Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	believe_v	lord_n	unbelief_n	5,320	5	10.6764	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16506	The true vvay of a Christian, to the nevv Ierusalem Or, a three-folde demonstration: first, of the excellencie of the true and sauing knowledge of Christ; and the meanes to attaine it: with the antiquitie, necesitie, and benefit of catechisme. Secondly, of our vnion and communion with Christ, and his Church. Thirdly, of our new creation in Christ, by the blessed Spirit. With diuers questions, and cases of conscience, most comfortable for a Christian. Deliuered first in briefe, in a sermon preached at Paules-Crosse, the first Sunday in the new yeere, 1617. And newly reuised and enlarged by Immanuel Bourne ...	Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.	1622 (1622)	STC 3419; ESTC S106545	102,817	130

not make thee ashamed Rom. 5.5 Yea by this Hope thou art and shalt be saued Rom. 8.24 Conclude not thy selfe then to be out of the fauour of God because thou art not yet free from sin and Satans temptations but comfort thy selfe in hope that as Christs prayer for Peter was heard 〈◊〉 22.32 that though he failed in faith and that fo● a time yet he could not faile totally and finally so it is heard also for thee For he hath prayed for thee as eff●ctu●lly as he did for him yea for all that shall beleeue on him Iohn 17. I●h 17.20 And th refore as Iob Iob 19.25 in the middest of his mis●●e did co fort himselfe with this meditation that his R●d●mer un●d so doe thou comfort thy selfe in C●ri●● th●● one droppe of his blood is of vertue to procure pardon for all thy sinnes if the sinnes of all the men in the world were thine And therefore waite with pati●●ce 2. Cor. 22.9 a●d b● content with Gods answer to Paul My g●a●e is su●●●●ient for thee and my strength shall be made man●fest in thy we●●●nesse It is not for our merits b●t for the me●i s o● C r●●● that God freely accepts vs. And this is th● pr●mise of God to those who are once his ch●ldren on whom h● hath ou●e bestowed these graces of the knowledge of Christ of faith of repentance of ●egeneration and newnesse of life which thou canst not deny once to haue beene in some measure in thee though he suffer them to fall into diuers great and grieuous temptations yea temptations of this nature yet he will lay no more vpon them 1. Cor. 10.13 then he will make them able to beare and if he suffer them to be ouercome for a time yet will he make a way to escape he will giue them the grace of repentance and faith by which they shall bee reconciled and reassured of the loue of their heauenly Father Doubt not then to apply the promises of God in particular into thy selfe vpon repentance and comming to Christ because their is no kinde of sinne which thou canst commit but the mercy of God in Christ is farre greater For that sinne against the holy Ghost thou canst not commit which is not any transgression of the morall Law either in generall or particular either of ignorance or infirmitie or a sinne committed wilfully presumptuously and against a mans conscience though these bee grieuous sinnes Bucan loc Com. But an vniuersall and a finall Apostacie or falling away from Christ it is a voluntarie renouncing of the knowne truth of the Gospel and a rebellion proceeding from the hatred of it being ioyned with a tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall oppugnation of the same when a man that hath beene enlightened with the true knowledge of Christ and conuinced in his conscience of the truth of it by the blessed Spirit Heb. 6.5 and hath tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come but it is onely a taste for they that doe feede of these graces spiritually and doe digest them and are nourished by them to newnesse of life God will neuer suffer them to fall into this sinne when such an one I say shall afterward vniuersally and with a full consent fall from the truth deny Christ persecute him with reproaches despising the sacrifice of his death and passion and continuing thus without repentance to the end this is the sinne against the holy Ghost Thus did Iulian and other Apostates sinne and of these is that of the Apostle to be vnderstood Heb. 6. verse 6. This sinne I say thou canst not fall into beeing ingrafted into Christ by faith and for all other sinnes bee they neuer so grieuous remission is promised vpon faith and repentance and that freely not for the merit of thy faith or repentance but for the merit of Christ Why then shouldest thou not apply the generall promises of grace vnto thy selfe in particular Come vnto me saith Christ all ye that be weary and heauy leaden and I will refresh you this promise is generall Mat. 11.28 But thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art weary and heauy loaden with the burden of thy sinnes and therefore thou mayest well conclude that comming vnto Christ the promise of mercy belongs to thee Whosoeuer shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued this is a generall promise Mark 16.16 But thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art baptized and that thou beleeuest though it may be thy faith is but weake but like a graine of mustard-seede that is very small Matth. 