossible to please God The third opinion is that children haue faith after a sort because the parents according to the tenour of the couenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seede beleeue for themselues and their children and therefore their faith is not onely theirs but also the faith of their children Hence it is that the Scripture saith If the roote be holy the branches are holy and If ye beleeue your children are holy According to humane law the father and his heires are but one person the father couenanting for himselfe and his children what then should hinder that the father might not beleeue for his child and the child by the parents faith haue title to the couenant and the benefits thereof It is alleadged that by this meanes children shall be borne beleeuers and so be conceiued and borne without originall sinne I answer Beleeuing parents sustaine two persons one whereby they are men and thus they bring forth children hauing mans nature with all the corruptions of nature The other as they are holy men and beleeuers thus they bring forth infants that are not so much their children as the children of God And Infants are Gods children not by vertue of their birth but by meanes of parents faith which intitles them to all the blessings of the couenant Children proportionally sustain a double person If they be considered in and by theÌ„selues they are conceiued and borne in Originall sinne If they be considered as they are holy and beleeue by the faith which is both theirs and their parents faith and consequently haue by this means title to Christ and his benefits originall sinne is couered and remitted If it be said that by this meanes all children of beleeuing parents are the children of God I answer that we must presume that they are all so leauing secret iudgements to God To this third opinion I most incline because we are to iudge that infants of beleeuing parents in their infancie dying are iustified I find no iustification in Scripture without faith And this hath beene the iudgement of auncient fathers Aug. serm 14. of the words of the Apostle How saith he doe infants beleeue by the faith of the parents If by the faith of parents they be purged by parents sinne they are polluted The bodie of sinne in the first parents begot them sinners and the spirit of life in their latter parents did regenerate them to be beleeuers Bernard epist. 77. saith Among the nations as many as were faithfull if they were of yeares we beleeue that they were clensed by faith and the sacrifices and that the parents faith alone auaileth for children yea that it is sufficient for them Againe It is meete and for the honour of God that to whome age denies their owne faith grace should graunt to them a benefit by the faith of an other Thus then it is manifest that euery person must haue a faith of his owne Hence we learne that the doctors of the Romish Church erre and are deceiued when they teach that a man may rest himselfe in the faith of his teachers beleeuing in sundrie things only as the Church beleeues though he knew not distinctly what is the faith of the Church Againe here the Popes pardons fall to grouÌ„d For in vaine doth the Pope by the power of the keyes apply the meritorious works and the satisfactorie suffrings of one man to an other considering euery man is saued onely by his owne faith The wise virgins professed that they had oyle no more then serued their owne turnes They knew not the popish doctrine that men might haue good works enough for themselues and an ouerplus for others Hilarie gathereth hence that one mans good workes cannot be applied to an other Hierome saith Euery man shall receiue a reward for his owne workes and that one mans workes cannot couer another mans faults in the day of iudgement The speech of Leo may stoppe the mouths of all Papists Though saith he the death of the Saints be preticus in the sight of God yet the killing of no innocent is the reconciliation of the world The righteous haue receiued crowns but they haue not giuen crownes And the fortitude of beleeuers ministers examples of patience but not gifts of iustice For the deaths of them all were priuate or particular neither did any of them by his funerall discharge another mans debt considering among the sinnes of men Christ our Lord is onely found in whom all are crucified dead and buried and rise againe Paul indeede saith to the Corinthians that he desired to be bestowed for their soules and that he suffers all things for the elect but this he speakes in respect of his Apostolicall ministerie and not in respect of any