and Drink and be merry in the Lord. I will suffer patiently in the Lord. I will Live and Die in the Lord. Tell me not of Temptations I know who is on my side and will deliver me Tell me not of Tribulations I know who will Save me Tell me not of Death and Hell I know who will Redeem me Yea He hath Delivered He hath saved He hath Redeemed me already The Forgiveness of my Sins past present and to come is already present with me The Deliverance from all my Sufferings is already present with me Eternal Life and Salvation is already present with me I know in whom I have Trusted Here will I fix say the World the Flesh or the Divel what they will or can But with a Carnal Life Chap. 11. Carnal mâ—n this Faith and Hope cannot consist Of all Tempers these are most opposite to Faith 1. Outward uncleanness Rioting and Drunkenness Chambering and Wantonness Strife and Envy Cursing Damning Oppression and Cruelty and such like 2. Inward Hypocrisy Lying and Cheating c. 3. Open Rebellion Sacriledge Sedition and murmuring and such like The Carnal mind understandeth not the things of God neither indeed can it because they are spiritually discerned Thus it becometh us to Preach and you to practice Grace Faith Repentance Patience c. It is too Legal to preach Laws Duties Curses Threatnings Damnation The Gospel is Faith Love Hope Joy in the Holy Ghost Grace mercy pace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Till we perswade you to Faith we shall never do our work nor your work for you Believe only and you shall be saved This will bring works and duties and mortifications and all shall be pleasing to God and without this nothing shall be pleasing unto him for without Faith it is impossible to please God Say not You cannot understand this Spiritual Doctrine of the Gospel and this Rule is too high for you to walk by it is too hard a Taske to lead this life of Faith Sol. I answer Chap. 12. Gospel Easy It is easy to understand this Doctrine and he that is willing shall be made to know the mind of God and to do the same It is as easy to understand this Gospel-Precept Thou shalt not Lust or Hate as to understand this Legal Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery or Thou shalt not Kill It is as easy to understand That the thoughts of the Heart and the desires of the Will are to be regulated as the words of the Tongue or the works of the Hand It is as easy to understand Faith as Works to Believe as to Live To accept of the Covenant of Grace as of works As for the Mysteries of Faith in the Trinity Incarnation Descension Intercession of Christ and such like They are more easily and safely to be believed then disputed And the spirit is given to all that Believe that they might understand and do the Will of God That they might know the heighth and length and breadth and depth of the Love of God which passeth all knowledg It is as easy and farre more to hear of Grace Mercy and Peace as to hear of Law Curses and Damnation It is as easy to hope as fear to rejoyce as to mourn to be free as to be slaves to walk in light as in darkness To understand the good of the Soul as of the Body the life to come as this life present Wise are we to know this World Gain Honor pleasure c. and wiser we might be to know the World to come Ob Ob. A hard saying who can hear it Sol. Sol. An easy and true saying and very pleasant and may be heard Yea and he that hath Ears to hear let him hear for he may hear if he will none so deaf as they that will not hear The Charmer charmes often and wisely unless we stop our Ears with the deaf Adder and refuse to hear the voice of this Charmer though he charms unto us never so often never so wisely There is a voice behind us yea within us which saies unto us This is the way walk in it Turn from the ways of wickedness pass by them and come not neer unto them for fear iniquity be your Ruin for why will ye Dye O when will it once be The Sun of the Gospel shines very cleerly but the World shuts her eyes upon it The light is come into the world but men loved darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil The opposers of this heavenly way of walking with God in Faith and spiritual Duties are 1. Outward Formalists and Will-worshippers Chap. 13 â—ormaliâ—ts which rest in the Letter and in the outward work done as in Fasts Feasts Forms Austerities Almes Justice Temperance c. yet there is a more excellent way to go on to perfection not to draw neer to God with our Lips but our hearts As the proud Pharisee that fasted twice in the Week that made long Prayers that paid Tithe of all that he possessed that thanked God that he was not like other men nor as that Publican But the poor Publican went home to his house Justified rather then the other And the very Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven by their Faith when these Hypocrites shall be shut out 2. Law-Preachers Chap. 14. Law-Preachers and hearers of Curses and Damnation Are we Saved by the Works of the Law or by the Faith of the Gospel By the works of the Law no flesh living shall be justified What Law had the Heathens Preached unto them They were never under the Law they needed it not after they did believe nor Wee God did write in the Law in their hearts by