the chidren of God And so by consequence wherein stands the chief proof that the word of God is Gods power to our salvation but in the consideration of these our faith is the point that makes the conclusion For without faith its impossible wee can bee or know our selves to bee the children of God But notwithstanding that which makes the infallible determination of being in the faith depends upon the presence of Christ within us without which all conceit of having faith is frivolous and vain The order then of our minds in searching our spirituall estats is this 1. Wee are to try and examine our selves whether wee know our selves to bee of God or no for he is not of God that knowes not himself to bee of God for according to the saying of Iohn he hath given us a mind to know him which is true and wee are in him that is true and wee know that wee are of God Iohn 1. Epi. 5. 19. 20. Secondly wee are to try if wee bee in the faith because wee never can know our selves to bee of God untill the time wee find ourselves to bee in the faith according to the saying of Christ Hee that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God Iohn 8. 47. 3. For confirming our hearts in the knowledge of this 2. Point and so consequently in the full assurance of the first wee are to try if Christ bee in us without which wee can never assuredly know that wee beleeved and so consequently that wee are of God according to the saying of Christ speaking of the work of the spirit in those to whom he gives it at that day shall ye know that I am in my father and you in mee and I in you and againe in his prayer to God for his elect the glory that thou gavest mee I haue given them that they may be one as wee are one I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one Iohn 17. 22. 23. And againe I haue declared unto them thy name and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loved mee may be in them and I in them Ibidem 17. 26. For which cause the saincts are called the habitation of God by the spirit Ephesians 2. 22. Whereupon the Apostle concludeth that if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Rom. 8. 9. And this dwelling of Christ by his spirit in our hearts is only wrought by faith according to the saying of the Apostle I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Iesus Christ that he might grant you according to the richnes of his glory that you may bee strengthned by his spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by saith Ephesians 3. 14. 15 16. 17. By all which it evidently appeares when it is that a man knowes himself indeed to be the child of God and also wherein this knowledge consisteth viz. when he comes to a lively feeling and cleare sight that Christ is in him all other gifts and graces whatsoever being of no valew or force in the least to give any assurance or true knowledge to a mans soule that he is truely and effectually called by the Gospell to the estate of grace and hope of glory for then onely it is that the Gospell becomes the power of God to our salvation when as thereby Christ is formed in us according to the words of the Apostle to the Galatians saying my litle children of whom I trauell in birth againe untill Christ bee formed in you Cap. 4. 19. The same is confirmed by that speech of the Apostle to the Colossiaus wherein he discribes what is the riches of the glorious mistery of the Gospell amongst the gentills saying which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory Cap. 1 27. The use of this is to teach us that in vaine any man contents himselfe with any other thing whatsoever thereby hoping to be saved if he haue not Christ within him and that he himself know it for with out him nothing availes to salvation synce nothing can make a man the child of God but he aloue in so far that faith it self is not the true faith of Gods elect whereby the heart is purified and a sinner justified and saved except that by it Christ be brought in and made to dwell in the heart and that in such evidency that the beleeving man know that he hath Christ within him for its impossible that a man can haue Christ but that he must know that he hath him such is the liuely operation and supernaturall working of Christ in the soule where he is illuminating quickning and transforming everie man who hath him in the spirit of his mind and in pacifying comforting the conscience and in filling and replenishing the soule with the sence of Gods loue and hope of his glorie that never man could ever more clearely discern that hee hath a soule within him by the naturall effects thereof in his bodie then a christian may perceaue Christ to be within him by his proper effects before mentioned Out of this use we gather a second viz. That a man should sett himselfe to gaine Christ rather and aboue all things esteeming all other things but losse and judging all to be but dung for the excellent knowledg sake of Iesus Christ our Lord according as Paul did Philip. 3. 8. So as with the same Apostle he may sencibly know the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conform to him in his death ibid. ver 10 For as Christ himselfe saith What availeth it a man to win the whole world if he loose his soule Mark 8 36. But certaine it is that everie soule shall perish eternally hereafter which gayneth not Christ in this present life This yealds matter of just reproofe against the most part of men if not all who labour so much for the things of this earth which are but transitorie vanities and helpe nothing to their salvation and make so small account of gayning Christ for the inâ—oying of whom even when they are invited unto him will not forsake the smallest ease proffit or pleasure of this life but make light of him and goe their waies one to his farm another about his marchandize others take the inviters and use them sharply and kill them As Christ himself tels us in the â—arableâ— Mat. 22. 