That God by his word and Spirit first inlighteneth the vnderstanding truely to conceiue the doctrine of mans miserie and of his full recouerie by Christ 2. Secondly by the same meanes he worketh in his heart both such sound sorrow for his miserie and feruent desire after Christ the remedie that hee can neuer bee at quiet till hee inioy Christ 3. Thirdly God so manifesteth his loue in freelie offering Christ with all his benefites to him a poore sinner that thereby he drawes him so to giue credit to God therein that hee gladly accepts Christ offred vnto him These three workes of God whosoeuer findeth to haue beene wrought in himselfe hee may thereby know certainely hee hath faith But without these what change of life soeuer may be conceiued there can bee no certaintie of faith and therefore I againe aduise that this bee first and especially looked vnto for our comfort wherein that none be deceiued with shewes of these in stead of substance I take these to bee true notes of soundnesse For the first of inlightening there can be no doubt For the second of sorrow seeing the causes still remaine Triall of sorrow nametie corruption and affliction therefore this sorrow must continue to our liues end though in a different manner now mingled with comfort whereas the former before faith could haue none Whereas on the other side the sorrow that quite drieth vp was neuer sound as it is to bee seene in many who being once deepely afflicted and in great heauinesse for their miserable estate afterward comming to some comfort are growen so secure and senselesse that hauing no true griefe or remorse for their daily corruptions content themselues that they were once cast downe Whose liues as they bee â—â—ule and full of blottes so their ends be oft fearefull either senselesse or vncomfortable so dangerous it is to quench the spirit in any part Againe Triall of our desire for the triall of our desires after Christ to proue that they be not sudden flashes this is a certaine marke of soundnesse that the more wee taste of Christ the more we couet him As the Apostle Peter exhorteth all that be new borne â— Pet. 2. 1 2 If so bee they haue tasted how sweete the Lord is Mat. 5 6. this is that holy hunger after righteousnesse to which our Lord Iesus promiseth blessednes which many mistake for such a desire as going before all faith hath no promise of blessednesse And great reason there is hereof why all true beleeuers should more and more thus hunger after Christ for that whiles wee liue here we receiue but the first fruits onely and we haue but an earnest pennie of that fulnesse we shall haue and therefore wee cannot be fully satisfied with that we haue receiued but still desire more Lastly for the triall of the third worke of God Triall of faith whereby he worketh Faith that any may know God hath wrought this in him in deed and in truth and not in conceit and opinion wherein many be deceiued I take this to be most infallible in the weakest of those who may know they beleeue that though in temptations they be driuen from their hold yet afterward they returne vnto their rest and finde Gods holy Spirit drawing them yet to beleeue in God because of his word which though it be weake yet it is true faith and not that wauering which hath no faith in it As may bee laid open by a plaine comparison for the weaker sort In a paire of gold weights when they bee emptie either ballance will hang wauering and not rest on either side but if a graine bee put into one aboue the other it will weigh it downe yet so as the winde or a little iogge may lift it vp but if it bee let alone the graine will weigh it downe and so hold it so is it betweene weake faith and wauering When there is any credit giuen and so any resting on Gods word after temptation there is true faith but where there is nothing but a hanging in suspence and vncertaintie that is wauering Iames 1. 7. which cannot looke to obtaine any thing as the Apostle Iames speaketh Thus by the causes is euery one to trie himselfe whether true faith haue bin wrought in him which indeed are the more certaine proofes though not so easilie seene Now followe the proofes taken from the effects and fruits of faith Proofes from effect which be more manifest but not so certaine vnlesse it bee also as manifest that they come from faith To make this plaine to those for whose sakes I write these that is weake beleeuers The principall effects of Faith be Ioy and Loue Ioy in the benefit and loue to god the author of it These bee such as a man may easily see whether he hath them in him or no. But if any man can say hee hath ioy of his saluation and loues God for it to say nothing yet of the truth of these vnles he can proue that these grow out of the tree of Faith they can no more proue that hee hath faith then fruit growing on one tree can proue another tree to bee good For we shall see that both these and many other supposed fruits of Faith are nothing lesse but are bastard fruits and meere naturall affections I meane such as may bee in a naturall man not regenerated but onlie inlightened and wrought by such a working of the Spirit as may be in a reprobate and therefore neither these nor any other change of life can bee proofes of faith further then it is manifest they come from faith The ignorance of this deceiueth many who build their faith on these whereas true fruites grow from Faith But to come to the triall of our faith by the effects thereof Triall by the Spirit which though they be many yet may be all contained vnder this one of receiuing the Spirit not as a stranger to doe some worke and so to depart 1 Cor. 6. 