of god which otherwise we might enioy If ye beleeue not ye shall not be established saith the Prophet In Capernaum Christ could doe no great wonders by reason of their vnbeleefe Lastly vnbeleefe plucks downe vpon men the plagues iudgements of God Moses and Aaron were barred the land of Canaan for their vnbeleefe A certaine prince was troden to death in the gates of Samaria because he would not beleeue the word of the Lord by the mouth of Elisha Zacharie was dumbe for a time because he would not beleeue the message of the angel Many at this day when the iudgements of God lie heauie on them say presently they are fore spoken and they crie out on this or that suspected witch But such persons are often deceiued For the great witch that doth them all the hurt is the vnbeleefe of their hearts whereby they distrust God in his word and this sinne alone if there were no witches in the world is sufficient alone to prouoke God to plague and punish vs sundrie waies and that grieuously Therfore let vs with bitternes of heart bewaile our vnbeleefe and the rather because it is a steppe to faith to acknowledge the want of faith The second thing to be done is to make examination whether we be in conscience conuicted of the certentie of the word or no. If we be not we must labour to be cōuinced Because that naturall atheisme whereby we doubt whether the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles be the word of God or no hinders the certentie of faith For the setling of the conscience in this point these arguments may be vsed The first it is a principle in nature that there is a God if there be a God nature can say he is to be worshipped if he be to be worshipped he hath reuealed himselfe and his will to man for otherwise he cannot be worshipped And this reuelation is to be found in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and in no other writings of men because we finde the doctrine of Scriptures to be agreeable to the very nature and maiestie of God and so is no other doctrine or learning whatsoeuer For it is the most auncient and all other religions come far short of it It is one and the same euermore consenting with it selfe without chaunge or alteration The Apostles agree with the prophets the Prophets with Moses and all with the first reuelation made at the creation Againe it discouers and reueales the secret thoughts of men that no art or learning can discouer and this argues that it was penned by him who is the searcher of all hearts The second argument is a wonderfull Euidence of the truth not to be found in any other writings in the world This euidence stands specially in eight things The first is that the writers of Scriptures fully and plainely set downe their owne faults yea their chiefest faults not sparing to shame themselues in mans reason and this argues that in writing they were guided by the spirit of trueth The second is that the books of Scriptures containe many mysteries aboue the reach of mans reason yet not against reason because we may discerne a truth in them and that by grounds principles of reason The third that the speeches of Scripture aime not at by-respects but simply and absolutely giue and ascribe all glorie to God alone The fourth is that the Scriptures containe full and perfect doctrine for the pacifying setling and directing of the conscience in all things The fifth is the holinesse and puritie of the law of Moses in that it accuseth and condemneth all men of sinne and prescribeth perfect righteousnes Herein it surpasseth the laws of all countries common-wealths kingdomes whatsoeuer The sixth is the wisdome that appeares in the pollicie or gouernment of the common-wealth of the Iewes set downe by Moses The seuenth is a reconciliation of iustice and mercie propounded in the Gospel For in Christ iustice and mercie meete and iustice after a sort giues place to mercie The eight thing wherein this euidence of trueth appeares is the consent of Scripture with it selfe for doctrine agrees with historie and euery part with euery part This manifold euidence of truth shewes that scripture is from the god of truth If any say that they finde no such euidence in Scripture I answer it is their owne fault for if they would seriously read the Scriptures with praier to God it would appeare The third argument is the Efficacie of the word which appeares on this manner Gods word is flat contrarie to the nature and corrupt disposition of man and yet for all this when being preached it conuinceth and condemneth men of sinne it turneth and conuerteth them to it selfe and causeth them to liue and die in the loue and obedience therof This could it neuer doe vnlesse it were of diuine operation The fourth argument is that the Prophets and Apostles wrought miracles for the ratifying and confirming of their doctrine Now these miracles surpasse the strēgth of nature and were immediately from God and therefore the doctrine thereby confirmed was also of God The fifth and last is that the writings of the prophets and Apostles containe many prophecies or predictions of things to come that none could foresee or foretell but God The name of Iosias his doings are foretold 330. yeares before he was borne Cyrus his doings are mentioned more then an 100. yeares before his birth now these and the like prophecies argue that the whole doctrine is of God By these and like arguments are all that inwardly doubt of the word of God to settle and stablish their consciences This done then followes the third point and that is that we must search and inquire what is the substance and scope of the worde of god The scope of the whole Bible is Christ with his benefits and he is reuealed propounded and offered vnto vs in the maine promise of the word the tenour whereof is That God will giue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to such as will beleeue in Christ. To this main promise God hath added a maine commaundement which biddes vs to beleeue the said promise or to applie Christ with his benefits vnto our selues Now then our third dutie is to subiect our hearts and wills to this commaundement that biddes vs beleeue in Christ. This is the subiection of faith of which two things must be obserued One is that this is the first subiection that we can giue to God to trust him vpon his promise for the pardon of our sinnes and for life eternall And from this subiection of faith ariseth our subiection to the whole word In Christ are all the promises of God yea and amen the law and the obedience of all the commaundements thereof is established by faith without Christ no good thing can be done The second point is that this subiection is easie in respect of that subiection
