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
How to liue and that well Jn all estates and times specially when helps and comforts faile Printed by Iohn Legat printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1601. And are to be sold at the Crowne in Pauls Churchyard by Simon Waterson To the Reader GOod Reader if thou wouldest be saued by thy faith in Christ after death thou must here liue by it before death And faith for the time of this life hath two great vses The first is to cut off worldly sorrowes and cares It is the common fashion of men to multiplie their cares out of measure and thereby to make their liues most miserable For first of all beside necessarie labours they take vpon them many needelesse and superfluous businesses Secondly their manner is to care not onely for the labours to be done but also for the euent and successe of their labours that they may alwaies prosper and neuer be crossed but this care belongs to God alone Thirdly they content not themselve with their lot and condition but seeke by all meanes to increase their estate and to make themselues rich Lastly they exercise themselues not onely in disposing of things present but they forecast many matters in their heades and plotte the successe of things to come Now faith when we haue done the works of our callings according to the prescript of the word of God saith I say makes vs commend to God the blessing successe euent therof by prayer and affiance in his promises not doubting but he will giue vs all things necessary And if we want the blessing and successe we looke for yet faith makes vs to renounce our owne desires and in silence to quiet our hearts in the good pleasure of God And thus many worldly cares are cut off Secondly when a man at his wits ende knowes not what in the world to doe being as it were plunged into a sea of miseries faith giues direction and staies the minde For when all temporall things faile vs euen to the very skinne and life faith preserues within vs an affiance of the grace and mercie of God and the hope of life euerlasting Faith shewes vs hidden things not to be discerned by sense and reason Life euerlasting is promised vs but we die for al that we heare of the resurrection but in the meane season we rot in our graues we are pronounced blessed but yet we are ouerwhelmed with infinite miseries bundance of all things is promised but for all this we often hūger and thirst God promiseth to heare vs and to be present with vs but he seemes oft times to be deafe as it were at our cries Now then comes faith which is the substance of things hoped for and makes vs lift our minds aboue the whole world to apprehend the inuisible and vnspeakable things of God which he hath reuealed and promised vnto vs. These things I shewe more at large in this small treatise following read it at thy leisure vse it for thy good and see thou be a doer of them W. Perkins Hab. 2.4 The iust man shall liue by his faith IN the former chapter the Prophet complaines and expostulates the matter with God why the Iewes the people of God should be oppressed by the Chaldeans the enemies of God In the beginning of the 2. chapter the Lord makes answer to the Prophet and the effect of the answer is this They shall certenly be deliuered in the time appointed but they shal not yet be deliuered Vpon this answer the Prophet might happily obiect on this manner How then shall the afflicted Iewes be able to liue in the mean season the Lord answers by a distinctiō thus The vniust man puffs vp himselfe with vaine confidence but the iust man shall liue by his faith For the better vnderstanding of the words fiue things are in order to be explaned The first what is meant by the iust man Iustice mentioned in the word is twofold the iustice of the law and the iustice of the Gospel The iustice of the law hath in it all the points and parts of iustice and all the perfection of all parts and it was neuer found in any vpon earth except Adam and Christ. The iustice of the Gospel hath all the parts of true iustice but it wants the full perfection of parts as a childe hath all the parts of a man in the infancie though it want perfection of stature and talnesse And this kind of iustice is nothing else but the conuersion of a sinner with a purpose will endeauour to please God according to all the commādements of the Law Thus was Noe iust Iob Zacharie and Elizabeth and thus must the iust man be taken in this place for one that turnes to God by grace indeauours to please God according to the whole law of God in his place and calling The second point to be considered is what life is here meant As death is here twofold the first and the second so is life The first is the coniunction of the bodie and the soule the second is the coniunction of the whole man with God The first is called naturall the second spirituall or eternall life and both are meant in this place For Paul brings this very text to proue the iustification of a sinner by faith and iustification is a part of spirituall life because it is the acceptation of a sinner to eternall life And for this cause the prophet saith The iust man shall liue hauing relation not onely to the time of affliction then to come but also to eternall life The third point to be considered is what is the faith here meant And that is iustifying or sauing faith because we must liue by the same faith whereby we are saued And faith hath his effect not onely after this life but also in this life We must liue first by it before we can be saued by it Paul therefore in his own example expounding this text saith And in that I liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me The fourth point is the construction of the wordes and that is two waies The first is thus The iust by faith shall liue the words by faith being ioyned vpon the word lust And then the sense is this He that is iust by his faith shall liue or haue eternall life The second is thus The iust shall liue by his faith the words by faith being ioyned to the words shall liue then the sense is this The iust while he liues in this world he shall liue by his faith This latter construction and sense I rather choose and imbrace because Paul cuē in this sense brings this text to prooue that life eternall and consequently iustification comes not by working according to the law but by beleeuing and he makes an exposition betweene liuing by faith and liuing by workes The fifth and last point to be considered is How a man
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