truth to no purpose they must have at least a finger as we say in their own salvation They would indeed willingly follow Christ but they cannot wholy deny themselves Haply they will acknowledge Christ to be all but not all in all As if the bloud of Jesus Christ could not cleanse us from all sin contrary to that of St. John 1 Joh. 1. 7. Or as if his righteousnesse were incomplete In whom dwelleth all the fulnesse of the god-head bodily as saith Saint Paul Coll. 2. 9. Truely this must needs be a great dishonour to the Son of God to patch his robe with our rags his righteousnesse with our rotten corruptions It must be the single righteousnesse of one and not the confused righteousnesse of two or more compounded together that must justifie and save us For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 5. 17. But he will further alledge that if our own works have no hand at all in our justification To what purpose is that of Saint James Was not Abraham our Father justified by works saith he when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar James 2. 21. I answer that there is a justification of the person and a justification of the Faith of the person Now it appeareth plainly that the Apostle James in that place intended the justification of Abrahams Faith and not the justification of his person For his person was justified at least twenty years before For is it not said That he believed in the Lord he counted it to him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. And that was before Abraham went in unto Hagar and Ishmael Abrahams son by Hagar was thirteen years old when he was circumcised Gen. 17. 25. And that also was performed before Isaac was begotten And Isaac going to be Offered was able to carry the Wood and to expostulate with his Father Gen. 22. 6 7. So that by computation the person of A-Abraham was justified by Faith no lesse then twenty years before his Faith was justified by Offering Isaac his Son upon the Altar Legal Professour In your actions and allegations a man may easily read your Evidence Your Faith is built not partly as you suppose but wholy upon the Covenant of workes A decayed foundation And not at all upon the Covenant of Grace For you cannot relate to both Covenants at one and the same time Christs work is perfect therefore needs no help ours is imperfect therefore cannot help And upon that account if we compound them Christs work will be dishonoured and blasted and ours will look most filthy and deformed I have trodden the Wine-presse alone and of the people there was none with me saith our Lord Isa 63. 3. And he that said it Is the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. And therefore learn by a lively Faith to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ this Lord our righteousnesse and to rely upon him wholy and onely for your justification and salvation O verily you get neither part nor portion in this eternal inheritance For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works least any man should boast As saith that Apostle Eph. 2. 8 9. There are yet a confused company of Competitours I know not how to call them who do all pretend to this heavenly inheritance But they differ as much in their fancies as in their faces and onely do agree in a general disagreement They cry out mightily against selfishnesse whereas there seemeth to be little or nothing else amongst them Their actions are self-seeking their Allegations are self-confuting And their Evidences are self-confounding Whereupon it followeth that they are more profitably seen then felt heard then beleeved and rejected then justified They say go to let us build us a Citie and a Tower whose top may reach unto Heaven that we may make us a name In imitation of those antike builders Gen. 11. 4. But the same God that confounded the language of the one doth likewise confound the judgement of the other And therefore it is very probable that the Countrey or Kingdom which they shall inherit and inhabit will be called after the name of that Citie Babel in plain English Confusion I dare not proceed any further in this discovery least I loose my self in a Wildernesse full of wayes both devious and dangerous I shall rather order my course directly towards the right Heir whom now I conceive to be within sight ANd this is the Loving Believer He that by an active faith willingly receiveth and lovingly embraceth the Lord Jesus Christ and denying himself in all his doings and sufferings dependeth wholy upon the righteousnesse intercession and satisfaction of the Son of God for his justification and salvation According to that of the Apostle What things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ saith he yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 7 8 9. This Loving Believer is much in action Yet he laboureth not for life He looketh upon that as a gift not as a reward His onely care is That he may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull unto every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God According to that prayer of St. Paul Col. 1. 10. And that he may abound in the work of the Lord for as much as he knoweth that his labour is not in vain in the Lord. After the same Apostles exhortation 1 Cor. 15. 58. He exceedingly admireth the light and liberty of the Gospel especially when he considereth what great light and liberty he for his own particular hath received thereby For he perceiveth plainly That he was sometimes darknesse but now he is light in the Lord and that he is thereby inabled to walk as a Child of light as Ephes 5. 8. And for his liberty he findeth That the Son hath made him free and therefore he is free indeed As the Saviour affirmeth Joh. 8. 36. Not free to sin but free from sin Not onely from the guilt and punishment of sin but also from the power and predominancy of sin Sin shall not have dominion over him for he is not under the Law but under Grace as in Rom. 6. 14. Neither doth he use his liberty for an occasion of the flesh as Gal. 5. 13. Nor for a Cloak of maliciousnesse as 1 Pet. 2. 16. Least by any means this liberty of his should become a stumbling block to them
Leaf greenness In the blossom sweetness and in the Fruit juice So faith draws vertue from the Lord Christ Jesus and send it through the blessed soul in love to all the powers and faculties thereof thereby inriching every spirituall grace according to its proper use and action It maketh and preserveth faith unfained Hope unwearied charity open-hearted Humility undisguised Patience undistracted Prayer delightfull Thanksgiving cheerfull and obedience fruitfull To every grace it giveth life luster and sincerity which without Love are dull deceitfull and hypocriticall I cannot well tell where I should begin or how to end in the just commendations of this incomparable blessing There are many affections or strong and powerfull motions of the minde as joy grief Hope Fear Hatred and the like But when affection is simply and singularly nominated without any other addition you know we take it usually for Love By which we may conceive and understand that Love is the absolute affection It is also said that a good thing the more common it is the better it is And love is common unto every creature that onely hath the benefit of sense They do all generally love themselves their seed their food their fellows and their friends or whatsoever is most precious to their instinct or inclination Yet Love in man is of a nobler strain in regard that it proceedeth or should proceed from reason and discretion But when this Love extracted by true faith from God the onely substance of pure Love is placed upon God in Christ and the image of God in man The onely sound and unsuspected Objects Mat. 22. 37 38. Then verily it is of wondrous use First it becomes the nourse of pregnant faith to cherish and improve her precious fruit strengthening decking and beautifying every infant grace which would otherwise grow crooked deformed and contemptible 'T is faith that seales our interest in Christ But such a faith as works by Love saith Paul Gala. 5 6. Faith if it hath not works is dead saith James Ja. 2. 17. Yet Faith with works is nothing without Love as saith believing working loving Paul 1 Cor. 13. 