by a true faith wee may bee found in him and accordingly will we giue diligence not onely in vsing the meanes whereby wee may beleeue and be in Christ but also in gathering testimonies to assure vs that we are in Christ by a true and liuely faith The vse therefore which wee are to make of the former doctrine concerning the blessed estate of those which be in Christ by faith is two-fold First that we labour to be in Christ the second that we labour to know that wee are in Christ. As touching the former wee are to performe two things The first that we vse the meanes to beleeue Secondly that wee doe beleeue The ordinarie meanes of begetting faith is the ministerie of the word For as the Apostle saith Faith commeth by hearing the word and againe How can they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how can they heare without a Preacher For what are Preachers but Ministers by whom you doe beleeue 1. Cor. 3. 5. who because they are by preaching the Gospel the instruments of God for the begetting of faith in the elect by which they are iustified and adopted sons of God are therefore said to iustifie men and by the preaching of the Gospell which is the immortall seed whereof Peter speaketh to beget men vnto God If therefore there be no saluation but by Christ and if we haue no part in Christ but by faith and if we attaine not to faith ordinarilie but by hearing the word of God this therefore must teach vs as wee desire to be saued so to be carefull and conscionable hearers of the word of God which is his power to our saluation For how meanly soeuer carnall and worldly men esteeme of the preaching of the Gospel notwithstanding it is the ordinance and good pleasure of God by the foolishnes of preaching for so men esteeme it to saue those that doe beleeue 1. Cor. 1. 21. But our hearing must be mingled with faith or else it profiteth nothing When as therefore the Lord in the ministerie of the Gospell doth not onely reueale and offer vnto vs his vnspeakeable mercie in Christ but also by his embassadours doth desire vs that wee would be reconciled vnto him and that we would accept of his mercie offered vnto vs in Christ by receiuing him to be our Sauiour we are not only in generall to beleeue that hee is the only Sauiour of Mankind but in particular wee are to embrace the mercies of God offered vnto vs in him and receiue him as our Sauiour earnestly desiring in out hearts to be made partakers of his merits and vnfained resoluing in our minds to rest and rely vpon him as our only Sauiour He that thus receiueth Christ is esteemed of God who accepteth in weake Christians their sincere desire to receiue Christ and vnfained resolution to rest vpon him alone for saluation for the deed it selfe which is faith he is esteemed I say to beleeue and by this faith whereby he thus receiueth Christ he is vnited vnto him And howsoeuer as yet in the court of his owne conscience perhaps he is not iustified being poore it spirit and hungring and thirsting after the righteousnes of Christ which in his owne sense he doth not yet find imputed vnto him yet notwithstanding in high court of heauen he is as surely iustified before God as by our Sauiour Matth. 5. he is pronounced blessed And if any man shal think it strange that so small a measure of faith should be effectuall to vnite vs vnto Christ and to iustifie vs before God let him consider that faith doth not iustifie vs as it is a qualitie gift habite or worke in vs or in respect of the worthines thereof but only relatiuely in regard of Christ the obiect which it doth apprehend In so much that Peter calleth the faith of all the faithfull though vnequall in it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of equall value or price because it doth alike iustifie though all be not alike assured of their iustification For the same righteousnes of Christ which by a strong faith is apprehended to iustification is also apprehended by a weake faith For as the almes receiued by a feeble hand doth as well relieue the partie as that which is receiued by a strong hand and it is not the hand but the almes properly which doth relieue and as the brazen Serpent which was a figure of Christ did heale those among the Israelites which listed vp their weake eyes towards it as well as those which were quicke-sighted so the righteousnes of Christ being apprehended by a weake faith doth as well iustifie the beleeuer as when it is receiued by a strong faith so it is the righteousnes of Christ which faith doth apprehend and not faith it selfe which doth iustifie But it will be said faith is a full assurance therefore he that hath not a full assurance hath not faith I answere not all faith is a full assurance but the strong and perfect faith For a man must belieue in Christ before he can be in Christ or haue remission of sinnes by him A man must haue remission of sinnes before he is bound to beleeue it and a man must beleeue it and haue some measure of