5 6. And â—e were to be wished that these were the worst sort of the dispisers of Christ though these be so bad that they shall never tast of the supper of the great King but there is another sort much more to be lameÌ„red who are lovers of sinfull pleasures more then of God spending the time appointed and sette for the purchase and gayning of Christ in abhominable filthines in chambring and wontonnesse in gluttony and drunckennesse in sport and unlawfull gayming and sinfull
often wanting in the greatest both of knowledge and eloquence and oft yea most times accompanieth the most simple delivery of the truth in men having far lesse measure of the aforesaid gifts And this tryall taken from the power of the word heard must needs force every maÌ„ back to himself to examine himself if he will know how to judge aright of the preacher seeing his hart soul is the subject wherein the vertue efficacy of all preaching is to bee found For he is the most powerfull preacher who most stirrs and mooves the hart of the hearer unto faith and obedience so that a man needs not to go out of himself to looke to anie thing but that that 's in himself whereby to discern whether Christ speak or not in the preacher whom he heareth even as it s not so much colour or tast of the wine or matter of the cup whereout we drink as the felt virtue in our spirits refreshed thereby wherby the valour and vertue of wine is discerned both colour and tast though in a golden cup deceiving us As in matereall temples built of stone the more the windowes be painted the lesse is the light So in the true spirituall Temple of Christ those that are the lights thereof the more their preaching be painted with the intising words of humane wisdom and eloquence the lesse solid light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus is ministred by them to the harts of their hearers And thus much for the first point sett down by the Apostle Now followes the second vizt Touching those things wherein the Corinthians were to try and examine themselvs which are two First their faith 2. Christs being in them this last being the evidence of the first It is true that the words may be taken two manner of waies For these words If ye be in the faith may be either the condition required in those that shall try themselvs concerning the power of Christ in â—â—e ministry of those who teach â—â—em or then it may be takâ—n for the matter it self wherâ—â— they are to find out the evidence of Christs power in their â—â—achers In what sence soeâ—er we take it it servs for the â—postles purpose and yeelds â—â— great instruction In the â—â—â—st sence it teacheth us that â—hich is most true viz. That â—ntill a man beleeve hee can â—â—ue no right judgment of spiâ—â—tuall things it being faith â—â—â—ely that purifies the heart â—â—om all sinne and filthines â—esides that it remaines sure which the Apostle saith That â—he naturall man comprehends not â—â—e things of the spirit of God for â—â—ey are foolishnes unto him beâ—ause they are spiritually discerned â—ut the spirituall man discerneth all things Now no man can be a spirituall man but he that beleeveth Therefore justly doth the Apostle call faith the evidence of things that are not seen So that before a man can be able to perceave the spiritual power of Christ in anie manâ— preaching he must haue this faith else how can he perceavâ— or apprehend that which is invisible of which nature this power is Hereby we learne that it is no wonder that the Word of the crosse is foolishnes iâ— most part of men yea to all that perish as saith the Apostle For the arme of the Lord therein is not revealed unto them because they beleeve not the report of Gods messengers as saith the Prophet Esa For beleife and knowledg of the power of God in preaching are never seperate for which cause Christ himself giving the reason that â—is disciples loved him sayth â—hat they belieued that the was â—ome out from the father And â—gaine when in his prayer to the â—â—ther he hath set downe divers â—â—asons why he recommended â—hem to the father as that he â—â—d declared his name unto them â—ut they had kept his word that â—â—ey knew that all things which â—â— father had given him was â—â—m the father that he had given â—â—to them the words which the â—â—her had given him that they â—â—d receaved them and that they â—â—ely knew he was come out from â—â— father he subjoynd as the â—â—und and foundation of all â—s their knowledge that they â—â—eued that the father had sent â—â— The use hereof is first to â—â—ch us that faith is the only eie of the soule whereby its ablâ— truely to discerne the nature oâ— all spirituall heavenly things 2. It lets us see the miser able â—â— state condition of all infidels who are utterly deprived of aâ— ability to know or rightly tâ— perceaue the nature of God oâ— Christ of his gospell or hiâ— ministers yea also of themselves in any spirituall thing Lastâ—â— it teacheth us not to stumble â— the base account and contemâ—â— of the Gospell and ministeâ— thereof in the most part â—â— men