2 3. True faith and Love have such a strict relation they cannot live the one without the other And therefore if our Love be not sincere we have great reason to suspect our faith And in the second place we finde that Love is Christ his cognisance or livery whereby he will have his Disciples known By this shall all men know ye are my Disciples saith he if ye have love one to another Jo. 13. 15. And it is a most compleat robe it hideth all our infirmities and deformities yea all our sins and transgressions Love covereth all sins saith Solomon Pro. 10. 12. And therefore blessed is the man that weares it Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered Psa 32. 1. This in all likeness is that wedding garment for want of which the Intruder was cast out of the bride chamber into utter darkness Mat. 22. 12 13. And it is an everlasting Ornament It never faileth 1 Cor. 13. 8. Our faith and Hope will help us into heaven and there they leave us but our endless Love will enter with us where it shall surpass in strength in sweetness and perfection as much as having exceedeth hopeing or injoying excelleth believing But every one that loves himself will say though Love be such a precious livery yet it is not so costly as 't is common I hope we are not so ungracious or so ungratefull but we love the Lord. Neverthelesse wise Solomon informs us That he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Pro. 28. 26. And therefore let not us delude our selves in matters of such infinite concernment by trusting to our own deceitfull hearts without a serious examination We shall not finde it so easie a matter to lovc God really as most men unadvisedly imagine For first our Love is as narrow as Gâ—ds election Gods election is the first wheel that moveth in this great work It is he That hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1. 4. And therefore untill we have given diligence to make our election sure by inquiring into the soundness of our faith we have great reason to suspect our Love Secondly if we have not the Spirit of God we have not the love of God For Love is a prime fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Thirdly if we do not love the children of God we do not love God For every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 John 5. 1. Fourthly if we do not keep Gods words we do not love God For if any man love me he will keep my words saith the Son of God John 14. 23. Fifthly if we be not carefull to keep Gods commandments we do not love God For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments 1 John 5. 3. Sixthly if our hearts be not circumcised if our hearts be not broken and humbled for sin so that our carnall corruptions are mortified and our sinfull lusts and affections subdued in some good measure we cannot love God For the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul saith Moses that man of God Deut 30. 6. And Seaventhly if we do love the world we do not love God If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. 15. Now it will be necessary for us to examine our selves in order to these seaven particulars And if we shall then presume that we love God we are in the next place to consider what manner of Love it is wherewith we do love him For we must know that there is a false Love as well as there is a true Love the love of an harlot as well as the love of a virgin The love of an harlot is First mercenary secondly hypocriticall thirdly inconstant and fourthly contemptible First I say the love of an harlot is mercenery when Tamar deceived Judah by playing the harlot she said unto him what wilt thou give me Gen. 38. 16. And probably there may be many that do seem even unto themselves to love God very dearly when as yet the secret inquisition of their heart is what shall we get by it what pleasure what profit what preferment They say with the wicked what can the almighty do for them Job 22. 17. Naaman the Syrian will go to the Prophet in Samaria 2 Kings 5. 9. But it shall be to be cleansed of his outward leprosie And being cleansed he will thenceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods but to the Lord vers 17. But in this thing the Lord pardon thy servant saith he that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and he
between them to that purpose Verily he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the World saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 20. Secondly we read that Abel the second son of Adam did offer unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain the first born And this was by faith saith the Apostle Hebr. 11. 4. Now this faith of his could not have been so effectual had it not been built upon some sure foundation And what might that be His own righteousnesse in order unto the Covenant of works Surely No He could not but know that to be a false ground for it sunk under his father whereby both they and we became liable to death and destruction And therefore Abels faith must of necessity be established upon some such promise as that of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Titus 1. 2. And to whom might this promise be made before the World began But to Christ the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. who was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was Prov. 8. 23. Nor can we imagine that this promise of eternal life was made by God the Father but upon some conditions to be accomplished by God the Son which were to be revealed and performed in their season When he shall make his Soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Isa 53. 10. There is the condition prescribed and the time prefixed Thirdly this Covenant of Grace will appear to be eternal if we shall consider how mightily Gods truth was ingaged in the Covenant of works Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die saith the Lord Gen. 2. 17. Yet we see that Adam did eat and died not accordingly Gen. 3. 6. Now how shall the truth of God be preserved in this case but by vertue of some such former act as might dis-ingage Gods resolution before it proceeded to execution which in all probability must be according to that eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3. 11. For albeit the truth of God might seem to suffer in the breach of the Covenant of works yet grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Fourthly if we shall seriously regard the Justice of God we shall finde this Covenant of Grace to be eternal Almighty God createth Adam and freely gives him great possessions reserving to himself the fruit of one tree onely in signe of homage due to his supremacy And in case of disobedience by eating thereof he decrees the penalty of death Neverthelesse Adam transgresseth in this very particular And shall he eat and not die Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right saith Abraham Gen. 18. 25. But Adam eateth and dieth not Now the justice of God which must not cannot be violated sends us of necessity to some further consideration There must be some preconclusion made by way of prevention Doubtlesse if Christ the Redeemer had not been ready by vertue of this Covenant of Grace to satisfie Gods Justice even in that very instant of mans rebellion against the Covenant of works Death destruction had immediately seised upon sinfull man together with the whole Creation But in that very point of time the Son of God appeareth in the presence of his Father on the behalf of miserable man Saying Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a Ransome as Job 33. 24. And in order thereunto Christ suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God or reconcile us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. Fifthly if we look back towards Gods Election that will also prove unto us the eternity of this Covenant Blessed saith St. Paul be the God and father of the Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 3 4. Now in all reason there was no occasion why God should choose any in Christ before the foundation of the world but that foreseeing mans general ruine by his disobedience to the Covenant of works a remnant might be preserved from destruction by Christ according to the Election of Grace And therefore most excellent to this purpose is that of Paul to Timothie Be not thou therefore ashamed saith he of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began 2 Tim. 1. 