his Spirit in the dayes of the Gospel and the Kingdome of Heaven is within us The royal Law of Love The perfect Law of Liberty is written upon the Tables of our hearts and this is a sufficient Rule to bring us to Heaven Mockers of Faith Chap. 15 Mockers Self-denyal Mortification Purity of heart Poorness of Spirit Mourning Meekness hungring and thirsting after Righteousness Mercifulness Peace-making Suffering Persecution Rejoycing in Persecution which are the spiritual commands of Christ to which Blessedness is promised Such Prophets as speak of these things are counted Fools and such spiritual men esteemed mad by the voluptuous and Luxurious men of the World and by the Zenonian Fatalists that depend upon absolute Decrees and put all to a venture What then remains but that all Reasonable men should be satisfied with this reasonable service of Faith which is above their Carnal Reason but agreeable with all spiritual and Right Reason and none but unreasonable and absurd men will deny it I will resolve therefore with my self Chap. 16. Soul-Resolution to go out of my self and trust no longer in my Flesh nor in any Creature I will resolve with my self to understand better things and to know my self more perfectly 1. How
THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH JUSTIFICATION AND ASSURANCE Humbly Endeavoured to be farther cleared towards the satisfaction and comfort of all free Vnbiassed Spirits With an APPENDIX for PEACE BY ROBERT DIXON Prebendary of ROCHESTER 1 Cor. 12.31 Covet after the best gifts and yet I shew you a more excellent way LONDON Printed by William Godbid M.DC.LXVIII To the Honourable Sr EDWARD HALES Baronet SIR GOD is the great Maker and bestower of all Rights The persons capable to receive them and to whom he doth convey them are Angels and Men. To mankind he gives the best of Rights and invests them with the best Inheritance by the best Mediator Jesus Christ the Principal Heir of all Things through the means of Faith which justifies the Sons of Men by Nature to be the best Title and the strongest Assurance that can be had to Eternal Life I have therefore purposely fixed upon these noble Principles of Faith Justification and Assurance That I might be a true Mercury to point out the stately way that leads to Coelestial Glory Directing wise Souls to come off from the wandring Pursuits of earthly Pomps empty Speculations and uncertain Riches which discompose and tyre the best Wits in the Labyrinth of this World That they may find true content in the Choice of that one Thing which is truly necessary That better part which shall never be taken from them That solid comfort which will stand by them and bring them Peace to the end and in the end and unto all Eternity This pain Treatise of these most high and most Christian Truths I held my self obliged to dedicate unto you as being the first Fruits of my Labours in this kind and therefore most due to you of all men who was my first Benefactor and most liberal Patron of my Studies together with your most excellent Lady now with God Her transcendent Estate I cannot reach but Yours and both your Sons I may and do Address my self unto And for the joynt-favours which I have received from you and your Lady during your conjugal Union and for your continued and for her sake increased kindness since the sad separation I humbly offer this token of my Gratitude to remain by you from me to look into upon occasions for your Satisfaction and comfort in the midst of the Dis-satisfactions and Discomforts of this Miserable World The same also I desire you would commend to your Sons the Stems of that Noble Lady whose memory I shall ever honour and you and them for her sake In this I aime meerly to strike the sprightly veine of Pure Love to You and to your hopeful Family and a deer Remembrance and kindness to you all as to the best of my Friends Upon which generous Terms if you please to accept of this small Present it may promote the acceptation thereof to others and encourage him farther who ever desires to shew himself SIR Your most faithful and most affectionate Servant ROBERT DIXON Rochester March 26. 1668. To the honest READER FAITH is all in all to a Christian For all that have Faith are thereby Justified and have full Right to all the Promises of God To be his Sons by Adoption and Grace to have their Sins pardoned to be Sanctified by the Holy Spirit and thereby to have all necessary Assistance and comfortable Assurance of a Resurrection to the Inheritance of Eternal Life I therefore purposely wave all perplexed Disputes and subtil Notions and Distinctions which serve for nothing but to puzzle all men especiall them that are weak in the Faith It shall suffice all Christians if they are willing to embrace Gods Promises and perform his Precepts with an honest heart Let them not trouble themselves at all with the variety of Sects and Factions For all such true hearted and humble Souls do belong to Christ his Church what ever Differences there be in Opinions caused by vain men who do not understand one another being sore blinded with Pride and idle Speculations which engender nothing but Strife and Divisions Keep thou therefore Good Reader Faith and a good Conscience and pass not