workes of satisfaction performed by him in the behalfe of others Againe he saith I beare in mine owne body the remainders of the sufferings of Christ but these remainders are the sufferings which euery man must beare for himself For euery disciple of Christ must take vp his own crosse and so accomplish the sufferings of the whole mysticall bodie Thirdly by this we learne not to relie on the gifts suffrages and praiers of others but to seeke for a sufficient liuely faith of our owne The foolish virgins that supposed they might haue furnished theÌ„selues with sufficient oyle of the wise virgins were vtterly disappointed Therfore the speech of the Papists is to be detested namely that the suffrages of the liuing that is their fastings prayers almes masses c. do three waies helpe the dead by way of merit of coÌ„gruitie by way of intreatie and by way of satisfaction Lastly here we learne that faith and the iustice of good conscience must alwaies goe together And for this cause it is not said that man liues by faith but the iust man Let all protestants learne and remeÌ„ber this For it is Gods commandement that we should ioyntly keepe faith and good conscience And it is a common offence to Atheists papists worldlings that such as pretend faith faile in the righteousnesse of good conscience Some it may be will say that it shall suffice for theÌ„ to call vpon God when they are dying and to die by faith I answer that we must not onely die and be saued but also liue in this world by our faith FINIS Luk. 1. â— Iob 1. â— Rom. 1.17 Gal. 7.11 Gal. 1.20 Gal. 3.11 12. Eph. 1.18 Heb. 11.3 Psal. 56.4 Rom. 1.5 Math. 4.3 Rom. 4.18 Luk. 8.13 Ioh. 5.35 Iam. 1. â—â— Luk. 8.15 1. Tim. 1.19 Heb. 3.38 Heb. 10.38 Joh. 3.31 Rom. 3. â—â— 2. Cor. â—â— â— Ioh. 3.9 Heb. 1â— 7 Gen. 8.16 Psal. 119.11 Act. 16.31 Gen. 39.9 〈◊〉 â— 15 Psal. â—â— â— 1. Ioh. 3.23 Heb. 4.16 Isa. 26.3 1. Ioh. 5.4 Ioh. 7.17 1 Cor. 2.14 Psal. 3.5 Phil. 4.7 Rom. 4.17 Phil. 3.1 1. Pet. 1.8 Psal. 98.99 Luk. 7.47 Ioh. 8.56 Ioh. 20.25 Gen. 5. â—â— Isa. 16.28 Dan. 9. 2 3 Iob 4. 2. Sam. 15.26 Psal. 16.18 Heb. 11.27 â— Reg. 6.19 Eph. 6.16 1. Thest. 5.8 Act. 20.28 2 Cor â— 1â— 1 Tim. 4. Heb. 11.7 â—â—â— 33.34 Psal. 55.23 Phil. 4.6 â— Pet. 5.7 Math. 6.32 1. Pet. 5.7 Psal. 34.9 Gal. 3.11 12. Heb. 3.12 Gen. 19.4 Isa. 28.15 Math. 25.37 2. Cor 4.4 Math. 6.30 Rom. 8.5 1. Cor. 1.14 Heb. 6.2 1. Ioh. 2. â—â— Eph. 1.1 Tit. 1.15 Isa 7.9 Mark 6. â— Num. 20 1â— 2. King â— Luk 1. â—â— a Psal. 10.6.11.13 14. 2. Luk. 18.11 12. Apoc. 18.7 1. Cor. 2.14 Math. 12.24 Psal. 7.8 Isa. 28.15 Luk. 12.19.45 Num. 20.12 Psal. 52. 1.6 11. 73. 11 12. 1. Tim. 11.13 Heb. 4.12 2. Cor. 10. 1. King 13.2 Isa. 44. end 2. Ioh. 3.23 2. Cor. 1. â—â— Col. 3.27 Heb. 11.36 Psal. 119.49 Muk 16.16 Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 7 1â— a Bellaâ— l. 1 de bapt c 4. See further Iustin. 9.56 Aug epist. 23.57.105 de bapt l. 4. c. Bernar. ser. 66. in Cant. a Immanuel Sa. in Aphorismis coÌ„festatiorum upon Mat. 25. ibidem Serm. 12. de passione 2. Cor. 12.15 2. Tim. 2. Coloss. 3. â—ollar de Indulg c. 14. p. 85.
the creator Thus much of the conceiuing of faith now followes the Raigne of faith The raigne of faith is when it beares rule sway in heart and life For where faith is there neither thought will affection nor lust raigns but faith alone It raignes by two actions First of all it mooues makes vs to attend on the calling of God yeeld subiection to him in all his commandements Paul saith that faith establisheth the law and one reasō is because it makes vs doe that which the lawe prescribes Again Paul saith that his weapons are spirituall and mightie bringing euery thought in subiection to God Now these mightie weapons are the word of god preached and beleeued He that is borne of God can not sinne because the seede of God remaines in him that is the word mingled with faith Noah his faith made him build an Arke at Gods commaundement after it was made to enter into it and not to dare to come out of it till he had warrant from God Abrahams faith made him forsake his cuntrey and kindred at Gods commaundement and goe he knew not whether And that good obedience may be performed to euery commandement of God faith works two things in vs memorie attention Memorie whereby Gods word is laid vp in the heart that it may be drawne out to vse when occasion shall be offered Attention is when faith makes vs seriously to consider and to beleeue that the commandement of God is a cōmandement not for forme but in truth and that it doth indeede pertaine to vs. An example of both these actions of faith we haue in Ioseph who whē he