8 9. Let us consider the latter verse more seriously Who hath saved us and called us He saved us intentionally before he called us actually Not according to our works or according to the Covenant of works made with us but according to his own purpose and grace or his own purpose in the Covenant of Grace which was given us in whom why in Christ Jesus when before the world began The certainty of all these former four particulars will appear yet more clearly if we shall conceive and consider That God the Father almighty together with Christ his onely begotten co-essential Son did from eternity contrive to advance their glory and to make it shine through their illustrious attributes of Goodnesse Power Wisdom Justice Grace and Truth And to that purpose this individual two the Father and the Son did in the unity of the Spirit comply and conclude to modellize or frame a goodly creature called Man Such a one as may be sensible of their intentions capable of their commands and active to proceed in their designs The better to affect him with their goodnesse they will create him of contemptible materials The dust of the earth But they will shape him in a royal mould In their own Image And least he should be wanting in any particular whatsoever To manifest the greatnesse of their power They 'll frame for him a spacious Universe A World compleatly and abundantly supplied with all things necessary convenient and comfortable far beyond humane apprehension over all which Man shall have the sole dominion To qualifie and fit him for such a vast command They will inrich his person with excellent endowments and his minde with admirable instructions Neverthelesse in reservation of their own original right they will binde him by Covenant to the observation of certain particulars And in case of his disobedience thereunto they will cast him from the height of honour into the depth of horrour and destruction But in their boundlesse wisdom they foresee that man their great Vicegerent will miscarry and fall away from his integrity And therefore in reference to
9 10 11. The second degree is knowledge when a mans judgement is so far convinced either by reason or by some powerfull argument that his knowledge is confirmed in the thing whereof he was formerly somewhat uncertain Rabbi saith Nichodemus we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him John 3. 2. The third is Assurance And this is when a man becometh confident in the thing that he thinks and knows in regard of the infallible authority of the Authour thereof Lord saith the Centurion I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof But speak the word onely and my servant shall be healed Math. 8. 8. And thus the Apostle Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Hebr. 10. 23. By these three degrees this Assent amounteth to the nature of a general faith And as this general faith hath several degrees So there are likewise divers kindes of faith As first there is a miraculous faith or a faith inabling men to work miracles Verily I say unto you If ye have faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be unpossible unto you saith our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. 17. 20. Secondly there is the Doctrine of Faith Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 1. where the Doctrine of Faith is opposed to the Doctrine of Devils Thirdly there is an Historical faith King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest saith the same Apostle Acts 26 27. Fourthly there is a Temporary faith Intimated unto us in the stony ground which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away Luke 8. 13. But the most considerable is a justifying and a saving faith Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might he justified by the faith of Christ saith St. Paul Gal. 2. 16. And thus the Saviour to the sinfull woman Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace Luke 7. ult The first two kinds of faith Namely the miraculous faith and the Doctrine of faith were common to the Reprobate as well as to the true believer For first we read that the miraculous faith was given to Judas the Traitour together with the rest of the Disciples Mat. 10. to the 9. Anâ— secondly we finde that Himeneus and Alexander did sometimes incline to the Doctrine of faith But they put it away And therefore St. Paul delivered them to Satan 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. The third being the Historical Faith is not onely used or rather abused by the Reprobate but even by the Devils also Thou believest that there is one God thou doest well the Devils also believe and tremble saith St. James James 2. 19. The fourth kinde which is the Temporary faith is likewise proper to the Reprobate we read that Simon the Sorcerer whom we call Simon Magus believed and was baptized Acts 8. 13. Neverthelesse not long after Simon Peter tells him That he perceives him to be in the gaul of bitternesse and the bond of iniquity Acts 8. 23. But the fifth and last kinde which is the justifying and the saving faith is peculiar onely to the Children of God Ye are all the Children of God by faith in Jesus Christ Gal. 3. 26. For by this kind of faith we are inabled not onely by Assent to believe the Promises but also by consent to imbrace them According to that of the Apostle Heb. 11. 13. Now the want of knowledge and ability to distinguish rightly of these several kindes of faith presented unto us in the word of God under the general notion of faith is one main occasion of many dangerous errours now promoted amongst us For first the miraculous faith is unseasonable For albeit it was necessary in the infancy of the Gospel or at the first preaching or planting thereof to manifest that it was altogether of God To which purpose the Lord Christ in his first Commissions to the twelve Luke 9. 1 2. And likewise to the seventy Luke 10 9. did impower them to work miracles as well as to preach Yet in the greater perfection of the Gospel when the Saviour had sealed it with his bloud In his last Commission to his Disciples wherein he promiseth To be with them alway even unto the end of the World Math. 28. 19 20. He makes there no mention at all of Miracles But you will say There were many Miracles wrought after Christs Ascention True Yet I finde nothing to confirm me that they were wrought by any other then some or one of the former twelve or seventy or some such as the Lord was pleased to impower personally to that purpose as being the first and chief planters and propagatours of his Gospel For I do not read that he promised that power to succession This I argue to inform the ignorance of such of our Protestant profession as do say or think that they cannot attain to any measure of true faith For if we had will some say as much thereof as a grain of Mustard-seed we shoud be able to remove mountains But this is one great mistake arising from the misapprehension of the word faith Secondly the Doctrine of faith is declinable It may be both declined slighted and deserted A man may both fail in it and fall from it like those foolish Galatians whom St. Paul reproved for that very offence Gal. 3. to the 6. verse But though it may be declined slighted and deserted yet it cannot be wrested falsified or corrupted for so the very nature thereof is destroyed And instead of the Doctrine of faith it becometh the Doctrine of Devils Thirdly the Historical faith is corruptible It may be corrupted depraved and prophaned as it is oftentimes by such as endeavour to countenance or excuse their own abominations by the Histories of the Saints infirmities As their drunkennesse by Noahs ignorance or weaknesse Gen. 9. 21. Their Adultery by Davids over-sight 2 Sam. 11. Their Perjuries by Peters denial Matth. 26. 72. Their impenitence or procrastination by the good thiefs last hours successe Luke 23. 43. and the like Abusing such Scriptures as might serve to confirm their faith in the mercies of their Saviour by making them serviceable to Satan wresting them to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Fourthly the Temporary faith is unfruitfull cowardly and contemptible For we read of many in great authority that believed on the Messias but they were frighted from their profession John 12. 42. And the reason is annexed For they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God verse 43. Now from the