for the rash Censures of any Be thou confident of Gods unchangeable favour if thou be no Hypocrite In Order therefore to the satisfaction and comfort of tender Spirits I have written this short Treatise and do encourage them to do their true endeavour to please God and to perserverance and trust in him for the certainty of their future estate of Happiness and Salvation which he hath undoubtedly provided for them Accept therefore kind Reader what I have here offered and then if God permit I will add more to the same purpose Avoiding all Nicety and Superfluity of Words and condescending in the great Points of Grace Faith Justification and Assurance to the meanest capacity aiming at no Side or Party but equally respecting the plain Truth with an unbiassed mind for Peace This even Temper of Spirit is the only means among all good Christians especially Divines for the stinting of Controversies in all foolish and unlearned Questions and the Propagation of Piety Peace and Love in Church and State This Rare Character of a True Child of God to be pure and peaceable by obedience to good Laws and fulfilling all Righteousness is the safe way to Heaven Thus we work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and make our Calling and Election sure Which shall be the daily prayer of him who is Thine in the Lord Jesus Robert Dixon The Doctrine of FAITH JUSTIFICATION and ASSURANCE HEBR 11.1 Now Faith is the Substance of things hoped for the Evidence of things not seen COHERENCE THE Author having in the end of the former Chapter spoken of Faith makes a digression upon that occasion to explain the Nature of Faith more largly and produceth many examples of faithful men to provoke the Hebrews to imitate their Fathers and others in the Holy Faith and thereby to endure afflictions and to overcome them by Faith as they had done EXPLICATION These words are no Definition of Faith Chap. 1. Of Faith no more than those Chap. 12.29 where God is called A consuming Fire are the Definition of God FAITH is a Thing Indefinite and is not defineable because it is so general a Thing that no Genius will comprehend it yet it may be designed a high Esteem of Gods Existence Power and Goodness Besides definitions are dangerous if in the Civil much more in the Divine Law Two Notions are here laid down as Principles and Elements to conclude that Faith was in those persons hereafter mentioned 1. The Substance of Things hoped for is Faith 1. Where Things hoped for do subsist there is Faith or where Things to come are present there is Faith 2. The Evidence of Things not seen is Faith or where there is a sight of Things not seen there is Faith These Principles are taken from the Object of Faith Good Things to come and therefore absent and unseen But when the Soul apprehends them
laid up for those that fear Him Chap. 13. Of Assurance Evidence and Assurance Faith and the Spirit of God are both these to our Spirits In the exercise of my Priestly office I have oft heard the sad complaints of poor devout Souls for want of Assurance and that they had not interest in Christ no faith no comfort they could not pray nor do any good and God had forsaken them And alas what should they do Chap. 14. Miserable Comforters To this unskilful men Physitians of no value miserable comforters such as preach Christ out of no good will but envy eternal happiness to others and would engross it wholly to themselves make many sad answers Their Eye is evil because Gods is good niggardly Stewards to a Bountiful Master Whereas they ought freely to give as they have freely received and dispense the misteries of Salvation with a most bountiful hand Hard Fathers that had rather give a Stone then an Egge and a Scorpion rather then a Fish of Soure Sullen Ghostly Saturnine Aspect to some driving them into despair calling them Reprobates such as have no share in Gods Promises These men are farre from our Saviours Temper who came to seek and to save that which was lost to call sinners to Repentance to Preach the Gospel to the poor Deliverance to the Captives Recovery of sight to the blind and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The smoking Flaxe he did not quench and the bruised Reed he did not break and of those that came unto him he rejected none but invited all that were heavy laden with the burden of their sins that they might find rest to their Souls They have forgotten the Precept of the Apostle Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus On the contrary they are fair frolike boon buxome and debonair to themselves and to such as are of their own Pharisaical Sect. They can sow pillowes under every such Elbow and dawb with untempered morter and Preach pleasing things to such as fill their Purses These can make a great gain of Godliness can make it the fashion to move scruples and create doubts and fears in the tender consciences of poor Creatures teach them to whine and cry as a Woman in her pangs and call this the spiritual Throwes of the New-birth but they must come to them to be their Midwives and to resolve all their doubts and be delivered from all their fears and thereout suck they no small advantage They have set up an Assurance-office and to them these Adventurers must come