17.20 yet if thou canst but say with the man in the Gospel I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Marke 9.24 If thou canst but touch the hemne of Christs vesture with the finger of faith if the hand of faith by which thou mayst lay fast hold on him be wanting yet by this touch of Christ euen with the finger of faith the vertue of Christ may flow forth sufficiently to stop the bloody issue of thy sinnes and to cure the maladies of thy soule and with this thou mayest truly apply the promises of grace vnto thy selfe To conclude this then since thou art and must bee a souldier while thou liuest in the campe or field of the Church faint not at the sight of thy enemies though they be many and terrible 2. King 6.16 but comfort thy selfe with this that as Elisha said to his seruant There are more with thee then with them yea and though thou be weake yet the strongest part is on thy side thou hast God thy friend to send thee more ayde of grace if at any time thou art decaied in thy strength thou hast Christ a conquerour thy Captaine vnder whose banner thou dost fight thou hast the blessed Spirit to encourage thee and though he may leaue off to shew his fauourable presence for a time yet will he not long be absent from thee though for a moment he hide his face yet with euerlasting kindnesse will he haue compassion on thee Esay 54.7 8. In a word thou hast myriades of Angels to accompany thee and the prayers of the Saints of the whole Church yea of Christ himselfe at the right hand of his Father like the showting of the Israelites Iosh 6.20 to make the walles of Iericho the strength of thy enemies to faile And therefore goe on with faith and constancie to endure the combate and faint not though thou hast many losses of grace many wounds by sinne by thy spirituall enemies for Christ being thy Captaine thou shalt certainly be conquerour in the end But if with all this thou findest that thou art vnable to apply the promises of mercy and free grace vnto thy selfe or to doe it so weakely that feare is not yet remooued Confession and Absolution an excellent meanes of peace Then as in the sicknesse of thy body thou art ready to seeke to the Physitian for helpe

to be free from it that hee might haue had no more of these assaults and why did not God grant his desire If he would haue giuen this freedome to any then why not to Saint Paul I answer the state of Saint Paul required it being a member of the Church militant that he should not be free least he might grow secure leaue off fighting and so cease to be a Souldier which we must not doe in this life for we must fight manfully and be faithfull Souldiers to the death that Christ may giue vs the Crowne of life Reuel 2.10 S. ●●●n 〈◊〉 ●●rm Daemonis est mala suggerere nostrū est non consentire It is the propertie of the Deuill to suggest euill motions but it is our parts not to consent vnto them for as often as we resist them so often we ouercome the Deuill we honor our God who visiteth vs that we should fight who h●lp●th vs that we may ouercome who strengtheneth vs that we faint not in the combate as Saint Bernard excellently To be tempted by Satan is Satans sinne not thine but to yeeld and consent to temptations this is sinne in thee Christ was tempted as I said before but temptations to him were but like sparkes of fire falling vpon the waters quickly quenched But to vs they are like sparkes falling vpon tinder or dry row quickly set on fire and therefore we had neede to pray that our hearts may be wet with the dew of Grace that we may the better resist and ouercome them And comfort thy selfe with this that God who is thy louing Father in Christ hath the Deuill in chaines and as hee stayeth the waues of the Sea at his pleasure Iob 38.8 so he holdeth Satan as with bit and bridle that hee can tempt thee no otherwise nor any longer then God seeth for thy good as is euident by the example of Iob. Chap. 1.12 And if the children of God be tempted and ouercome by thē yet vpon true repentance and comming vnto Christ we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 1. Iohn 2.1 If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues the truth is not in vs but if we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust according to