in this age seeing pooâ— blind wretches being destituâ— of faith are not able to knoâ— these things nor to give aâ— right judgment of them or themselvs this either having or wanting of fayth in men the very cause of all differeâ— judgment of all things in religion and specially of things indifferent as may be perceaved by the Apostles words to the Romans Cap. 14 saying One man beleveth that he may eat al things and another which is weake eateth hearbs againe I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing uncleane of it self but to him that judgeth ought uncleane to him it is uncleane and againe hast thou faith haue it with thyself before God blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth but he that doubteth is condemned if he eate because he eateth not of faith and what soeuer is not of faith is sinne in all which words the Apostle attributeth knowledg and full perswasion of the indifferent use of all externall things as meat drink c. unto fayth and ignorance doubting to infidelity or weaknes of faith which giues us a cleare light to discern betwixt man and man in their judgment touching things indifferent in their use where it may be without scandall And abstinence from them where the use is scandalous for undoubtedly true faith where it is giues a man knowledg and full perswasion that ther is no difference betwixt one meate one garment or oneday and another c. in themselvs but where one day one meate one garmeÌ„t c. is esteemd above another or where ther is doubting of their indifferency and equall law fulnes in use as before there must needs be weaknes of faith which is a faith accompanied with much infidelity But leaving this sence of these words notwithstanding that it may be probably taken to be the Apostles meaning wee come to the other sence as being in most mens judgment the true meaning of the Apostle taking the words as a declaration of that wherein they shall try themselues viz. whether they be in the fayth or no according to which
errour and then confirmeth his assertion The remooving of this errour is by way of Anticipation answering that which he knew they stumbled at and might object unto him after this manner how canst thou shew or wee feare anie might or power of Christ in thee towards us who art thy self so weake in Christ and destitute of all strength The Apostle answereth this by a distinction and confirmes it by the like example in Christ himself for he denyeth not simplie but confesseth himself to be weak in Christ but that this weakenesse was onelie according to the fleshe notwithstanding whereof he was mightie with Christ by the heavenlie and divine power of the spirit of God in him and in this he was like his lord master Christ who as cōcerning the flesh was weak indeed having taken our nature upon him with all the infirmities therof except sin and according to this weaknesse did suffer death and was crucified who notwithstanding liveth againe by the power of his Godhead by the which he mightilie raysed himself from the dead So that even as Christ in himself was weake in or according to the fleshe and yet was mightie in the spiritt or accordinge to his divine nature so also his servants and messengers in him are weake in the flesh and in all fleshlie power but are aliue or mightie with him by the power of his spirit in them This conformitie of Christs ministers with Christ himself in fleshlie weakenes and spirituall power is carefullie to bee marked not onelie against the sacriligious vsurpation of both powers or swords by the Pope as Christs vicar but also against the corruption which originallie flowing from his practice hath yet too great place in reformed churches It s Gods will that the messengers of his truth should carie that heauenlie treasure in earthen vessells that the excellencie of the power may be of God and not of them For the weapons of their warfare are not carnall but spirituall mighty not through men eyther thēselves or others but onely through God to cast downe strong houlds c. So that nether is he that planteth nor he that watereth anie thing but only God that giveth the encrease And hereof Christ himself in the daies of his ministry was a livelie patterne in shunning all wordly perferment and disclayming all civill authoritie walking in great weaknes outward as touching the flesh evē from his birth to his death armed with no carnal might or fleshlie power but onelie with the heavenlie and spirituall power of his divine nature And even as his basenes and weakenes in the flesh made the world to dispise him notwithstanding the infinite power of his divine nature so in all ages and now doe most men stumble at the weakenes of his ministers in fleshlie things belonging to this world notwithstanding of the spirituall power of Christ in their ministry Now the Apostle having thus answered their objection he comes to prooue his former assertion to wit That Christ in his ministry was not weake towards them but was mighty in them so that this their seeking of a farther proofe of Christ speaking in him was nothing but a sinfull tempting of Christ and that the proofe which he should giue them behooved to bee sharp and bitter vnto them in not sparing them at his coming If before his coming they did not reverence his words and yeald obedience to his admonitions upon the proofe bypast in themselves of Christs mighty power towards them in his ministry The argument of confirmation is drawne from their owne testimonies grounded upon their