assurance before he can haue the fulnes of assurance which is not attained at the first But you will say faith is defined of good Diuines to be a full assurance I answer that they define it in the perfection of it to teach vs not to content our selues with the lesse degrees of faith but to proceed from faith to faith vntill wee come to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full assurance of faith For this is the second thing which as I said wee are to labour for namely to know and to be assured that wee be in Christ. And to this purpose wee are to performe two things First we are to trie our selues whether we be in Christ and secondly wee are to giue diligence to make our being in Christ more sure vnto vs. As touching the former it is the aduice of the Apostle that wee should trie our selues whether wee bee in the faith For many deceiue both themselues with a vaine opinion and others with a bare profession of faith As first they who haue not so much as the dogmaticall or historicall faith which is but a degree towards a iustifying faith For though a man may haue this generall or historicall faith and yet want the iustifying faith yet a man cannot haue a iustifying faith who hath not in some measure the generall or dogmaticall faith Now this generall faith consisteth of two things knowledge of the word of God and assent vnto it that it is true First therfore they who haue not knowledge of the principles of religion are so farre from hauing a true iustifying faith that they haue not so much as the first steppe or degree towards it Therefore though
ignorant persons be most forward to commend their faith yet they are to know whiles they continue in ignorance they are altogether voide of faith and consequently of all grace whereby they might hope to be saued For without knowledge there can be n◠faith and without faith there is no hope of saluation or any other sauing grace Againe those which doe not giue assent to the whole word of God and euerie part thereof that it is true are so f◠from hauing the iustifying faith th◠they haue not so much as the general or historicall faith which the diue◠themselues are said to haue as namely those which will beleeue so much of the Scriptures as they list and no more then liketh them For although the proper obiect of faith as it iustifieth and vniteth vs vnto Christ is Christ our Sauiour or the promises of the Gospell concerning saluation by him yet by the same faith whereby wee are iustified wee doe vndoubtedly beleeue the whole word of God and euery part thereof The iustifying faith euermore including and presupposing the generall and dogmaticall faith Secondly they haue not the true euangelicall faith who haue not also the legall faith perswading them of their miserable and accursed estate in themselues both in regard of their sinnes as also of the punishments which by the threatnings of the law if they did truly beleeue them they would acknowledge to bee due vnto them Now this legall faith is a necessarie preparatiue to the iustifying faith For vntill wee see our selues to be accursed in our selues wee will not so much as desire seriously to be iustified by Christ. Vntill we find our selues to be bondslaues of sinne and Satan wee will not earnestly seeke to bee ransomed or redeemed Vntill wee acknowledge our selues to be the children of wrath we will not seeke to be reconciled vnto God in Christ. In a word vntill wee finde our selues to be miserable in our selues we will not seriously seeke and sue for the mercies of God or merits of Christ our Sauiour but as much as in vs lieth suffer his precious blood to bee spilt in vaine without any care to applie it to our selues For what neede hast thou either of a Sauiour if thou art not in thy selfe lost or of a Redeemer if thou art not a captiue or of a reconciler if thou art not an enemie or what need hast thou of mercie if thou art not in miserie The whole neede not the Physition saith our Sauiour Christ but the sicke Well thou euer hast had a good conceit of thy selfe thou euer hast loued God aboue all things and thy neighbour as thy selfe thou neuer didst doubt of thy saluation in al thy life c. an euident argument that thou diddest neuer care for Christ or finde thy selfe to stand in neede of a Sauiour But remember who saith I came not to call the righteous that is such as bee righteous in their owne conceits but sinners that is humbled sinners to repentance And againe that he came to seeke and to saue that which was lost to preach the Gospell to the poore namely in spirit to heale the broken hearted to preach deliuerance or redemption to the captiues Wherefore neuer perswade thy selfe that thou hast a iustifying faith if thou doest not as well beleeue the threatnings of the Law as the promises of the Gospell For although faith doth not iustifie as it apprehēdeth the threatnings yet that faith which doth iustifie including euermore the generall and consequently the legall faith doth beleeue the threatnings of the law as the vndoubted word of God The same faith therefore which doth assure thee of thy reconciliation redemption and saluation in Christ doth first informe thee that thou art an enemie of God a bondslaue of sinne and vtterly lost in thy selfe that being with the Publican humbled in thy selfe thou maist be exalted in Christ. Thirdly they deceiue either themselues with a fancie or others with a shew of faith who haue not an effectuall and liuely faith For as there is a twofold knowledge the one a literall or speculatiue knowledge the other spirituall and operatiue and that knowledge is onely true which is working 1. Ioh. 2. 