mistaking of these or any of these infirm kindes of faith instead of the true justifying and saving faith several errours have received their original especially that uncomfortable errour of the Saints falling from Grace received through the unsteadfastnesse of their faith But I dare be bold to affirm that such Apostates did never feel the force of an effectual faith of a justifying faith This is the gift of God Rom. 12. 3. And the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. I will not say but a man may fall grievously in it but he can never fall finally from it For the Lord hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. And truely I conceive this discovery to be very pertinent to our present purpose For faith being the onely condition to be performed by us in this Covenant of Grace It is very necessary that we be rightly instructed therein Least peradventure we either satisfie our selves with empty shadows instead of the true substance Or torment our selves with causelesse discomforts concerning the losse or uncertainty of that glorious inheritance which our gracious God by the purchase of Jesus Christ hath so long since estated upon a true and a lively faith according to this eternal Covenant We proceed now to consider why the Lord propoundeth faith for the Proviso or Condition of this Covenant of Grace First I conceive because he would have his gift received which would otherwise become fruitlesse and unprofitable He gave his onely begotten Son And were it not a world of pitie that such a precious gift should be neglected and not received applied and improved Well how are we to receive him Into our houses No but into our hearts By what instrument or means Verily by faith onely According to the Scriptures By faith Christ liveth in us Gal. 2. 20. And by faith Christ dwelleth in us in our hearts Eph. 3. 17. Questionlesse there is no relation between the Saviour and the souls of his Saints but what is contracted fixed and confirmed by his affection and their lively faith Secondly the Lord requireth faith That so this gift of his might be beneficial to the whole World in all places and at all times indifferently For were Christ to be received any other way then by faith All men could not have been capable of receiving him at all seasons Suppose he had come into the World in the day of the Creation and continued in the World till the day of dissolution Yet in regard of his passive Nature his humanity he could not have been received by any two persons in any two several places at one and the same time But wheresoever he abideth faith will instantly finde him out and lay hold upon him And therefore there is no cause now why any man should say in his heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ from the dead The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach saith St. Paul Rom. 10. 6 7 8. And this word of faith which we preach if truely believed and rightly applied will do both It will bring down Christ from above with the virtue of his Resurrection and Ascention And it will bring up Christ from beneath with the virtue of his death and passion It will do all things that may concern the Remission of our sins the justification of our persons and the salvation of our Souls by Jesus Christ our Lord. So then saith the same Apostle in the same Chapter faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God But I say have they not heard Yes verily their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 17 18. And to that very purpose the Lord Jesus Christ after his Resurrection gives his Apostles this universal Commission Go ye saith he into all the world and preach the Gospel unto evâ—ry Creature Well what is the tenour or substance of that Gospel He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved That is he that receiveth Christ by faith and manifesteth the same in his Profession shall be saved as Rom. 10. 10. he that believeth not shall be damned Marc. 16. 15 16. And as this Gospel this word of faith is universal so is it likewise everlasting And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Cospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people saith St. John Rev. 14. 6. But why doth God require nothing else but faith We know there may be divers Provisoes in one and the same Conveyance or Covenant Truely faith by it self is enough provided that it be such a faith as apprehendeth Christ He that hath the Son hath life saith Saint John 1 John 5. 1. And it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell saith St. Paul Col. 1. 19. Whatsoever had been required besides faith according to our apprehension either it must have proceeded from or reflected upon our own persons or performances And then it is more then probable that our corrupt nature would have mislead us to neglect this all-satisfying gift to repose our selves either wholly or partly upon our own deserts or abilities But faith comes empty-handed and by that means it takes the surer hold When a man gives liberally we say he is open-handed And truely he that will receive freely and hold firmly it is necessary that he be empty-handed Faith is very fitly called the hand of the Soul For as we use to receive an earthly gift from man by the hand so we must receive this heavenly treasure from God by faith And therefore the Evangelist in reference to this most blessed gift intimateth unto us that receiving and believing do signifie the same thing As many as received him saith he to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to soem that believe on his name John 1. 12. A place very well worthy of our consideration for the proof of this particular Verily this onely begotten Son of God is beyond all thought of exception the most satisfying solid and substantial gift the most compleat and weighty gift that either heaven or earth can possibly afford us And therefore whatsoever we have or seem to have of our own whether it be work or worthinesse suffering or satisfaction ability or possibility our faith must cast it wholly to the ground or otherwise we shall never receive the Lord Jesus Christ so as to make him our own for ever A second Reason which I conceive to be most proper in this case is this Because whatsoever had been required with or besides faith It would have been destructive of the very nature of this Covenant of Grace For if by grace then it is no more of works
and shall cease to be God in Christ personally that God may be all in all essentially According to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 28. Thus you see in some measure how it may be understood That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself And now we come to prove the fourth particular contained in this definition of faith That this justifying faith inableth us to believe the promises of God in Christ according to his Gospel Not according to the law For the law is not of faith Gal. 3. 12. For if there had been a law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3. 21 22. And no man ought to doubt but that the promise of the grace of God in Christ is the onely voice of the Gospel whether it proceedeth from the Apostles or from the Prophets And therefore it is called the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20. 24. And the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1. 16. And that this justifying and saving faith inableth us to believe the promises of God in Christ According to his Gospel it is most evident For neither can faith justifie or save us without the Gospel neither can the Gospel justifie or save us without faith And to this purpose faith is called The faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. And the Gospel is called The word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Neither is this Gospel restrained to any time place or person but was is and shall be effectual through faith to all believers in all ages for ever For the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham Gal. 3. 8. And it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek Rom. 1. 