his promise to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse 1. Iohn 1. We must not then conclude that because we are subiect to temptations or because the seeds of sin are still in vs and the corruption of our nature not fully purged that therefore we are out of the fauour of God for these may be in Gods dearest Saints But wee must pray to God for help 2. Thess 3.16 Heb. 10.35 Incouragements from the state of a Christian to endure the combate Because he is the Lord of peace who giueth peace to his children Cast therefore thy care vpon God the finisher of thy faith 1 Pet. 1.2 And labour earnestly to resist these temptations and endure the combate with patience hauing an eie to our Captain Christ Iesus who is the Author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.1.2 And to strengthen thy faith and free thee from doubting the better let me entreat thee to remēber that the state of a Christian in this life is but like a man on the top of a Simil. 1 tower so long as he lookes vpwards he stands sure without doubting but if once he looke downe his head begins presently to bee giddy and hee feares falling So whiles we looke vp to Christ and remember how God freely accepts vs as righteous in him we are confident of our estate and of Gods mercy in Christ but if wee cast downe our eyes vpon our owne corruptions our weakenesse of faith and holinesse then doubtings beginne to assault vs. We must not then seeke peace in our selues but in Christ who is our peace Ephes 2.14 Rom. 3.24 2. and in whom vpon repentance we are iustified freely by his grace Mat. 14.28.29.30.31 Or whensoeuer Simil. 2 thou art in temptatations or doubtings trouble thy soule remember that thy estate in this life is like Peter on the water whose faith at first was so strong that at the call of Christ hee came boldly to him on the water without doubting But when he saw the waues comming against him he presently doubteth feareth drowning begins to sink til finding himselfe vnable to saue himselfe he flyeth to Christ prayeth earnestly to him for help Master saue me J perish And then Christ giueth him his hand and bringing him into the ship saueth them from drowning And in like manner it is with a Christian at first when Christ calleth him to faith and repentance by the preaching of the Gospell being perswaded by the Spirit of God to beleeue hee comes boldly vnto Christ being moued by the excellency of Christs merit and the free promises of grace and mercy in him but when he once comes to see his vnthankefulnesse and the weakenesse of his faith and obedience the vnbeliefe and want of Sanctification in him then the waues of Satans temptations and corruptions of his owne nature assaulting him feares and doubtings sease vpon him and he is ready to sinke downe into the Sea of despaire for want of Faith If this be thy estate what must thou now do but confesse and acknowle●geth 〈…〉 4. Weake Christians shold imitate Peter Iam. 5.13 Iames 1.17 an● insufficiency and with Peter b●i●g re●d● to 〈◊〉 flie vnto Christ and pray vnto hi● for co●●●●● the Autho● and fountaine of life and peace Jf ●ny m●●b●●fflict●d l t him pray saith S. James Thus will Ch●ist giue thee the hand of his gracious assistance as he did to Pet●r and deliuering thee in his due time from the w●ues of feare and Sea of despaire hee will bring thee safe into the ship of Comfort and re-assurance of his loue and fauour againe And to find out this assurance and perswasion of thy Election and Gods fauour to which S. Peter 2 Pet. 1.10 exhorts that by holinesse we may perfect our assurance as S. Paul exhorts to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling to keepe vs from security and presumption Phil. 2.12 As he that would find the Sea must take the Riuer by the hand and follow that So a Christian who would find out his Election and be assured of his Calling hee must goe to the golden Chaine of his Predestination and lay hold on those linkes first that are neerest vnto him He must beginne first to finde out the effects and fruites before he can finde the cause The Sunne rising is knowne by the light approching the fire by the heate the tree by the fruite and so our Election by the effects and signes of it If we go first to that vnsearchable depth of Gods secret counsell to that most glorious Sunne of his wonderfull decree as Satan will moue vs to doe hiding the effects and