19. but as an Inhabitant to dwell with vs for euer 1 Ioh. 2. 27 And therefore this is set downe as the vnseparable marke of true receiuing Christ which is onlie by Faith This is manifest in the Epistle of Iohn 1 Ioâ— 4. 1. Hereby we know that wee dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit and to like effect in the Galathians And because yee are sonnes Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts Gal. 3. 2. crying Abba Father Againe in Galathians 3. 2. which is as manifest by all experience when God vouchsafed effectually to call any to imbrace Christ hee sent immediatly vpon them his holy Spirit which at first was in extraordinarie manner as in the Acts Acts 10. 44 but afterwards in ordinary manner Eph. 1. 13. as in the Ephesians where it is said That they after they beleeued were sâ—aled with that
God the father mooued by nothing but his free loue to mankinde lost hath made a deed of gift and grant of his Sonne Christ Iesus vnto mankinde that whosoeuer of all mankinde shall receiue this gift by a true and liuely faith hee shall not perish but haue euerlasting life which the same Apostle expresly saith 1. Ioh. 5. 11. This is the record that God hath giuen to vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne meaning that this it is which God hath witnessed for vs to beleeue which hee that doth not makes God a lyar and shall most iustly be condemned therefore this then is the first thing in true faith to be considered that euery soule to whom God sendeth this message of the Gospell doe truely beleeue and giue credit vnto it to bee true that God hath made grant of Christ to sinners so that if he accept this grant he shall bee saued This is that faith which in schooles is called historicall because it goeth no further then to giue assent and credit to the story of that which God speaketh to be true which one may beleeue for another and therefore this cannot be true iustifying faith and this may be in those that knowe they are bidden to the wedding yet refuse to come So that though this bee necessary to true iustifying faith yet it is not sufficient therfore in iustifying faith there is required another and more speciall work namely to receiue Christ and life in him offered in the Gospell which was the second generall point to bee considered in the nature of this iustifying faith Namely that beside the assent of the mind and iudgment to the truth of the Gospell The second speciall worke of faith is to receiue Christ offered vs in the Gospell wee giue consent with our heart and will and so willingly and gladly accept Gods gift of Christ whereby indeede he is become ours and we his and so we in him be made partakers of all things pertaining to life and godlinesse 2. Pet. 1. 3. as the Apostle Peter speaketh where I would haue this specially to be marked that hee saith this is by the knowledge or acknowledging of him which I vnderstand to be by true faith whereby we know and acknowledge Christ to be ours This I the rather obserue for that I see some honestly minded herein beguiled to imagine that a man may be a true member of Christ and so be iustified before he thus actually beleeue and thereby apprehend Christ I deny not but that some weake in faith may feare that they do not beleeue and that they haue not apprehended Christ when in deede they haue apprehended him though they feele it not who may be discerned partly by their heauinesse for want of sense of faith but especially by their loue they beare to God shewed manifold waies whereof we shall here more in the triall of faith But that he who neuer apprehended Christ by beleeuing should ordinarily bee a member of Christ I cannot see sure I am the Scripture constantly speaketh otherwise as Iohn 12. As many as receiued him Gal. 3 26. to them hee gaue power to bee the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Gal. 2. 20. And to like effect often that we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus That wee liue by faith of the Sonne of God That Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. In which and the like many it is euident that faith is the Instrument whereby wee receiue Christ our righteousnes and life And this is the constant opinion of all found Diuines so farre as I know Thus then we see that the very nature of faith consisteth in the true acceptation of Christ proclaimed in the Gospell How faith is gotten Now followeth to be considered how this faith is to be obtained and increased that so we may liue by it wherein wee haue these two points to be obserued 1. First 2. point what is the ground of faith 1. 