16. Fifthly Faith inableth us to rest and repose our selves confidently upon the said promises of God in Christ Not onely to believe them but also to rest and rely upon them Every true believer can affirm that freely which Balaam the wizard was inforced to testifie in spight of his own teeth God is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good Num. 23. 19. I know saith Iob that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Job 19. 25. 26 27. Lo we have left all and followed thee saith Peter unto Christ Luke 18. 28. We have left all the possibilities of this World and depended wholy upon thee and thy promises I am not ashamed of my sufferings saith Paul for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 2 Tim. 1. 12. I am perswaded saith the same Apostle that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8. 38 39. And very much to this purpose is that of Iohn the Baptist concerning faith in Christ He that hath received his Testimony saith he hath set to his Seal that God is true Joh. 3. 33. That is he that by the hand of a lively faith hath received the Testimony of God in Christ concerning the promises of the Gospel he hath set to his Seal that God is true in all those promises He hath not onely witnessed it with his mouth or subscribed unto it with his hand But he hath set to his Seal which is an argument of the greatest assurance that may be Verily the several deportments or behaviours of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and generally of all the faithfull in all ages even to this present hour will abundantly testifie the truth of this particular If we shall look back upon their doings and sufferings but any thing seriously unto all which they were wholy induced and incouraged by the assured hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. For if in this life onely they had hope in Christ they had been of all men most miserable According to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 19. The sixth and last particular belonging to this definition of faith is this That it inableth us to receive the Lord Iesus Christ or God in Christ for our Saviour and our Soveraign Lord First for our Saviour when many more of the Samaritans believed because of Christs own word They said unto the woman now we believe not because of thy saying but we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Joh. 4. 41 42. Thus when the Lord beginneth to incline the Soul to listen after Iesus Christ He first presents him as a Saviour As being the most acceptable object to a distressed conscience who apprehending her own cursed condition by reason of sin and the Justice of God against sin armed with no gentler weapons then all manner of temporal calamities together with eternal death and destruction The poor blinde Soul sits now down in the darknesse of sorrow and discomfort imploring relief or direction to relief Like blinde Bartimeus who sate at the high-wayes side begging Mar. 10. 46. In this perplexity Gods holy Spirit whispereth and revealeth that Christ the Saviour is at hand to help her Hereupon with the same blinde man she beginneth to cry out Iesus thou Son of David have merâ—y on me And being charged by the Devil and despair to hold her peace she crieth the more a great deal Thou Son of David have mercie on me To whose sad cries the Saviour attendeth and sendeth faith to call her Faith saith unto her be of good comfort arise he calleth thee At this the cheerfull Soul casts off her Garment The rags of her own righteousnesse and riseth and cometh unto Iesus Iesus saith unto her what wilt thou that I should do unto thee The soul replieth Lord that I may receive my sight So much sight as that I may cleerly see thee to be my Saviour Jesus saith unto her Thy faith hath saved thee And immediately she receiveth sight and denieth her self and taketh up her crosse and followeth him according to her Saviours own direction Mark 8. 34. By this you may perceive that faith doth first set us on work to receive Christ for our Saviour or Redeemer Yet this is no infallible property of a
justifying and a saving faith For there is scarce any reprobate whatsoever under the colour of a Christian but is sometimes wounded by the sting of an evil conscience and terrified with the sense of Gods heavie wrath and indignation And in that desperate fit he will be ready even to rore out upon Christ to become his Saviour But if our faith be right if it be effectuall it will also carry us on to receive and embrace Christ for our onely Lord and Master Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am saith Christ to his disciples John 13. 13. So I am to every true beleever We read that when the rest of the disciples had told Thomas called Didimus that they had seen the Lord after his resurrection Thomas said Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not beleeve After eight dayes Jesus appeared again unto his disciples Thomas also being then amongst them Then said he to Thomas Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithlesse but beleeving And no sooner had Thomas by this means arrived unto the full assurance of faith but immediately he answered and said unto him My Lord and my God John 20. 28. He saith not Thou art Christ the Son of the living God according to Peters former acknowledgement John 6. 69. But Thou art my Lord and my God Intimating thereby that all his service obedience worship and reverence wholly and onely unto him belonged And so likewise Saul afterwards Paul at first a persecutour and injurious to the name of Jesus But even in the heat of his haste and fury the same Son of God intercepts him and beats him off from his barbarous enterprise who thereupon perceiving Christ to be far otherwise than what he had formerly conceived He trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. As if he had said Lord the word of thy mouth being the sword of the Spirit hath both convinced and converced me Now I beleeve thee to be the same that thy blessed disciples have declared I am overcome by thy power and now I desire thine imployment Lord what wilt thou have to do And what he was afterwards commanded he most happily performed doing and suffering for the truth of the Gospel more and with more willingnesse and cheerfulnesse than ever any man except his Master Insomuch that he triumphed in his sufferings saying I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake 2 Cor. 12. 10. Thus faith when it is effectual draweth us unto and into Christ enabling us to receive him not only for our Saviour but also for our Sovereigne our chief and onely Lord. Not onely to save our souls but also to love honour and obey him as the onely Saviour of our souls and that willingly and cheerfully For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous 1 John 5. 3. Not grievous unto them that love him Thus have I endeavoured in answer unto the first question to give you so far forth as the Lord hath vouchsafed to inable me the true definition of a justifying and a saving faith And proved it according to six degrees or properties therein considerable As first that it is the gift of God Secondly that it inableth us to beleeve the promises of God Thirdly that those promises must be the promises of God in Christ Fourthly that they must be according to his Gospel they must be Gospel promises Fifthly that this Faith inableth us to rest and repose our selves confidently upon the same promises And Sixthly that it inableth us willingly and cheerfully to receive the Lord Jesus Christ or God in Christ for our Saviour and our Sovereigne Faith is that gift of God whereby we are inabled to beleeve the promises of God in Christ according to his Gospel to rest and repose our selves confidently thereupon and willingly and cheerfully to receive the same God in Christ for our Saviour and our Sovereigne Lord. The second question to be answered in this discovery of Faith in order to the examination of the Beleevers evidence is this Where or in what part hath this saving Faith its residence or being I answer In the heart For so the Apostle With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. Not in the outward profession For the same Apostle saith concerning the defiled and unbeleeving They professe that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. We have two notable examples of outward profession and inward hypocrisie in the new Testament The one of Judas Iscariot we find that he was one of Christs Apostles one of twelve That his Lord sent him forth with the rest to preach and to work miracles Matth. 