to secure them for their prosperous voyage to Heaven They can make a Fair and Market for Pardons as well as the Papists by their Indulgences 'T is the same trick under a diverse and more cleanly conveyance The same thing is done by their assurances as is done by the Popish pardons They cause poor Souls to pin their salvation upon their sleeves to hang their hopes upon their Teachers Girdles and make the Disciples live or dye by the Breath of their mouths stand or fall thrive or be undone by their smile or frown In a word have absolute dependance from them This is to Lord indeed over mens soules and yet these men shall be admired and humbly sought unto by Rich Presents and glad they can get a glance or nod from the man of God Thus they lead along multitudes carrying them like Pitchers by the Eares in as much ignorance and security as the subtilest Jesuits or any other Orders can do Those of their select flock shall be the elect and never fail Slips and frailties may be in the Babes of Grace but come to them and all shall be made up again God sees no sin in them and they are in Heaven already As for others they shall be Reprobates and Castawayes such as have the Mark of the Beast no signes of Grace nor Evidences for heaven at all Let the World take heed of these men both amongst us and the Church of Rome Chap. 15. Of reso ving of Doubts But they that are the True Interpreters of Gods Word few among thousands that are able to speak a word of comfort in due season to weary soules These can shew unto man his Righteousness by Faith and save a soule alive plucking them out of the Jaws of despair and to find a Ransome for them What heart so merciless that will not having power draw a poor Captive out of the Dungeon To such soules as these that are thus fearful I would say as Christ did fear not be of good cheer thy Faith hath saved thee Why do ye doubt O ye of little faith To these I say they have Faith and have an Interest in Christ because they desire it and do their utmost endeavour to please God And what if they feel no comfort nor can find these marks men talk of and can not pray eloquently nor preach is this for want of Grace You know what the Scripture saith Lord have we not taught in the streets and in thy name cast out Devils and done many mighty works yet for all this Depart from me for I know you not ye workers of Iniquity Nay their spirits do pray though their tongues want utterance and the Spirit helpeth their infirmities with sighes and groans which they cannot utter And surely if they be asked if they would part with the hopes that they have in Christ they would not do it for ten thousand Worlds This is their Case and Condition They have lowly dispositions of mind the best of all and they have melancholy tempers of Body the worst of all This is the true cause of their speaking after this manner from their sense and reason not from their Faith And as for Assurance what Assurance would these men have Would they look into Gods Book and see their names written in the kingdome of Heaven or is there any such Book or if there were Do they look for a special Revelation This is an unreasonable request wherefore serves Faith but to be the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen If they yet urge and say they feel no comfort I answer Let them be content to want the sense of Comfort Faith is all in all to supply all our Wants and there is joy and comfort enough in Believing For I believe what I feel not what I understand not I live by Faith and not by sense I believe against hope and above hope and contrary to hope I cannot define what Faith is but this I can tell that I do believe and I know in whom I trust and though I know not how the grace of God comes into my heart nor when yet I believe that I have it and though the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him Chap. 16. Faith about sense Remember Abraham The Promise was made to him that he should have a Son though he was old and Sarah was past Child-bearing
dead unto sin c. Ro◠3 28. Rom. 8.18 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith I reckon that the sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed Heb. 11.19 Rom. 4.19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead We say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness The children of the Promise are counted for the seed Rom. 9.8 Rom. 4.4.8 Now to him that worketh the reward is not counted of Grace but of Debt Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Rom. 2.26 If the Circumcision keep the Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rights of the Law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for Circumcision But to him that worketh not Rom. 4.6 but believeth on him that justifyeth the ungodly his faith is accounted for Righteousness Rom. 4.6 Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputeth Righteousness without works 3. The thing accounted is Faith Chap. 3. Faith that is Faith was the Reason whereby God concluded Abraham Righteous Faith was the Medium that inferred that Conclusion Gods Promise was the Cause Abrahams Righteousness was the Effect Abrahams Faith was the means that produced this Effect from that Cause Rom. 4.13 The