2. Secondly 2. how faithis hereon builded But before this blocke at which so many stumble is to be remooued That wee yet speake not how a man that hath faith may know it to bee so whereof more in his place but how one that indeede hath not apprehended Christ by faith may attaine vnto it So that here onely we seeke the causes which beget this faith not the effects of faith which only prooue we haue it Many not discerning this difference doe much mistake Causes and effects of faith differing and being asked what caused them to beleeue they say because they haue truely repented and changed their course of life which if it proceede not from faith is not so much as a sound proofe of faith much lesse can it bee any cause to drawe them to beleeue By which mistaking it comes to passe that such persons building their faith vpon their life which is subiect to many changes can neuer haue sound and stedfast faith but a staggering vnconstant opiniō at the best We haue neede therefore to looke for a more sure ground whereon to build our faith which must stand against so many and mighty stormes wherewith it is so vsually assaulted The onely firme ground of this sauing faith is Gods truth reuealed in his word The onely ground of faith is Gods truth Reason why as is plainely taught Rom. 10. 17. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God And so likewise it is saide of the Ephesians 1. 13. That they by hearing the word of truth the Gospell of saluation beleeued which is as manifest to reason in that there is not any thing in heauen or in earth which can testifie to vs such good will in God to saue vs but wee must haue Gods owne word to witnesse this vnto vs and all little enough It is a matter so incredible that the holy and iust God who cannot abide any iniquity Heb. 2. 2. but will certainely giue to euery sinne his due punishment yet of his owne free mercy hath giuen and granted to poore sinners eternall life Therefore hath the Lord so often and so euidently spoken no lesse that hee might thereby mooue vs to beleeue as 1. Ioh. 5. 11. expresly affirming This is that which is testified That God hath giuen vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne For our further confirmation wherein it is saide vers 7. that this is witnessed both by three witnesses in heauen The first the father the second the word that is the sonne of God the second person in Trinity the third the holy Ghost which three be one diuine nature and testifie the same things as also by three witnesses on earth all which be in euery true beleeuer and none els The first the spirit the second the water the third the blood which agree in one witnessing the same things wherby are meant By the first
sinners Mat. 22. 9 10 may be seene in his gracious inuitation of the vnworthiest to come to the wedding of his Son yea more by his beseeching sinners to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. 20 and by the many and weighty arguments he vseth to perswade men to beleeue by the great rewards earthly and spirituall temporall and eternall which all beleeuers shall enioy and by the fearefull woes which shall fall on all vnbeleeuers both in this life and that to come Ioh. 7. 38. 3. 18. as plentifully is to bee seene throughout the Scriptures Out of all this mee thinkes a poore distressed sinner might thus stirre vp himselfe to beleeue If this bee certaine Note that God would not haue me perish but is very willing to saue me and therfore hath not onely prouided all sufficient meanes to bring mee thereto and made such a generall pardon as may assure mee I am contained vnder it yea seeing I now know that I am inuited and called to come to Christ and intreated to bee friends with God then may I be bold to come and assure my self I shal be welcome Yea further if I will not forgoe all these rich rewards tendered vnto me and pull vpon my selfe most iustly all those woes which God hath threatned against all despisers of his mercies then must I gladly accept Gods mercy offered to mee and if I finde my vnbeleeuing heart to draw back then must I ply the Lord with feruent and constant prayers that hee would draw mee by his Spirit to come to Christ and so to rest vpon him for my saluation And thus much for the generall promises both in regard of the matters promised and of the persons to whom they bee proclaimed that euery one who heares them may claime his part in them Speciall benefits Now to come to those speciall benefites which we receiue in Christ which belong to this first point how our faith is to bee strengthened in the assurance of our saluation by Christ I intend to referre all that I haue to say herein to these two 1. our Justification and 2. the fruites immediately growing from thence which I gather out of the Apostle Rom. 5. 1. to bee these three 1. Reconciliation 2. Adoption 3. Hope of Glory Concerning Iustification Iustification it is euident by the Scripture that all our saluation depends vpon it that whosoeuer shall bee saued must be iustified and therefore of necessity he that is not iustified must needs bee condemned it behooueth then euery one who lookes for saluation well to conceiue what it is to be iustified in Gods sight and then to make sure worke that hee may attaine it yea and know it also that hee is iustified without which is no comfort or hope of happinesse To be iustified before God is to be made righteous that is not onely without all sinne but hauing all that righteousnes which God in his holy law requireth as Rom. 2. 