10. to 9. Neither do we find any thing to the contrary but that he performed his duty according to his Commission And in matter of charity to the poor he seemed to exceed all the rest For when Mary anointed the feet of her Saviour with that costly ointment Iohn 12. 3. Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence saith this Iudas and given to the poor verse 5. Can any Iudas now breathing counterfeit a fairer colour But neverthelesse the Spirit of God discovereth him for a covetous hypocrite For this he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein verse 6. Of whom the Apostle Peter further testifieth saying He was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministery yet this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out And it was known to all the dwellers at Ierusalem c. Acts 1. 17 18 19. Thus was his treacherous heart discovered and rewarded who notwithstanding that the doctrine miracles and continuall conversation of the Son of God afforded him the same outward means of faith and fidelity with the rest of the Apostles yet in his heart he was so far from beleeving loving and obeying his blessed Lord and Master that he sold him for a contemptible price Matth. 26. 15. Betrayed him with a villanous kisse Matth. 26. 49. And afterwards hanged himself in a devillish despair Matth. 27. 5. The other example is that of Simon the sorcerer whom we commonly call Simon Magus who at first bewitched the people of Samaria with his sorceries But when they beleeved Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himself beleeved also and when he was baptized he continued
5. Verily they that groape after prophesies in the bright sun-shine of the Gospel They walk after the light of their own fire and in the sparks that they themselves have kindled This shall they have of mine hand saith the Lord they shall lie down in sorrow Isa 50. 11. Sixthly we are not to build our faith upon Prognostications A Diviner an ol server of times a Charmer a Wizard or a Consulter with familiar Spirits all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord saith Moses from the mouth of the Lord Deut. 18. 22. It is a wonder how they come to be of such reputation with us that dare professe a zeal to Gods glory Is it not just with our God to say unto England as sometime he said unto Babilon Let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers the monethly Prognosticatours stand up and save thee from those things that shall come upon thee Behold they shall be as stubble the fire shall burn them they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame Isa 47. 13 14. Seventhly not upon wrested Expositions There are somethings in the Scriptures hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable do wrest to their own destruction saith the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 3. 16. And eightly a justifying and saving faith cannot be built upon the works of righteousnesse For not by the works of righteousnesse that we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Tit. 3. 5. These works of righteousnesse are commonly called the works of the Law But by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Gal. 2. 16. For if righteousnesse come by the law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. 21. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders which is become the head of the corner saith Peter to the rulers of the people and the Elders of Israel Acts 4. 11. Neither is there salvation in any other verse 12. How often doth the Son of God cry out upon us in his holy Gospel to believe on him to believe in him To believe on his name to believe in his Merits and Mediation And St. Paul to the regenerate Jaylor Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. And in his Epistle to the Colossians Though I be absent in the flesh saith he yet am I with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastnesse of your faith in Christ Col. 2. 5. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord saith he so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith abounding therein with thanks-giving verse 6. 7. I pray observe as ye have received Jesus Christ the Lord by the hand of faith so walk in him according to the righteousnesse of faith rooted in him by the word of faith and built up in him by the work of faith and established in the faith by him the Authour and finisher of your faith abounding in the fruit of faith with thanks-giving the evidence of faith See here how sweetly this Apostle insinuateth unto us how we are to proceed in the degrees of faith and that according to the rule of faith even the Gospel of Christ For it is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith saith the same Apostle Rom. 1. 16 17. Not from one kinde of faith to another but from one degree of faith to another And to conclude this point I am more then confident that there did never any precept nor principle proceed either from the Son of God himself or from any of his Apostles that may direct us to any other foundation for our faith but onely Christ or the Gospel of Christ or the promises of the Gospel all which are the very same in substance and do clearly hold forth unto us this God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself And to him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10. 43. And therefore most accursed is he that shall wilfully endeavour to subvert this ground-work or to make it a stumbling stone or a Rock of offence to any Soul by any means or upon any occasion whatsoever For other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. We come now to the fourth general Question How or by what means is this faith obtained It is answered that faith is obtained by the hearing of the word of God For so St. Paul Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17. The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live saith that Son of God himself Iohn 5. 25. The dead such as are dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1. They shall hear the voice of the Son of God the voice of his Gospel from the mouths of his Ministers his Ambassadours 2 Cor. 5. 20. And they that hear shall live live by faith The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God saith the Apostle Gal. 2. 20. And by faith they shall live The just shall live by faith saith the same Apostle Gal. 3. 11. But you may say that I have already proved in my definition of faith that faith is the gift of God how then is it obtained by hearing It is most true that faith is the gift of God Neverthelesse he holdeth it forth unto us in the means and that is the word Shall God give us his word and shall not we give him the hearing of it We read that such as gladly received the word from the mouth of Peter were baptized and there were added the same day unto the believers about three thousand Souls Acts 2. 41. And not long after many of them which heard the word believed and the number of the men were five thousand Acts 4. 4. But such as believed without hearing I do not remember that ever I did read of any I will not seem to restrain the power of God For with God all things are possible Mar. 10. 27. But according to mans apprehension St. Paul seems to make it a thing impossible for a man to believe without hearing How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard saith he Rom. 10. 14. But as we believe not without hearing so neither do we believe by hearing onely without the blessing of God thereupon And in reference hereunto faith is most properly called the gift of God It was the Lord that opened the heart of Lidia that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul Acts 16. 14. It is man that preacheth but it is God that teacheth It is written in the Prophets saith our Saviour And they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard
of this fruitfull Tree are natural and those things that are to be spoken of the faithfull man are spiritual and then we shall finde that they agree in all these particulars For as this natural Tree is richly planted well rooted full of Sap flourishing fair and fruitfull So the spiritual man is likewise richly planted well rooted full of sap flourishing fair and fruitfull The ground wherein he is planted is Jesus Christ His root is faith his sap is love his green leaves are gracious professions his fair and beautifull blossoms are blessed and holy desires and his good fruits are godly performances or good works And whosoever shall thus resemble this flourishing Tree according to these six properties I dare avouch him for a true believer And therefore we will now begin to examine whether we be in the faith according unto these particulars First we must be richly planted That is we must be planted into Christ We finde that they which are made partakers of the benefits and blessings of Jesus Christ are called Trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord Isa 61. 3. Verily we are all originally wilde slips every man and woman must say with David Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Psal 51. 5. This is a very bad ground to thrive upon This is all the comfort that we have received or may expect to receive from our earthly old man For in Adam all die And therefore it is necessary that we be removed and planted into the heavenly new man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive as in 1 Cor. 15. 22. Hereby we shall injoy a double benefit Namely the benefit of Christs death and the benefit of his resurrection For if we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection saith the Apostle Rom. 6. 5. Where he teacheth us that whosoever is planted into Christ according to the likenesse of his death he shall be also planted into Christ according to the likenesse of his resurrection For in that he died he died unto sin but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord saith the same Apostle in the same Chapt. at the 10. and 11. verses But it may be demanded how a man may be said to be dead indeed unto sin seeing that so long as a man liveth in the flesh he shall never be altogether free from the lusts of the flesh the snares of the world and the assaults of Satan which will continually provoke unto sin and sometimes prevail even in the most sanctified Soul the best disposed and the most retired Christian under heaven Insomuch that Paul cries out The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Rom. 7. 19. And in the 23. verse of the same Chapter I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my Members And the Apostle James In many things we offend all James 3. 2. And likewise John the beloved If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1. 8. I answer that I understand these words dead indeed for very near dead or even as good as dead And not for totally or absolutely dead For so I conceive a man shall never be dead indeed unto sin untill this corruptible shall have put on incorruptiâ—n and this mortal shall have put on immortality then and not till then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 54. And therefore how the Perfectionaries dare to give God the lie and their own consciences the blinde baffle is a thing beyond mine apprehension Neverthelesse as there are certain symptomes or signes or accidents by which we may be able to judge when a man is naturally a dead man as we say or at least so far spent that there is no hope of his recovery and that before his Soul hath utterly forsaken his body So if we shall consider the same symptomes or signes after a spiritual manner we shall be able thereby to conjecture when a man may be said to be dead indeed unto sin before he is wholy freed from the corruption of nature There are many signs that may confirm our judgements in this particular I shall instance onely four Namely losse of appetite losse of speech losse of memory and losse of motion The first is losse of appetite and that is when sin begins to be odious or loathsome The Soul of the wicked desireth evil saith the wise man Prov. 21. 10. But when a man beginneth to die unto sin that which before was his desire is now become his disease he loaths that most which formerly he most longed after We read that David being in a hold and a garrison of the Philistines in Bethlehem David longed and said Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the Well of Bethlehem which is by the Gate And three mighty men brake through the Host of the Philistines and drew water out of the Well of Bethlehem that was by the Gate and took it and brought it to David Neverthelesse he would not drink thereof but poured it out unto the Lord or before the Lord And he said be it far from me O Lord that I should doe this Is not this the bloud of the men that went in Jeopardy of their lives Therefore he would not drink it 2 Sam. 23. 14 15 16 17. This was much in a King to deny himself in that which even now he so vehemently desired But little or nothing in comparison of that repugnancy or opposition that is usually found to be in the Saints of God For whereas before their effectual calling and conversion their carnal desires may peradventure be so pressing and importunate upon them that they can devour widdows houses drink iniquity like water and work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Yet when through the grace of God they begin to be sensibly sick of sin their appetites are so strangely altered that they do not onely dislike and distaste every thing that is unlawfull but likewise they do utterly abhorre it as it is odious or displeasing in the sight of God They abstain from all appearance of evil according to that precept of the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 22. This is one sign whereby we may discover when a man may be said to be dead unto sin Another is losse of speech The tongue saith the Apostle is an unruly evil full of deadly poison James 3. 8. And David describing a wicked person saith That he oasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Psal 10. 3. Yet his mouth is
we be planted or graffed into the good olive tree the ground and foundation of all our hopes and happiness which is Jesus Christ as that Apostle most excellently insinuateth Rom. 11. 17. to 25. And the roote whereby we stand is Faith saith the same Apostle in the same place vers 20. And to this purpose he likewise exhorteth the Colossians That they be rooted and built up in Christ and established in the faith Col. 2. 7. We may therefore conclude from the premisses that whosoever is desirous to assure himself that he is effectually planted into Christ according to the likeness of his resurrection And so consequently that he is an undoubted heir to that eternall Inheritance as it appeareth Revel 20. 6. He is First to examine himself whether he be well rooted in Christ by Faith Secondly whether he aboundeth with the Sap of Love Thirdly whether he flourisheth with the green leaves of a gracious Profession Fourthly whether he be full of the beautifull blossoms of blessed and holy desires And fiftly whether he be fruitfull in the good works of Godliness In the first place I say he must examine whether he be well rooted in Christ by Faith But you will say how shall we do that Truely the Apostle Paul hath left us a very good rule for this purpose Col. 2. 23. Where having certified the Colossians of some speciall benefits which they were to receive by Christ he propoundeth unto them this condition If ye continue in the faith saith he grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospell This is an excellent rule and it is an elegant expression called by the Rhetoritians Climax seu gradatio a mounting to these four degrees First we must continue in the faith Secondly we must be grounded in the faith Thirdly we must be setled in the faith and Fourthly not we must be moved away from the hope of the Gospell which in another place he calleth the word of faith as Rom. 10. 8. First it is a good evidence that we are well rooted in Christ by faith if we continue in the faith Our Saviour speaketh in his parable of the sower of some That receive the word with joy but they have no roote and therefore though for a while they beleeve yet in time of temptation they fall away Luke 8. 