3. 4 so there is a double faith an effectuall vnfained and liuely faith and an idle counterfeit and dead faith Now faith is said to be liuely and effectuall in two respects First respectu actus primi in regard of the effectuall and true being of it Secondly respectu actus secundi in regard of the operation of it In both senses every kinde of faith becommeth effectuall by application of that which is beleeued As first the dogmaticall faith is liuely and effectuall when thou doest not onely beleeue in generall what God is but by particular application to thy selfe doest beleeue that he is such a one to thee As for example if thou doest beleeue onely by a general and historicall faith that God is omnipresent that is in euery place present filling heauen and earth and that hee is omniscient and as the Scriptures call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing all things yea the very secrets of mens hearts and that by a most perfect and distinct knowledge thou maist be little the better for this faith But if thou doest beleeue with application to thy selfe that he is euery where present with thee and that his eyes be alwaies vpon thee beholding all thy waies then will this faith be effectuall to make thee behaue thy selfe vprightly as in his presence and sight and so of the rest The like may bee said of the legall faith For a man may beleeue in a confused and generall manner the threatnings of the law to be true and yet neuer the more bee humbled but goe on securely in his sinne and notwithstanding his impenitencie and infidelitie promise to himself impunitie But when as a man applieth the threatning after this manner to himselfe If this be true as I vnsainedly acknowledge it to bee the vndoubted word of God that euery one is in himselfe accursed and subiect to eternall death and damnation who hath not continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them how can it possibly be auoided but that I am in my selfe a most accursed wight and damned wretch who haue not continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them nay in steed of doing the things commanded I haue done the things forbidden in steed of keeping all the commandements of God I haue broken them al diuersly and grieuously in steed of continuing in a perpetual obedience I haue continued in the breach of Gods commandements as indeed vntill the time of a mans conuersion he doth nothing nay hee can doe nothing else but sinne against God Thus by application the legall faith becommeth effectuall and thereby a man is humbled and brought to despaire of saluation in himselfe so
is withered away in time of heate yet that which falleth into an vpright heart as it were good ground is neither choked nor withered but bringeth foorth fruite with patience The way then to die in Christ is to liue in him by a true and vnfained faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by loue walking vprightly as it becommeth the members of Christ in the sincere profession of his faith so shall we in the end of our life attaine to the end of our faith which is the saluation of our soules Many there are which could be content to die in Christ who care not to liue in him Many with Balaam desire to die the death of the righteous but leade the life of the wicked But be not deceiued it is an old saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an euill life coÌ„monly there is an euill end Presume not that thou shalt die in Christ vnlesse first thou liue in him In all the Scripture there is but one example of a man who after a wicked life was conuerted at the houre of his death One there is that men should not then despaire and but one that they should not before hand presume And forasmuch as nothing is either more certaine than death or more vncertaine than the time thereof it behoueth vs carefully to prouide whiles wee haue time to be in Christ that death whensoeuer it commeth may finde vs in him Let our life be a preparation for death and let this be the chiefest care of our life that wee may be found in Christ at the time of our death This life as our Sauiour saith is the day wherein we are to worke afterward is the night when no man can worke or turne vnto God but as the tree falleth so it lieth and as the day of death doth