13. So was Adam and Eue by creation Eccl. 7. 31. God made man righteous Heb. 7. 26. So was Christ Such an high Priest it became vs to haue who is holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heauens Besides these not one of the whole stocke of mankinde was thus righteous but euery soule young and old was is and euer shall be in this world voyde of this righteousnesse and full of all vnrighteousnesse As Rom. 3. 20. Therefore by the workes of the law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight It followeth then that all that shall be saued must bee iustified another way and that is this by hauing that perfect righteousnes which was in Christ alone to bee accounted theirs as if it had been in themselues Not intending to enter into any further discours hereof which may bee seene in sundry Treatises written of this argument all our care must bee to get this grace in Christ whereby we shal assuredly be saued The Scripture is cleare that this is obtained by faith and no way else as besides sundry other scriptures the Apostle both soundly and plentifully prooueth Rom. 3. Gal. 3. reade the places in which wee shall see not onely the truth of the doctrine but many motiues to beleeue and imbrace this grace wrought by Christ for vs and by him freely offered vnto vs that we might receaue it to our comfort To this purpose is that which is said Rom. 3. vers 21. 22. But now is the righteousnesse of God made manifest without the Law hauing witnesse of the Law and the Prophets to wit the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue And so forward to the end of the chapter wherein for our purpose this is chiefly to be considered That as none are partakers of this benefite of Iustification in Christ but beleeuers so seeing none can beleeue to enioy this but such as know that God freely and faithfully offers it to them therefore it is here and elsewhere oft reuealed that as all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God so are they iustified feeely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Which as I said cannot bee vnderstood that all doe receiue this mercie of Iustification purchased by Christ but that as Christ hath wrought it so God doth indifferently offer it in the Gospell to all which is more manifested by the words following verse 25. Whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenesse of sinnes that are passed c. The vse to bee made of these Vse and the like for the strengthening of our Faith in the assurance of our saluation by Christ is this that euery one who would beleeue doe set before him on the one side his owne sinfulnesse and cursednesse to be such that he is no way able to make any satisfaction whereby he might be deliuered on the other side that Christ hath made a full satisfaction vnto his Father for him a miserable sinner and freely offers it to him which if hee beleeue it shall be accepted for him and he thereby saued that this may draw him to renounce all hope in himselfe and so to relie vpon Christ for his Iustification and saluation This shall be more manifest in the parts of Iustification Parts of iustification which are forgiuenesse of sinnes Forgiuenes of sinne and imputation of righteousnesse and more especially in the former forgiuenesse of sinne which so vnseparably bringing in the latter imputation of righteousnesse the Scripture doth most labour to assure vs of And for this cause all blessednesse is worthily placed herein both by the Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Paul saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen Psal 32. 1 2. and whose sinnes are couered Rom. 4. 7 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne That it may driue
to beleeue and for an example to set before them Gods dealing with the Ephesians of whom the Apostle saith Eph. 2. 3. That when they were dead in trespasses and sinnes which is as bad as may bee yet hee heapes more of their wofull condition verse 2. 11. 12. yet these were quickned in Christ so likewise the Colossians Col. 1. 21. being before their conuersion strangers and enemies because their mindes were set on euill workes were reconciled to God c. And to say the truth so is it with all that bee conuerted as Paul testifieth of himselfe and all other beleeuers before their effectuall calling that they had their conuersation in times past in the lusts of their flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others All which if a poore sinner shall consider that others in as bad a state as he and many farre worse were receiued to mercy and that God doth in mercy as freely offer it to him as them and is as faithfull as euer to performe what he saith this doubtlesse will in time moue him to expect like mercy at Gods hands if hee shall with patience waite the Lords leisure and neuer giue ouer earnest supplication to God to draw him and daily meditation on Gods mercy Thus will I leaue this point hauing said more then I purposed Peace only I desire to be considered that vnder this reconciliation I containe that peace which Christ makes betweene God and vs whereof Rom. 5. 