owne knowledge experience in themselves which testimonie the Apostle doth forcibly constraine thē to yeald by an argument taken from the wofull consequēce which must necessarie follow upon the contrarie the consequence being that if they acknowledg not this experience in themselves of Christs power in his ministry toward them then they themselves must be reprobate Christians but because manie careleslie and negligentlie do passe by the right consideration and observation of the powerfull effects of the ministry of the Gospell in themselves and so do fall in this sinne of the Corinthians despising that which they should highlie esteeme of the Apostle therefore referreth not the proofe of his assertiō to what they would vnadvisedlie say and witnesse of this might of Christ towards them in his ministry but unto their testimonie upon sufficient tryall and examination of themselves in themselves upō which he boldlie affirmeth that they shall eyther find his ministry powerfull or themselves reprobats If then wee will consider this argument in al the particularities therein contained there bee 4 things to be marked of us the 1 is The tryall and examination of themselvs the 2 is These things whereof they are to take tryall in themselves the 3 is the argument remooving all excuse of ignorance or pretences of impossibilities of discerning these things in themselves The 4 is The argument it self whereby the Apostle drawes them to a necessitie of acknowledging the power of Christ in his ministry towards them from the hard consequence that must follow upon the contrarie Before wee speake of these particulars its necessarie that first wee marke and consider the maine points of the Apostles doctrine in this place first laying this supposition that the hearers are true Christians and not reprobates he concludeth absolutelie that they must haue proofe and experience of the mightie power of Christ in the ministry of those men by whom they are eyther first called or afterward confirmed in grace Thereupon he seemeth evidently to conclude these positions followinge First where no proofe of Christs power in the ministry is found or felt by the hearers eyther the Teacher must be a rebrobate Teacher or the hearers reprobate hearers Secondly that it is impossible that those who are the elect of God can be without sence feeling of Christs mightie power unto salvation in those who are the true ministers of the Gospell Thirdly That want of sence feeling in the hearers of this power of Christ in the ministry of his faithfull servants doth evidently evince such hearers to be reprobates Lastly That those ministers in whose ministry the hearers being of Gods elect do find no sence or evidence of Christs power unto salvation must needs be reprobate ministers For the true ministry of Christ Iesus is the power of God unto salvation to all that are to bee saved and is foolishnes to none but such as perish And if it bee not the power of God to them that are saved It must needs follow that that mans ministry is not of God These generall positions shal be most cleare and evident unto us after the exposition of the 4 former particular points contayned in the Apostles argument whereof wee are now to speake The 1 point is the tryall whereunto the Apostle doth invite them wherein 2 things are specially to be observed The 1 is the action it selfe of tryall or
sence the Apostles argument will follow after this manner If ye be in the faith ye must acknowledge the power of Christ in my ministry But by tryall ye shall find that ye are in the faith Therefore if ye try yourselvs ye shall finde the power of Christ in my ministry The confirmation of the second part of this argument viz. That by tryall they shall finde themselvs to be in the faith is to be taken from the last words of this verse which are indifferently to be used for prooving both the parts of tryall that is both that they are in the faith and that Christ is in them after this manner either by tryall you shall finde you are in the faith or that ye are reprobates But we trust ye shall finde ye are not reprobates Therefore we trust that by tryall ye shall finde yourselvs to be in the faith To speak then of this first thing wherein they are to try themselvs we haue two things to be marked in it First what it is whereabout this tryall must be in themselvs viz. faith Secondly what must be tryed concerning this faith viz. Whether they be in it or not Touching the first It s not without great reason that the Apostle setts down no other christian vertue whereby to finde out in themselvs the effectuall power of Christ in his ministry towards them but faith For all other operation of the ministry whatsoever be what it will be if it haue not faith accompanying it doth never prove that ministry to be the power of God unto salvation in those men for as saith the Apostle the Gospell is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth by which sort of speech the spirit of God will teach us plainely that the ministry of the Gospell is not Gods power to salvation to those men in whom it neuer begetteth faith so that if any will rightly try himself whether the ministry of men be accompanyed with the power of Christ speaking in them to his salvation he is not to looke so much to any effect thereof in himself as to this vertue of fayth for all other effects may deceaue him as doubtlesse they doe many for experience teacheth that the Gospell and preaching thereof doth work many great