was tempted to folly of Potiphars wife answered Shal I doe this wickednes AND SINNE AGAINST GOD. Marke here how his mind was filled and possessed with a thought and consideration of Gods commandement The second action of faith wherby it raignes in the heart is to establish and confirme them that beleeue in their obedience and subiection to God And this it doth by presenting Gods promises to the minde For by meanes of them it worketh foure actions in the heart First of all it makes vs flie vnto the true God alone whose the promises are Secondly it makes vs to beleeue that God both can and will helpe vs according to our neede Thirdly it makes vs to hope for his helpe that is for good successe in prosperitie and deliuerance or some mitigation of our euills in aduersitie according to the tenour of his promises Lastly though tēporall blessings faile it makes vs still to rest on God for mercie and for life euerlasting And thus at all times it makes God to be our Refuge our castle our rocke and tower of defence Thus we see generally how faith raignes To proceede further the iust man liues a double life namely a spirituall life and a temporall and both of them are led by faith as I wil plainly manifest Spirituall life which is the beginning of eternall life stands specially in foure things Reconciliation with God peace of conscience ioy of the holy Ghost and newnes of life Touching reconciliation with God in Christ it is reuealed offered and giuen vnto vs in the maine promises of the Gospel and in the Sacraments and it is no way in this world made ours and holden of vs but by our faith And in the case of our reconciliation with God faith hath two actions one to receiue it the other to assure vs of it Touching the first faith apprehends and receiues reconciliation on this manner First of all the spirit of God works in men a gēnerall faith of the law and the threatnings thereof and it is called the spirit of bondage to feare Because it causeth in vs a sight of our sinnes an apprehension of Gods anger feare of due and deserued condemnation despaire of our selues in respect of our selues This beeing done the same spirit worketh in vs an other faith called sauing or iustifying faith and it apprehendeth or receiueth Christ with his benefites by certaine steppes and degrees and they are specially three For first of all vpon a thorough touch and liuely sense of our miserie there ariseth in the minde an earnest and serious meditatiō of the promise of mercie and the benefites therein offered and it is called the opening or pearcing of the eare Then in the second place there followes a purpose will desire and indeauour to beleeue vpon consideration of the commaundement of God that biddes vs to beleeue and apply the promise to our selues And further this will and desire shewes it selfe by instant and serious inuocation which is nothing else but a flying from the condemning sentence of the lawe to the throne of grace for mercie Thirdly after this there followes in processe of time a setling and quieting of the minde touching Christ and his benefits vpon some assurance thereof wrought and conceiued in the minde by the spirit of God And this third degree is called a stablished thought On this manner come we by degrees to receiue Christ for our full reconciliation with God For when vpon the commandement to beleeue we doe in any measure beleeue Christ to be our Christ he is our Christ indeede according to the tenour of the Euangelicall couenant Thus faith apprehending Christ for our reconciliation with God becomes a victorious conquerour preuailes against the Law Satan hell death condemnation and all our spirituall enemies and thus euery beleeuer is aboue the Law sinne hell death euen in this life The second action of faith in the case of our reconciliation with God is to certifie and assure vs in conscience thereof and that is done by a practicall syllogisme which faith frames in the minde on this manner He that beleeues the gospel shall haue all the benefits and blessing of God promised therein But I beleeue the Gospell and I beleeue in Christ Therefore the benefits promised therein are mine The major or first part of this reason is the voice of the Gospel the minor or the second part is the voice of the beleeuing heart which subiecteth it selfe in wil and affection to the commandement which biddes vs beleeue in Christ and this is the acte of speciall faith And we may not thinke that this voice of the beleeuing heart is a false alarum For he that truly beleeues hath his minde and conscience supernaturally inlightened to discerne that he beleeues The third part or the conclusion is the foundation of all our ioy and spirituall comfort For it containes in it the chiefest certentie of our adoption and saluation that can be had in this life namely the certentie of faith whence followes in a lower degree in the second place the certentie that is by workes And thus doth faith certifie all such as truely beleeue that they are the children of God Out of the former conclusion or out of the certentie which is by faith followes a full and liuely certentie