needle in a sunne-dyall looketh two wayes not onely forwards to my Text but backwards to the occasion in the verse before which is the ground from which my text is inferred and vpon which the whole frame is builded Occasion Beza annotat Gualterus Cornelius Cornelij a lapide S. Ch●ysost Vatabl. S. August lib. 9 contra Faust ca● 7 C●rnelius a lapide Henceforth saith the Apostle know we no man after the flesh that is we esteeme or approoue of no man that liueth carnally according to the corruptions of the flesh or according to the carnall observations and ceremonies of the old Lawe because we know that Christ is the end and fulfilling thereof Or we esteeme not carnall things nor of men according to these be they neuer so profitable or pleasurable riches beauty friends kindred or the like Our iudgements now are spirituall nor carnall as they were yea though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh that is after a carnall manner glorying in him as our kinsman according to the flesh Chrysostom Theod. Synodus 7. General Act. 6. being of the same nation and stocke-with vs or esteeming of him but as of a mortall man subiect to infirmities yet now know we him so no more but spiritually as the Sonne of God and Sauior of the world and the reason is because we are changed our knowledge is changed and we are become new men in Christ So that hence doth appeare the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ The excellency of the true knowledge of Christ from whence the Apostle inferres our new creation Because ordinarily amongst other causes the true knowledge of Christ is a speciall cause and meanes thereof For our new creation is a fruit of faith God saith Peter put no difference betweene vs and them speaking of the Iewes and Gentiles which beleeued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purifying or regenerating their hearts by faith Act. 15.9 And so the word is vsed by Saint Paul Ephes 5.26 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleansing purifying or regenerating with the washing of water by the word this learned Zanchius Zanchius in Ephes cap. 5.26 Calvinus Institutionū lib. 3. cap. 3. Vtrumque fide consequamu● vita scil novitatem reconciliationem gratuitam neque tamen quū resipiscentiae originem ad fidem referimus ●patium aliquod temporis somniamus quo ipsam partutiat c. cōfirmeth interpeting the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our regeneration in his Cōmentaries vpon that Text indicious Calvin is a second witnesse to confirme this truth rightly averring that regeneration is a fruite of faith that we obtaine it by faith the spirit of God working by faith in our hearts that faith is before it in order not in time as he explaineth himselfe in the third booke of his Institutions chapter the third Now faith cannot be without knowledge How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10.14 And therefore much lesse regeneration which is the the companion yea the fruite and effect of sauing faith Yea further as the blessed spirit himselfe is the internall efficient cause of our new birth kindling faith in vs and by the blood of Iesus apprehended and applyed by faith purging and washing our consciences from dead workes and framing in vs that image of Christ in the inner man as Saint Paul affirmes Titus 3. 5. so are the Sacraments also as Saint Peter 1. Pet. 3.21 Yea and the word of God and true knowledge thereof For we are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liueth and abideth for euer 1. Pet. 1.23 As the Poets feigned of Medusaes head Hesiod Ovid. Metam 4 Aug. lib. 18. de Civit. Dei cap. 13. Diodorus lib. 4. that it was of power to turne the beholders into snakes so much more true is it of the true knowledge of Christ reveiled in the word it is a powerfull meanes by the operation of the Spirit to metamorphize our natural deformitie to change our corrupt affections and to raise vs from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse Therefore our Sauiour calles this knowledge life yea and life eternall Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ That is this is the meanes and onely ordinary means to obtain happines For there is no other name vnder heauen by which we can be saued Acts 4.12 It is the name the faith and the true knowledge of Christ that bringeth that life vnto vs. Via ad Deum est Scientia saith Hugo Hugo de instructione nouitiorum The way to God is by knowledge by knowledge we passe to holy discipline by holy discipline to heauenly goodnesse by heauenly goodnesse to eternall blessednesse for euermore And Saint Bernard S. Bernard de ordine vitae well obserues that vntill a man by faith do know his Creator ignorance the mother of all vices possesseth his soule and thereupon he noteth a twofold knowledge necessary to saluation The first is the knowledge of God the second the knowledge of thy selfe Because as from the knowledge of thy selfe there proceedeth a feare of the maiestie of God and from the knowledge of God a loue of him who is the chiefest good so from the ignorance of thy selfe there springs forth pride and