should liue by faith Because this last point is of great moment I will spend some time in the explaning of it That a man then may liue by his faith two things are required the first that faith be rightly conceiued grounded in the heart the second that after it is once conceiued it Raigne and rule in the heart That faith may rightly be conceiued two things are required The first is the knowledge of the word of God for faith stands in relation to the word the word alone is the foūdation of our faith Hereupon the word is called the foundation of the Prophets Apostles By light of naturall reason we vnderstand that the world had a beginning and was made of God Yet cānot reason breed in vs a certen perswasion of this point but onely the testimonie of the word of God and therefore it is saide By faith we vnderstand that the world was ordained by God And this made Dauid say In God I wil praise his word Furthermore in the Word three things are to be knowne precepts or commaundements because they teach obediēce threatnings because they restraine disobedience promises because they serue to confirme vs in our obedience Againe promises are either principall or lesse-principall The maine or principal promise is that in which God offereth and reuealeth righteousnesse and life euerlasting by Christ. Within this promise is contained the graunt of remission of our sinnes of necessarie patience of the assistāce of the spirit of God and of all gifts that are inseparably ioyned with faith Promises lesse-principall are concerning deliuerances in temptations safetie in daungers health wealth libertie peace c. And these must all be vnderstoode with an exception of the crosse and correction and they shal so farre forth be accomplished as they serue for Gods glorie and the good of them that beleeue Now all these heads points of the word of God must be knowne and that in some particular sort that a man may liue by his faith The second thing required for the right conceiuing of faith is after the word of God is once known To trust God vpon his word yea to depend vpon it to build vpon it This is the first principall worke of true faith it is called by Paul the obedience of faith and it is made the end and scope of the preaching of the Gospell and not without cause For this is the first and principal honour of god to beleeue him vpon his bare worde and thereby to make a cōfession of the truth of God This the deuill knew right well and therefore the first thing that he sought to ouerthrow in Adam was his faith in the word of God and the scope of the first temptation wherby he assaulted our Sauiour Christ was to ouerthrow that faith confidēce he had in his father saying if thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread but this thou canst not doe therefore thou art not the sonne of God That this obedience which we giue to God by trusting his very word may be right obedience it must haue sixe conditions First of al it must be absolute for we must as it were shut vp our owne eyes and simply without any more ado trust god vpō his bare naked word and suffer our selues to be ledde by it In naturall things experience is first and then faith comes afterward And Thomas following nature desired first to feele before he would beleeue But God must be trusted though that which he saith be against reason and experience Thus Abraham beleeued God against all humane hope The secōd cōdition is that this obediēce must be sincere For we must trust Gods word for it selfe because it is Gods word all by-respects set apart They which are as the stony groūd receiue Gods word and reioyce in it and yet afterward in time of temptation goe awrie The reason is because they receiue the word reioyce in it not properly for it self but in respect of honour profite or pleasure which they looke to reape thereby Iohn the Baptist was a burning candle and the Iewes reioyced in his light onely in respect of the noualtie of it and therefore the holy ghost saith they reioyced in it but for a season The third condition is that we must trust God not in a part but in his whole word and therefore many faile in their faith that are cōtent to trust him in his promises of mercie saluation but list not to beleeue him in his commaundements and threats The fourth condition is that we must trust God in his word with al our hearts that it may take deepe roote and be an ingrafted word It is not sufficient for vs to haue a taste of the good word of God and to receiue it with ioy vnles we thoroughly and soundly build and relie our selues vpon it The fifth condition is that this trusting of God must be with an honest heart that is with an heart in which there is a distinct and setled purpose not to sinne but in all things to doe the will of God The good hearers are they which receiue the word with an honest and good heart Without this can no man possibly liue by faith He that puts away his good conscience makes shipwrack of his faith It is godlinesse alone that hath the promises of this life and the life to come And none can liue the life of faith but he that is a iust man After that men haue made some good proceedings and doe know the word receiue it reioyce in it bring forth some fruit if the heart for all this be euill it will cause them at length to depart frō God by distrusting or by denying credence to his word The sixth condition is that the obedience of faith must be stable and constant The Lord saith my soule hath no pleasure in them that withdraw themselues that is which for a time beleeue God and afterward pull backe their foot and goe backe from their faith Seeing this is the right way to cōceiue faith to know the word of god and to trust him vpon the same word all such as would liue by faith must haue their harts kindled with a desire to doe the things before named specially to giue credence to euery word of God We may not forsake God for any creature now we forsake him when we distrust him in his word Againe not to beleeue God is very Atheisme For by this meanes God is made a lyar and his glorie and maiestie is abolished It is the greatest part of our glorie to beleeue God as Christ saith He that receiues his testimonie puts to his seale that God is true that is giues vnto God as it were a testimonial of his truth and thereto puts his hand and seale And what greater honour can there be then this that the creature should giue testimonie to