of the doctrine of the Gospel worthie consideration on this manner There is a three-fold certentie the first is certentie of reason or of generall faith when a man by force of argument is conuicted of the certentie of the doctrine of the Bible This may be in the wicked and vngodly without faith in Christ. After this in the elect by a more speciall worke of Gods spirit followes a faith in Christ and the certentie of iustifying or speciall faith expressed in the conclusion of the former syllogisme Thirdly after this certentie of speciall faith followes an other experimental certentie of the truth of the Bible which also faith concludes on this manner That doctrine which assures vs to be Gods children is certenly of God But the doctrine of the Gospell beleeued or mingled with our faith assures vs to be Gods children Therefore it is of God The major is graunted of all the minor is in effect the conclusion of the former syllogisme and it is knowne by an experience of that spirituall comfort which the godly feele in their hearts The conclusion sets downe the certentie of the Bible vpon a further ground then any wit or learning of man can attaine vnto without the spirit of grace namely vpon an inward assurance of our reconciliation with God Of this certentie our Sauiour Christ speakes notably If any man will doe my fathers will that is beleeue it and subiect himselfe to it he shall know namely by that comfort which he shall feele vpon his subiection of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe And Paul saith that the spirituall man that is one regenerate by the spirit of God iudgeth all things Hence it followes that such as desire to be setled for their religion and such as desire to be good and profitable students in Diuinitie must first of all humble thēselues and indeauour in their hearts truly to beleeue in Christ. Because hence flowes the best experience of the certentie and consequently of the vnspeakable excellencie of the Bible Thus then we see how we are to receiue hold and inioy our Reconciliation with god in Christ by no other thing within vs but by meanes of our faith alone And therefore we must haue speciall care that we may by the vse of Gods meanes attaine to a liuely faith And for this cause we must do two things first we are to labour to be conuicted in conscience of the certentie of the word This done we must thē subiect our wils to the commandement of God that biddes vs beleeue in Christ we must bewaile our vnbeleefe we must striue against the same and pray vnto God to confirme and increase our faith by establishing our hearts in his loue The second part of spirituall life is Peace of conscience which is nothing else but a cōstant stable tranquilitie of minde when the cōscience doth not accuse but excuse and when neither hell death condemnation nor any danger is feared ouermuch This peace was in Dauid when he said I laid me down slept and rose againe in the middest of manifold daungers This peace is of great excellencie for it is the peace of God it is one part of the kingdome of God it passeth all vnderstanding it is in stead of a guard to keepe our hearts minds in Christ. Now this excellent peace springs out of our faith whereby we beleeue our reconciliation with god Rom. 5.1 Beeing iustified by faith we haue peace with God 1. Chron. 20.20 Trust in the Lord and ye shall be secure Yea as our faith is so is our peace no faith no peace liuely faith liuely peace constant faith constant peace faith in life peace in life faith in death peace in death so as we may say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace The third part of spirituall life is the ioy of the Holy Ghost and that is to reioyce in God because he is our God and in Christ because he is our Christ. And this kind of ioy is not taken from vs or abated in afflictions but rather increased Rom. 5.3 We reioyce in tribulatiōs And Hebr. 10.34 Ye endured the spoyling of your goods with ioy Now our faith in the promise of life is the mother and breeder of this ioy which ariseth of that happie and blessed conclusion