effects even in the reprobate as wee see in Herod who feared Iohn the Baptist and heard him gladly and when hee heard him did many things yet in the end he imprisoned him put him to death Likewise even Symon Magus which used witchcraft and had bewitched the people of Samaria a long time by the force of Philips Preaching is said to haue beleeued and to haue beene baptised and to haue continued with Philip wondring at the signes and great miracles which were done by him and also upon the acknowledgment of his sinne in seeking by money to haue power to give the holy ghost by laying on of hands did earnestly entreat the Apostles to pray to the Lord for him yet notwithstanding al this he was euen then in the gall of bitternes baÌ„ds of iniquity for although it be said he beleeued it because he did make professioÌ„ of faith yet had he not this true faith whereof the Apostle here speaks which if he had had he could not haue still remayned in the gall of bitternes bond of iniquity And its manifest by the parable of Christ in the Gospell that the kingdome of heaven is like a draw net cast into the sea that gathereth of all kinde of things But as the Apostle sayth all men haue not faith 2 Thes 3 2. For many are called but few are chosen nether every one that calleth Christ Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven Mat. 7 21. It s evident by dayly experience that the Gospell worketh effectually in many to their conviction and in many also to their externall conversion outward profession of the true God and unto obedience in many things in whom notwithstanding it neuer wrought true justifyng faith whereby its evident that there is no tryall sound infallible to any man of Christs saving power by the ministry of the Gospell toward them except that which is taken from faith our devotion zeale holines profession and obedience will miserably deceaue us if wee buyld our trust on them for it is not they but faith alone that makes us the sonnes of God and truely justifieth us yea which is more euen they all are sinnes if faith be not theyr fountain for what soever is not of faith is sinne The use of this is principally to teach us what ought to be the principall scope and chief endeavour both of Pastors in preaching and of people in hearing that is that the one by preaching may work the other by hearing may receaue faith in their hearts without which al other things are nothing seeing ther is nether entry nor accesse nor continuance in grace but by faith alone for as saith the Apostle in Christ Iesus wee haue bouldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him Ephes 3 12. And againe by him also through faith wee haue had accesse unto this grace wherein wee stand Rom. 5 2. And again for by faith ye stand 2. Cor. 1 24. This doth argue both preaching and hearing of manie to bee vaine fruitles whenas eyther is not chiefly intended to this end of beleeving for if a teacher work not faith by preaching whatsoever hee doe besides shall neuer saue the hearers And if a man by hearing attain not to beeleeving what ever other fruit he receaue shal but encrease his judgment for faith wrought by preaching is the true touchstone whereby both a preacher is tryed to haue Christs power in his ministry and a hearer doth finde the Gospell to bee the power of God to his salvation Now wee come to the next touching their being in this faith It s a common custome of the scriptures when they speake of the saving graces of God or of Iesus Christ in whom wee enjoy them sometimes to require them to be in us and somtimes us in them Concerning Christ the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that Christ may dwell in their hearts Ephesians 3. 17. And againe to the Corinthians he saith but ye are of God in Christ Iesus and Christ himself in the 15 of Iohn saith to his disciples abide in mee and I in you he that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Touching faith the Apostle saith to Tymothy that he desired to see him when he cald to remembrance the unâ—ained faith that was in him which dwelt first in his grandmother Loys and in his mother Eunice which he was assured did dwell in him also And here the Apostle willeth the Corintians to try themselves if they bee in the faith and againe to the Colossians If ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith againe as ye haue received Christ Iesus
this knowledge in his disciples as also why the world is destitute of it speaking concerning the spirit saying whom the world cannot receaue because it sees him not neither knowes him but yee know him because he dwelleth with you and shal bee in you Iohn 14 17. This place being conferd with the former two teacheth us 3 speciall things touching the estate of a true Christian The 1 is that they are not ignorant of the things of God nor of any grace or blessing spirituall given them by God in Christ the 2 is That all this knowledge is taught thē by the spirit of God which is given them remaines within them The 3 that both the gift of this spirit and knowledge by him proceedes from this that God hath not left us in the world nor in the estate of servitude bondage but hath taken us out of the world and by reconcyling us to himself in Christ hath made us his friends as Abrahā was The use of this is to convince the doctrine of the papisticall church of falshood whereby they maintaine that a Christian truely called can haue no certaine knowledge whether he bee in the estate of grace or not for if