Promise that he should be the Heir of the World was not to Abraham and his seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith So by Faith the Promise became effectual 1. This Faith was real in Abraham and really imputed to him for Righteousness Rom. 4.20 he was strong in Faith giving glory to God 2. This Faith was his own proper Faith else how could he be accounted the Father of the faithful if the Faith accounted to him were not his own So the Un-circumcision which is counted for Circumcision is not another mans but his own Circumcision to whom it is accounted And that Sin that is imputed or not imputed is not another mans sin but his own sin And that Righteousness which is accounted to any man is not the Righteousness of another but his own Righteousness to whom it is accounted Reason Because When we account or impute to any person any thing that is not his own but another mans our account is not right 4. The End for which Faith was accounted Chap. 4. is Righteousness Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of various signification as is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Legally it is taken for doing Right to all or giving every one his due by Law Ex. 23.7 The Innocent and Righteous slay thou not 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be Righteous Herod feared John Baptist Matth. 6.20 knowing that he was a just man Luc. 1.6 Zachariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameles s. Jacob s aith Gen. 30.33 So shall my Righteousness answer for me Not for thy Righteousness c. Deut. 9.5 Ps 45.7 Thou lovest Righteousness c. Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with Righteousness then great Revenues without Right He looked for Righteousness Is 5.7 and behold a Cry He hath appointed a day Act. 17.31 in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness He that doth Righteousness is Righteous 2. Morally for kindness and Courtesy Liberality and Bounty giving more then is due by Law through Love Ps 37.2 The Righteous sheweth mercy and giveth The Righteous giveth and spareth Prov. 21.26 Stand still that I may reason with you 1 Sam. 12.7 of all the Righteousness of the Lord which he did to you and to your Fathers He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Ps 24.4 shall receive the blessing from the Lord and Righteousness from the God of his Salvation He hath dispersed abroad Ps 112.9 he hath given to the poor his Righteousness remaineth for ever Seek ye first the kingdome of God Matth. 6 3 3. and his Righteousness Rom. 1.17 For therein the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith signifying the kindness of God because opposed in the next verse to the wrath of God Ro◠3.21 But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested 1. The kindness as it is taken vers 21 25 26. compare Eph. 2.7 where the Apostle to express the same thing useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he might shew the riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us So Tit. 3.4 After that the kindness and love of God appeared kindness here is the very same with Righteousness before 2 Cor. 9.10 Now he that ministreth seed to the Sower c. Increase the fruits of your Righteousness i. e. kindness in contributing to the poor Saints Take heed that you do not your Almes before men The Right Original there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly in the New-Testament is to do a kindness And this signification was familiar to the Eastern Greeks in Asia after whose Idiom the New Testament was written Is 60.21 But to the Western Greeks in Europe it was more strange 3. Jurally for Propriety Ps 69.28 or Right Thy People shall be all Righteous they shall inherit the Land for ever Let them be blotted out of the book of the Living Ps 118 20. and not be written among the Righteous i.e. The Israelites the Righteous heirs of the Land upon Record This Gate of the Lord into which the Righteous shall enter Gen. 30.33 i. e. Israelites for strangers might not enter into the Temple but remained in the outward Court. Ps 35.27 So shall my Righteousness answer for me in time to come i. e. all the young spotted cattle I have right to for my wages Prov. 16.8 Let them be glad that favour my Righteousness Is 5.23 i. e. my Righteous Cause Better is a little with Righteousness then great revenues without Right Which justify the wicked for reward Heb. 11.7 and take away the Righteousness of the Righteous from him Rom. 4.5 Noah became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Rom. 4.11 His faith is counted for Righteousness Abraham received the signe of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the faith which he had being uncircumcised Rom. 4.13 that he might be the father of all them that believe which was no Moral Righteousness but a Jural Right of Dignity For the Promise that he should be the Heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith Now promise and Heir are matter of Right So the word Righteousness signifies in divers places of this Epistle Compare Gal. 3.18 For if the Inheritance be of the Law it is no more of promise What is meant in one place by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a general word