leaue vs the day of iudgement shall finde vs. This therefore must teach vs not to deferre from day to day our repentance towards God and faith in Iesus Christ but presently whiles it is called to day to turne vnto the Lord that wee may bee in Christ to day before to morow because wee haue none assurance that wee shall liue vntill the morow And so much may suffice to haue spoken of the first and chiefe point namely who they are which heere bee pronounced blessed to wit they which die in the Lord. Now are we in the second place briefely to consider what this blessednes is and wherein it doth consist This is shewed in the words following that they rest from their labours and their workes follow with them So that their happines is two-fold first priuatiue in that they rest from their labors and molestations for there is a sabbaâ—sme or rest reserued to the people of God Hebr. 4. 9. whereof the Sabbath was a type For then the Lord shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and they shall be no more subiect to sinne or the punishment therof as sicknes weaknes mortalitie labour wearines troubles wrongs death Death is the hauen and the end of al misery vnto them But their happines is not meerely priuatiue like that of beasts which after death haue no more sense of paine where by the way we are to note that the state of the beast when it dieth is better then of the wickâ—d who die in their sinnes but it is also positiue For their workes that is the reward of their faith and obedience 〈◊〉 God shall croâ—ne with euerlasting happines shall 〈◊〉 â—th â—hem This doth teach vs that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 cannot merit â—ny thing 〈◊〉 tâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God as Christ himselfe hath tâ—ld 〈◊〉 Luke 17. and â—ch 〈◊〉 eternall 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 are not said to go before our acceptation to eternall 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 cause but follow as fruits yet the Loâ— of his free grace according to his promise doth plentifully reward them The consideration wherof as it must encourage vs all to be fruitfull in good works knowing that our labour shall not been vaine in the Lord so especially those whoÌ„ the Lord hath enriched with his blessings whether temporall or spirituall that they be rich in good workes laying vp for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Againe whereas it is said that the workes of the faithfull do accompanie them after death this sheweth that although death strippe vs of all temporall things yet it doth not bereaue vs of our workes but bringeth vs the reward of them And that when all our friends and followers and all other worldly either delights or commodities doe faâ—e and forsake vs yâ— our workes doe follow with vs to our â—all comfort Which should make vs to esteeme the keeping of faith and a good conscience aboue all the things of this world Now what this reward is which God hath prepared for these that die in Christ though neither the eye hath seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued yet thus much we may gather out of the Scriptures that it shall consist in eternall and most perfect glory and gladnes The glory standing partly in the excellency of those heauenly gifts wherewith they shall be adorned being in respect thereof like vnto the Angels and renewed perfectly according to the glorious image of God yea made conformable to Christ our head in such a proportion of glory as his seueral members bee capable of and partly in the fruition of heauenly blessings as the possession of heauen and all heauenly good things the fellowship of the blessed Saints and Angels and that which is all in all the enioying of God himselfe who is the chiefest good In whose presence there is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there be pleasures for euermore And that is the second thing their eternall ioy and gladnes arising from that glory For as they shall be most happie so shall they reioyce in it with vn speakable and endlesse comfort and in the sense thereof shall euermore bee stirred vp with wonderfull alacrity to glorifie God In expectation of this happie hope we are to liue soberly iustly and holily in this present world For if wee set this ioy before as the marke towards which we contend we will not suffer our selues to be withdrawne from our obedience to God neither by any worldly desires which in comparison hereof are to bee esteemed as meere vanities nor by any terrors of the world which in respect of the ioy that is set before vs wee are to contemne The third thing remaineth that is the time when this blessednes doth belong to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he thenceforth that is from the time of their death and so forward for presently they rest from their labours and their workes follow he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with them This therefore is a