that faith frames in the mind I beleeue therfore the blessings of God promised in the Gospel are mine Thus saith Saint Peter Beleeuing ye reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious Again the continuance and increase of our faith is the increase of this ioy The last part of spirituall life is newnesse of life and conuersation whereby we are borne anew and made new creatures not because the substance of bodie and soule is changed but because the image of God is restored Now this change both for the whole and for the parts thereof is by faith Touching the whole Men as they are new creatures haue their beginning from the word of promise or from Christ crucified who is propounded in the promise and that as the said word or Christ is apprehended by faith Act. 15.9 Your hearts beeing purified by faith 1. Ioh. 3.3 He which hath this hope purifieth himselfe 1. Pet. 1.22 Your soules are purified in obeying the truth And again Being borne anew of the immortall seede of the word The parts of newnesse of life are specially three True wisedome good affections good workes True wisdome is to aduise of good things and to vse good meanes for the execution thereof This wisdome ariseth of our faith in the word of God Dauid saith he vvas vviser then his teachers and vviser then the auncient and he renders the cause therof from the worke of his faith For thy testimonies are euer with me and they are my meditation Out of the same fountaine spring all good affections The loue wherby we loue God comes of our faith beleeuing the loue wherewith God loueth vs. The perswasion of the forgiuenesse of many sinnes in the woman that washed Christs feete with her teares caused her to shewe much loue to Christ. Godly sorrow when the heart is grieued properly for the offence of God ariseth of faith apprehending and beleeuing the mercie of God in Christ. And in euery good worke there is a threefold action of faith required First there is required an acte of generall faith which is to beleeue that the worke to be done in his kind pleaseth god Rom. 14.23 VVhatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The second is an acte of iustifying faith which is to purge the heart and to cause it to bring foorth the good worke to be done Psal. 116.10 I beleeued therefore I spake The third is also an act of iustifying faith and that is when the worke is done to apprehend Christ who by his merit is to couer the defect of the worke because no work of ours can please God without
of god which otherwise we might enioy If ye beleeue not ye shall not be established saith the Prophet In Capernaum Christ could doe no great wonders by reason of their vnbeleefe Lastly vnbeleefe plucks downe vpon men the plagues iudgements of God Moses and Aaron were barred the land of Canaan for their vnbeleefe A certaine prince was troden to death in the gates of Samaria because he would not beleeue the word of the Lord by the mouth of Elisha Zacharie was dumbe for a time because he would not beleeue the message of the angel Many at this day when the iudgements of God lie heauie on them say presently they are fore spoken and they crie out on this or that suspected witch But such persons are often deceiued For the great witch that doth them all the hurt is the vnbeleefe of their hearts whereby they distrust God in his word and this sinne alone if there were no witches in the world is sufficient alone to prouoke God to plague and punish vs sundrie waies and that grieuously Therfore let vs with bitternes of heart bewaile our vnbeleefe and the rather because it is a steppe to faith to acknowledge the want of faith The second thing to be done is to make examination whether we be in conscience conuicted of the certentie of the word or no. If we be not we must labour to be cōuinced Because that naturall atheisme whereby we doubt whether the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles be the word of God or no hinders the certentie of faith For the setling of the conscience in this point these arguments may be vsed The first it is a principle in nature that there is a God if there be a God nature can say he is to be worshipped if he be to be worshipped he hath reuealed himselfe and his will to man for otherwise he cannot be worshipped And this reuelation is to be found in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and in no other writings of men because we finde the doctrine of Scriptures to be agreeable to the very nature and maiestie of God and so is no other doctrine or learning whatsoeuer For it is the most auncient and all other religions