1. Eph. 2. 17. and elsewhere oft that it may bee referred to this head Now we come to the second fruite of our Iustification which is Adoption Adoption whereby I vnderstand that high fauour of God whereby hee maketh those who be iustified by Christ and so reconciled his owne children and heires of all his blessings If Dauid thought it no small preferment to bee sonne in Law to King Saul 1 Sam. 18. 23. what may bee thought of this And therefore the Apostle Iohn calleth all to an admiration of that vnspeakeable loue of God in calling vs to be the sonnes of God 1 Ioh. 3. 1. Wherein we haue to consider not only the excellencie of this estate but the certainetie of it without which we could haue no comfort by it This certaintie appeares as in this that God hath called all true beleeuers to be his sonnes so further in the next verse where he saith Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God though as he saith is appeares not what wee shall bee To this purpose well serueth that gracious promise which the Apostle citeth out of the Prophet Hosea And it shall be in the place where it was said vnto them Rom. 9. 26. yee are not my people that there they shall bee called the children of the liuing God So likewise when the Lord promiseth to such as shall separate themselues from the wicked And I will bee a Father vnto you 2 Cor. 6. 18. and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie Reu. 21. 7. Againe Hee that ouercommeth shall inherit all things And I will be his God and hee shall be my sonne these promises must be the cause of our faith and our faith the cause of our obedience as hath beene said And therefore it is said Yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. 26. And yet much more to our present purpose is that excellent Scripture Gal. 4. 4 5 6 7. which containes much for the strengthening of our faith in this whole point of the assurance of our saluation therfore I rehearse it all But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Law that hee might redeeme them which were vnder the Law that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Wherein to passe ouer all the rest this is euident that a maine end why God sent his Sonne to redeeme vs miserable sinners who are by nature vnder the curse of the Law was this that wee might by this redemption by Christ bee made Gods children and as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 17. If children then also heires euen the heires of God and coheires with Christ as it followeth in the former Scripture Gal. 4. 7. Wherefore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne now if thou bee a son thou art also an heire of God through Christ If this be so as the deuill himselfe cannot denie who can sufficiently admire and magnifie the bountifulnesse and loue of God to man Vse by so great a price to purchase so high a dignitie Tit. 3. 4. as the Apostle John calls it that wee should be the sonnes of God Ioh. 1. 12. and partakers with Christ of all his glory in his Fathers kingdome But me thinkes I heare some one say It is true this is a most blessed estate if a man might bee assured it were his owne but seeing the Scripture oft witnesseth that they be but few who attaine this fauour Obiection how may I who am so vnworthy so full of sinne and voide of grace euer hope to bee a partaker hereof This beeing so great an obiection and so common whereby many be kept from beleeuing it is meete to be well answered It hath two partes first that so fewe come to bee Gods children to which I answer first the fault hereof is not in God who as oft hath beene said hath so largly proclaimed life in the Gospel to euery sinner Again if there were an almes of great value cast among many which a few onely could enioy what scrambling is there who could get it A memorable story of late yeares I will relate to be a witnes against all such wicked seruants Mat. 25. 26 and slothfull as our Sauiour calls them who hearing that a few shall bee saued will let others striue for it and be content to goe without it themselues which is indeede and so the Lord will count it a flatte despising of his mercy offered vnto them A rich woman gaue at her death a dole of sixe pence to the poore that came to Leaden Hall in London for which there was such striuing that many were troden to death how shall these rise in iudgement against our dainty idle ambitious couetous and voluptuous worldlings who euery one in their kinde striue extreamely for their desires but take no paines to be saued But to leaue these and to come to the second part of the obiection which concerns a better sort and farre neerer saluation who be kepr backe by their vnworthinesse whom as I much pitty for their vncomfortablenesse so can I no lesse blame for their ignorance that after so long preaching of the Gospell wherein all the mercies of God be