of the doctrine of the Gospel worthie consideration on this manner There is a three-fold certentie the first is certentie of reason or of generall faith when a man by force of argument is conuicted of the certentie of the doctrine of the Bible This may be in the wicked and vngodly without faith in Christ. After this in the elect by a more speciall worke of Gods spirit followes a faith in Christ and the certentie of iustifying or speciall faith expressed in the conclusion of the former syllogisme Thirdly after this certentie of speciall faith followes an other experimental certentie of the truth of the Bible which also faith concludes on this manner That doctrine which assures vs to be Gods children is certenly of God But the doctrine of the Gospell beleeued or mingled with our faith assures vs to be Gods children Therefore it is of God The major is graunted of all the minor is in effect the conclusion of the former syllogisme and it is knowne by an experience of that spirituall comfort which the godly feele in their hearts The conclusion sets downe the certentie of the Bible vpon a further ground then any wit or learning of man can attaine vnto without the spirit of grace namely vpon an inward assurance of our reconciliation with God Of this certentie our Sauiour Christ speakes notably If any man will doe my fathers will that is beleeue it and subiect himselfe to it he shall know namely by that comfort which he shall feele vpon his subiection of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe And Paul saith that the spirituall man that is one regenerate by the spirit of God iudgeth all things Hence it followes that such as desire to be setled for their religion and such as desire to be good and profitable students in Diuinitie must first of all humble thēselues and indeauour in their hearts truly to beleeue in Christ. Because hence flowes the best experience of the certentie and consequently of the vnspeakable excellencie of the Bible Thus then we see how we are to receiue hold and inioy our Reconciliation with god in Christ by no other thing within vs but by meanes of our faith alone And therefore we must haue speciall care that we may by the vse of Gods meanes attaine to a liuely faith And for this cause we must do two things first we are to labour to be conuicted in conscience of the certentie of the word This done we must thē subiect our wils to the commandement of God that biddes vs beleeue in Christ we must bewaile our vnbeleefe we must striue against the same and pray vnto God to confirme and increase our faith by establishing our hearts in his loue The second part of spirituall life is Peace of conscience which is nothing else but a cōstant stable tranquilitie of minde when the cōscience doth not accuse but excuse and when neither hell death condemnation nor any danger is feared ouermuch This peace was in Dauid when he said I laid me down slept and rose againe in the middest of manifold daungers This peace is of great excellencie for it is the peace of God it is one part of the kingdome of God it passeth all vnderstanding it is in stead of a guard to keepe our hearts minds in Christ. Now this excellent peace springs out of our faith whereby we beleeue our reconciliation with god Rom. 5.1 Beeing iustified by faith we haue peace with God 1. Chron. 20.20 Trust in the Lord and ye shall be secure Yea as our faith is so is our peace no faith no peace liuely faith liuely peace constant faith constant peace faith in life peace in life faith in death peace in death so as we may say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace The third part of spirituall life is the ioy of the Holy Ghost and that is to reioyce in God because he is our God and in Christ because he is our Christ. And this kind of ioy is not taken from vs or abated in afflictions but rather increased Rom. 5.3 We reioyce in tribulatiōs And Hebr. 10.34 Ye endured the spoyling of your goods with ioy Now our faith in the promise of life is the mother and breeder of this ioy which ariseth of that happie and blessed conclusion that faith frames in the mind I beleeue therfore the blessings of God promised in the Gospel are mine Thus saith Saint Peter Beleeuing ye reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious Again the continuance and increase of our faith is the increase of this ioy The last part of spirituall life is newnesse of life and conuersation whereby we are borne anew and made new creatures not because the substance of bodie and soule is changed but because the image of God is restored Now this change both for the whole and for the parts thereof is by faith Touching the whole Men as they are new creatures haue their beginning from the word of promise or from Christ crucified who is propounded in the promise and that as the said word or Christ is apprehended by faith Act. 15.9 Your hearts beeing purified by faith 1. Ioh. 3.3 He which hath this hope purifieth himselfe 1. Pet. 1.22 Your soules are purified in obeying the truth And again Being borne anew of the immortall seede of the word The parts of newnesse of life are specially three True wisedome good affections good workes True wisdome is to aduise of good things and to vse good meanes for the execution thereof This wisdome ariseth of our faith in the word of God Dauid saith he vvas vviser then his teachers and vviser then the auncient and he renders the cause therof from the worke of his faith For thy testimonies are euer with me and they are my meditation Out of the same fountaine spring all good affections The loue wherby we loue God comes of our faith beleeuing the loue wherewith God loueth vs. The perswasion of the forgiuenesse of many sinnes in the woman that washed Christs feete with her teares caused her to shewe much loue to Christ. Godly sorrow when the heart is grieued properly for the offence of God ariseth of faith apprehending and beleeuing the mercie of God in Christ. And in euery good worke there is a threefold action of faith required First there is required an acte of generall faith which is to beleeue that the worke to be done in his kind pleaseth god Rom. 14.23 VVhatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The second is an acte of iustifying faith which is to purge the heart and to cause it to bring foorth the good worke to be done Psal. 116.10 I beleeued therefore I spake The third is also an act of iustifying faith and that is when the worke is done to apprehend Christ who by his merit is to couer the defect of the worke because no work of ours can please God without