from the ignorance of God there floweth desperation And what Saint Bernard attributes to the ignorance and knowledge of God in generall is true also of the ignorance or knowledg of Christ in particular from the true knowledge of Christ there proceeds a loue of Christ yea a reciprocall loue not only of thee to Christ but of Christ to thee and from the ignorance of Christ desperation destroyeth the soule Si Christum benè scis nihil est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis If thou knowest Christ aright it is nothing though thou bee ignorant of all things else And if thou be ignorant of Christ all other knowledge is nothing auailable to attaine thy wished felicitie Wouldest thou walke the way to heauen Christ is the way by which thou maiest walke in safety Wouldest thou not be deceiued in thy iourney Christ is the truth to guide thee Wouldest thou not faint or dye in thy way Christ is the life to comfort and strengthen thee to life euerlasting as Saint Augustine sweetly vpon those words of our Sauiour Ioh. 14.6 August in Ioh. cap. 14.6 And thus likewise Saint Ambrose Ambr. lib. de virginitate excellently in his booke of Virginity If thou desirest to cure the wounds of thy soule Christ is the Physitian that can heale thee If thou bee scorched with the burning feuer of thy sinnes Christ is that fountaine of liuing water that will refresh thee If thou bee

and counsell that he may apply somewhat vnto thee to cure thy disease so must thou doe in this sicknesse of thy soule Thou must flye to the Minister of God whom he hath appointed for thy helpe herein The Priests lippes must preserue knowledge Malac. 2.7 and thou must seeke the Law at his mouth To him thou must open the wounds of thy soule Iam. 5.16 the causes and occasions of thy feare whether they be thy sinnes if any trouble thy conscience or thy temptations to sinne thy weakenesse of faith and holinesse or the like that hee vpon sight of thy estate and arguments of thy faith and repentance though they be weake may apply the promises of mercy the refreshing oyle of the Gospel vnto thy soule Thou must confesse thy sinnes and weaknesse as that reuerend Diuine Mr. Perkins Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 1. sect 1. well obserueth that the Minister of God may pronounce the sentence of absolution of thy free remission and reconciliation with God in Christ vnto thee that hence thy hope and confidence in God may be confirmed which he may truly doe if by thy confession he finde in thee the grounds and signes of faith and repentance of which thou mayest finde many signes in this Treatise and no doubt but some in thy selfe if thou be called brought to repentance and faith in Christ I will here put you in minde A most comfortable ground of assurance that our sinnes are pardoned in Christ but of one ground of comfort for many And this is that A desire to repent and beleeue in a touched heart and conscience is faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation by Christ This is euident in Scripture First because If there be a willing minde it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath 2. Corinthians 8. verse 12. Againe God doth not onely call all that thirst and desire to the waters of life and offers them freely Esay 55. verse 1.2 but if they doe but desire and thirst for it he promiseth to giue it them freely Reuel 21.6 Reu. 22.17 And he will be as good as his word to thee thou shalt be sure to receiue and taste of these waters of comfort if thou wilt pray for it and desire it and expect with patience and tarry the Lords leisure for it Thou art blessed in the desire of it Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for first or last they shall be satisfied Matth. 5.6 and then blessed shalt thou be in the happie possession of it A bruised reede will he not breake and smoaking flaxe will he not quench that is the least sparkes of grace but kindle them to thy comfort Matth. 12.20 The Lord saith Dauid heareth the desires of the poore the poore in Spirit especially who are blessed though they be poore in their owne eyes seeing but little or no faith or holinesse in themselues yet they are rich in Christ in whom God accepteth them for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Matth. 5 3. If thou confessest that thou hast but this desire in thee as thou thy selfe mayest apply to thy selfe with the help of thine own co●science spirituall vnderstanding so may the minister also boldly and certainly apply the promises of grace and mercy to thy soule M. Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 7. sect 5. And that with this or the like argument He that hath an vnfained desire to repent and b●leeue in Christ hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ as thy owne conscience cannot choose but tell thee and as thou confessest vnto him and therefore as thou mayest apply and conclude so if thou canst not he may certainly conclude to thee and for thee That remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs to thee and therefore he may assuredly and boldly for to procure thy peace the better pronounce vnto thee that excellent sentence of Absolution The Booke of Common Prayer in the visitation of the sicke appointed by our Church for the comfort of sicke and distressed soules Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolue all sinners which truly repent and beleeue in him of his great mercy forgiue thee thine offences And by his authoritie committed to me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen And if thou be as thou oughtest to be perswaded of the power of this absolution thou mayest after this possesse thy soule in peace with assurance that thou art iustified freely in Christ and labouring to increase in holinesse thou needest not doubt of happinesse in the end For this is one end why Christ hath giuen that power of binding and loosing vnto his Ministers those keyes of the kingdome of heauen That whatsoeuer they doe binde on earth Math. 16.19 should be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen And withall gaue them the holy Ghost to direct and guide them Receiue yee the holy Ghost saith Christ whose soeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes yee retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. verse 22 23. And this power though it be not absolute but ministeriall Christ absoluing by his ministers yet as no water could cure Naamans leprosie but the waters of Iordan 2. King 5. because God had giuen a speciall gift vnto them So the same words of absolution being pronounced by any other cannot haue that power to worke on the conscience or to perswade to peace as when they are pronounced by him that hath this ministeriall office because the promise only is giuen to Gods Ministers who are sent forth to this end Ioh. 20.12.13 And being pronounced by them in this forme and manner Christ doth as certainly loose thee from the bonds of thy sinnes by his Ministers as he did loose Lazarus by his disciples from the bonds with which he was tyed when he had raised him to life Iohn 11.44 Be at peace therfore quiet thy conscience with diuine Answ 3 Hope and confidence in Christ and the God of peace shall be with thee 2. Cor. 13.11 And yet further thirdly for thy decay in grace Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle to the Christian Thessalonians Against decay in grace 1. Thes 5.19 in whom no doubt the grace of Gods Spirit was in good measure The Spirit therefore may bee quenched and Gods dearest children may lose grace for a time though not finally and totally because God in his mercy doth in due time renue the vigour and strength of his graces in them Thou must not conclude then by thy decay in grace for a time or want of holinesse that thou art excluded from the fauor of God in Christ The best wheate hath

Act of faith but obiect that iustifieth It is not the acte of our faith and beleeuing or the acte of our holinesse that maketh vs acceptable in the sight of God although these graces are required in vs But the Obiect of our faith the thing receiued the patterne of our holinesse Christ Iesus whom wee must striue to be like Mat. 17.5 and in whom God the Father is well pleased with vs. As it is not the hand that receiueth the plaister and Simil. 1 applyeth it to the soare that cureth the wound but the plaister it selfe and the vertue of that which is applyed so is it not our faith or the vertue of that bee it neuer so strong and the fruite of it at the best that it can be in this life but the vertue of Christs merits applyed that iustifie vs before God and procure safety vnto vs. 2. A Christian must not content himselfe with a weake faith nor despaire if his faith be not strong And therefore although thou oughtest not to content thy selfe with a weak faith but to vse al good means the oftē hearing of the word of God the often receiuing of the blessed Sacraments and prayer to encrease it yet if it be but weake thou must not presently deny thy selfe the benfite of Christ For as a hand shaking with the palsey may as truely receiue a plaister and lay it to Simil. 