the Apostle urge the Corinthians by this speciall knowledge of their owne being in the faith and of Christs being in them to bee witnesses of the power of Christ in his ministry toward them it must necessarily follow that both they and all others called as they were must haue vndoubted knowledge of themselves that they are in the faith and Christ in them otherwise Christs argument before alleadged could not bee true when he saith that his disciples did know the spirit of truth because he dwelt with them and should be in thē which argumēt teacheth us thus much that the saints cannot bee ignorant of any gift or grace of God which dwelleth with them and is in them so that wee may Iustly concluded that a Papist houlding the former position for a truth must bee both faythles and gracelesse seing if eyther faith or grace were in them they could not be ignorant of them neither can they haue anie evasion by their old argument of the necessitie of some speciall revelation from God For this which we haue said before compared with the words of Iohn doth fully answer them saying If we receive the witnes of men the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnes of God which he testifieth of his sonne He that beleeveth in that sone of God hath witnes in himselfe By which words we are plainly taught that faith can never be without the testimonie both of those three which beare record in heaven to wit the Father the Word and the Holy-ghost nor of these three witnesses which beare record in earth viz. The spirit the water and the bloud and therefore that it must follow that everie true beleever hath a most undoubted revelation of his salvation and blessed estate in grace and on the contrarie that whosoever hath not this vndoubted warrant is faithles indeed seeing as saith the Apostle whosoever beleeveth in the sonne of God hath this witnes of the Father of the Word and of the Holy ghost which are in heaven of the spirit and of the water and of the blood which are in earth then which there can be no revelation of greater force to confirm the certaintie of ones salvation For if according to Gods owne law at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shal be established how much more must a true beleeving christian know the certaintie of his salvation who hath it witnessed vnto him and that within himself by those sixe witnesses before mentioned of which none can lye and this is so much the clearer by that which Iohn in the same place speaketh ver 13 saying these things haue I written unto you who beleeve in the name of the sonne of God that ye may knowe that ye haue eternall life Whereby he utterly annulleth that blind argument of the Papists seing it enforceth thē eyther to confesse that they know they haue eternal life or then plainely to confesse that they beleeue not in the sonne of God for faith and knowledge of salvation are two unseparable adjuncts and ever such knowledge as is not builded upon a doubtfull opinion or conjecture but which is buylt upon the unfallible testimony of the six witnesses mētioned before Wee conclude therefore this point with the confortable use thereof to all true beleeving Christians viz. that they rejoyce always I say againe with the Apostle that they rejoyce always seeing their salvation is sure and that it s given unto them to knowe that it is sure Thus much for the Apostles argument for remooving of all pretence of ignorance Now followes the 2 point of tryall which is whether Christ bee in them or not but it s propounded in another manner then the first for touching faith he willd them to try if they were in it but this last he propounds as a thing which he would haue them undoubtedly to acknowledge and no marveil for the effects are more easie to be known then their causes now Christ he dwells in our hearts by faith and therefore wee can never have a true evidence that we beleeue untill we find that Christ is assuredly within us for this cause wee said before that this 2 point of tryall was the meane to know the former Moreover the Apo. subjoins this point unto his former argument whereby he remooves all pretence of Ignorāce purposely to teach us both whē and wherein it is that a Christian comes to know himself to bee in the faith and so receaves experiēce of the power of Christ in the ministry of the Gospell to his salvation whereof before wee spake wee will first somewhat consider the order of the Apostles words Wee see that in the first place he puts them to the tryall of their faith as being the evidence of the power of Christ in his ministry toward them to their salvation 2. In this examination he brings them to the acknowledging of themselves as the proper effect of true faith in all true beleevers 3. He brings thē to the acknowledgment of Christs presence in their hearts as the onely true testimony of the first proper matter of the 2. For if any man thinks he beleeves not having Christ within him he is miserably deceaved and if any man think he knowes himself to bee the child of God except he find himself and Christ united by faith pittifully abuseth himself by his owne judgment This order therefore of the Apostles proceeding teacheth us this lesson what way and by what meanes it is that wee come to the knowledge of the mighty power and outstreched arme of God in the ministry of his word to our salvation in the which 3 things are principally to be marked Our faith our selvs and that in our selves which makes us know our selves by faith to bee