come far short of it It is one and the same euermore consenting with it selfe without chaunge or alteration The Apostles agree with the prophets the Prophets with Moses and all with the first reuelation made at the creation Againe it discouers and reueales the secret thoughts of men that no art or learning can discouer and this argues that it was penned by him who is the searcher of all hearts The second argument is a wonderfull Euidence of the truth not to be found in any other writings in the world This euidence stands specially in eight things The first is that the writers of Scriptures fully and plainely set downe their owne faults yea their chiefest faults not sparing to shame themselues in mans reason and this argues that in writing they were guided by the spirit of trueth The second is that the books of Scriptures containe many mysteries aboue the reach of mans reason yet not against reason because we may discerne a truth in them and that by grounds principles of reason The third that the speeches of Scripture aime not at by-respects but simply and absolutely giue and ascribe all glorie to God alone The fourth is that the Scriptures containe full and perfect doctrine for the pacifying setling and directing of the conscience in all things The fifth is the holinesse and puritie of the law of Moses in that it accuseth and condemneth all men of sinne and prescribeth perfect righteousnes Herein it surpasseth the laws of all countries common-wealths kingdomes whatsoeuer The sixth is the wisdome that appeares in the pollicie or gouernment of the common-wealth of the Iewes set downe by Moses The seuenth is a reconciliation of iustice and mercie propounded in the Gospel For in Christ iustice and mercie meete and iustice after a sort giues place to mercie The eight thing wherein this euidence of trueth appeares is the consent of Scripture with it selfe for doctrine agrees with historie and euery part with euery part This manifold euidence of truth shewes that scripture is from the god of truth If any say that they finde no such euidence in Scripture I answer it is their owne fault for if they would seriously read the Scriptures with praier to God it would appeare The third argument is the Efficacie of the word which appeares on this manner Gods word is flat contrarie to the nature and corrupt disposition of man and yet for all this when being preached it conuinceth and condemneth men of sinne it turneth and conuerteth them to it selfe and causeth them to liue and die in the loue and obedience therof This could it neuer doe vnlesse it were of diuine operation The fourth argument is that the Prophets and Apostles wrought miracles for the ratifying and confirming of their doctrine Now these miracles surpasse the strēgth of nature and were immediately from God and therefore the doctrine thereby confirmed was also of God The fifth and last is that the writings of the prophets and Apostles containe many prophecies or predictions of things to come that none could foresee or foretell but God The name of Iosias his doings are foretold 330. yeares before he was borne Cyrus his doings are mentioned more then an 100. yeares before his birth now these and the like prophecies argue that the whole doctrine is of God By these and like arguments are all that inwardly doubt of the word of God to settle and stablish their consciences This done then followes the third point and that is that we must search and inquire what is the substance and scope of the worde of god The scope of the whole Bible is Christ with his benefits and he is reuealed propounded and offered vnto vs in the maine promise of the word the tenour whereof is That God will giue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to such as will beleeue in Christ. To this main promise God hath added a maine commaundement which biddes vs to beleeue the said promise or to applie Christ with his benefits vnto our selues Now then our third dutie is to subiect our hearts and wills to this commaundement that biddes vs beleeue in Christ. This is the subiection of faith of which two things must be obserued One is that this is the first subiection that we can giue to God to trust him vpon his promise for the pardon of our sinnes and for life eternall And from this subiection of faith ariseth our subiection to the whole word In Christ are all the promises of God yea and amen the law and the obedience of all the commaundements thereof is established by faith without Christ no good thing can be done The second point is that this subiection is easie in respect of that subiection