1 the wound as a hand that is firme though it cannot doe it in so firme a manner so a weake faith may as truely receiue Christ and apply his merits to cure the wounds of our soules though it be not so free from ●auering and doubting as a faith that is stronger And for the sence and feeling of the loue of Gods law in thee or of the loue of God vnto thee these are rather effects and fruites of faith then faith it selfe and therefore if thou canst not alwayes finde these to be in thee thou oughtest not for this to conclude that thou hast no faith that God loueth thee not that thou art not in Christ nor Christ in thee For as thy sanctification 3. Faith and holines not alwayes seene in Gods children so thy faith may sometimes bee like the fire couered with ashes the effects of which heate and light are neither felt nor seeene of those that stand by but if the fire be vncouered they both are made manfest yea how great a matter will a little fire kindle how great Simil. 1 a flame of diuine loue may arise in thy soule from the sparkes of grace that lye hid in it Iam. 3.5 yea what assurance of Gods fauour of peace of conscience or the like when it shall please God to kindle those sparkes with the breath Simil. 2 of his Spirit Or as a sicke man may for a time loose his taste and yet be recouered to health againe so a sicke and weake faith may through infirmities and manifolde temptations for a time loose the sence and taste of diuine loue and yet in time bee refreshed with comfort againe And as the light of the sunne is oftentimes eclypsed Simil. 3 and hid from vs and yet when the thicke clouds or the obiect interposed is banished it shineth bright again so it is with the light of Gods grace it is often hidden and eclypsed in vs by the clouds and mysts of temptations by our naturall corruption by falling into sinne or the like which breedeth a dulnesse in our soules towards all the workes of pietie and deuotion And yet when the mystes are gone and these hinderances remooued the diuine graces begin to shine againe and the warmth of spirituall devotion and happy assurance is kindled in vs. Simil. 4 In a word as a tree in the Winter may outwardly seeme to be dead hauing neither leaues nor fruite which are signes of life vpon it yet hath it the sappe secret at the roote which at the Spring time will cause it bud forth in abundance and shew the life of it to the eies of all So is it often times with the faith of Gods children in the Winter of temptations it may seeme to be dead and neither seene nor felt in the heart of man but when the Spring time of Gods grace approcheth then will it be liuely and operatiue and shew forth the life and vertue of it both to thy selfe and others 4. The true knowledge of our estate in this life an excellent meanes of Comfort Be not daunted then with any temptations but resist them with boldnes and if this spirituall grace be asleepe or this day of holy deuotion and Diuine comfort be ended despaire not of mercy but waite with patience and praier till thy loue be awakened and till the day Starre of heauenly zeale and blessed peace be risen in thy heart For God doth often exercise his children with long trials before he giue them deliuerance and yet all at last turnes to their good Rom. 8.28 God did try the Israelites forty yeeres in the wildernesse before hee brought them to Canaan when he might haue led them a farre neerer way and they had many enemies before they could get possession of the land of Canaan which is a true type of our spirituall warfare in the wildernesse of this world to the Canaan of heauen Prou. 3.11 Through many tribulations temporall and spirituall we must enter into the kingdome of heauen Acts 14.22 Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord will deliuer thē out of all Psa 34.19 Mark the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace Psal 37.73 His morning may be cloudy his midday stormy with doubts and feares and his own corruptions but his end shall haue a calme The end of that man is peace Our light afflictiō which is but for a momēt 2 Cor. 4.17 worketh vnto vs an excellent waight of glory Stay thy self then in hope till Christ thy heauenly Bridegroome returne with a gracious smile vnto thee Then shalt thou see and feele the virtue and power of that Sunne of righteousnesse in the sweet fellowship of the Spirit of truth to thy eternall comfort Then shalt thou be re-assured of thy new Creation that thou art in Christ and Christ in thee If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature And the reason and confirmation follow in the next place Because vnto this man old things are passed away and behold all things are become new This is the second generall of my Text consisting of two particulars the Autumne 2. ● The Autumne of my Text. or rather Winter and the Spring But because the Autumne and Winter is commonly tedious I wil not bee too tedious in the Autumne but briefly passe it through and hasten to the Spring of my Text and so to a conclusion because the time hasteneth Old things are passed away Quae autē vetera transierunt quae facta sunt noua saith S. August S. August de