13. You see that these are said to beleeve for a while but they continue not in the faith because they have no roote But if we be rooted in Christ by faith we shall cortinue in the faith we shall not be like the waves of the sea driven and tossed with everystorm of temptation with St. James his double minded men that are unstable in all their wayes James 1. 8. Nor like Weather-cocks to turn our Noses into every puff of opinion with S. Pauls silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 6 7. Neither shall we be any more like Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the fleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4. 14. But building up our selves on our most holy faith and praying in the holy Ghost we shall keep our selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Jude 20. 21. They that will believe according to the times or according to the men of the times may sometimes happen upon the right faith but they will hardly continue any long time in the faith Simon the Sorcerer believed and was baptized also Acts 8. 13. Yet when he failed in his ends his faith also failed Indeed who would not be believers or at least who would not pretend to be believers being invited thereunto by such plausible fair promises As that they shall dip their feet in the bloud of their enemies and tread them down like the mire in the streets That they shall ride on the high-places of the earth and be the onely men of command and authority That they shall purchase Lands and Lord-ships And that they shall build great and fair houses and injoy them peaceably powerfully and plentifully Would not the sweet expectations of these and the like glorious priviledges and prerogatives transport the Souls of sinners into the bodies of Saints And make them believe whensoever and whatsoever their Prophet pleaseth But how shall we continue in the faith when these hopes fail us Verily these inducements unto faith are so proper to the flesh that I cannot imagine how they should proceed from the Spirit Or how they should perswade to any other then a temporary faith being in themselves so temporary and uncertain But especially seeing they are so extreamly contrary to the lives and Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles For first our Lord Jesus Christ in the time of his temporal life was so far from the desire of revenge that he prayed for his greatest enemies Luke 23. 34. So far from ambition that he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant Phil. 2. 7. So farre from covetousnesse that rather then he would once yield unto the Devil he refused all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. 8 9 10. So far from the pleasures of a Pallace that he had not where to lay his head Luke 9. 58. And so far from outward Pompe That he was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised c. Isa 53. 3. Neither were the lives of his Apostles much lesse inglorious or uncomfortable then that of their Master For I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as it were men appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 4. 9. And in the same Chapt. Being defamed we intreat we are made the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day verse 13. And secondly concerning their Doctrine we finde that they directed the way by faith unto salvation through difficulties dangers and distresses and not through flattering and flesh-pleasing felicities Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crosse and follow me saith Christ our Lord Mar. 8. 34. Whosoever will come after Christ into his Kingdom of glory he must deny himself of all his conceited deserts and in all his carnal desires and he must take up his Crosse he must willingly submit to all manner of afflictions And he must follow Jesus his Lord general in his Kingdom of grace he must not fail or faint by the way but hold on his course with a constant and continual confidence And in the 24. of Mat. at the 9. verse and so forwards he acquainteth his Disciples with more particular ingagements They shall
shine unto them As in the 2 Cor. 4 4. And well may the Apostle call it the glorious Gospel not onely in regard that it bringeth us unto glory or for that God is so much glorified thereby But principally because that whatsoever God purposed or performed In by or cencerning his said Gospel he did it altogether in relation to the advance of his immortall glory And in testimony of this truth I beseech you let us First consider this glorious Gospel in the Originall thereof even in this eternall covenant of grace concluded and agreed upon between God the Father and his onely begotten Son for and on the behalf of mankinde before the foundation of the world By vertue whereof we were elected and predestinated before the world began And we shall finde that in this great design the Lord did wholy aym at his own glory Blâ—ssed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ saith St. Paul who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that me should be holy and without blame before him in love Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his wil To the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 3 4 5 6. Secondly let us consider our redemption and see how that relateth to Gods glory The Son of God being about to suffer and so compleat the work of our Redemption Father save me from this hour saith he but for this cause came I unto this hour Father glorifie thy name glorifie thy name in the redemption of sinfull man even by the death of thine own sinless Son Then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again Jo. 12. 27 28. I have both glorified it from everlasting and I will glorifie it again to everlasting And excellent to this purpose is that of the Apostle Ye are bought with a price saith he therefore glorifie God in your body and in your Spirit which are Gods 1 Cor. 6. 20. Thirdly he created us for his glory Bring my Sons from farr saith the Lord and my Daughters from the ends of the earth even every one that is called by my name for I have created him for my glory Isa 43. 6 7. Fourthly it is for his glory that he preserveth us For my name sake will I defer mine anger and for my praise will I refrain for thee that I cut thee not off behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction for mine own sake even for mine own sake will I do it for how should my name be polluted and I will not give my glory to another Isa 48. 9 10 11. Fifthly it is for his own glory that he calleth us Ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthoâ—d an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should set forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into this marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. And whose offereth praise glorifieth me saith the Lord Psalm 50. 23. Sixthly he justifieth us for his own glory Thy people shall be all righteous they shall inherit the land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified saith the same God Isa 50. 21. Seventhly he sanctifieth us for his own glory I am the true Vine saith the Son of God and my Father is the husband-man every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit John 15. 1 2. And in the 8. verse Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit And this I pray saith St. Paul that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God Phil. 1. 9 10 11. And lastly it is for his glory that he saveth us Father saith our Lord Jesus Christ I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Joh. 17. 24. And this shall he accomplish most compleatly when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes 1. 10. See here how infinitely the glory of God is interessed in all his Evangelical actions and concessions As namely in his Election Redemption Creation Preservation Vocation Justification Sanctification and Salvation of the Sons of men And doest thou want a sure ground for thy faith Cast away all execrable opinions of humane perfections and performances As truely as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord saith Almighty God Numb 14. 21. Ingage thy Soul therefore boldly upon this eternal design of Gods glory with this assurance that it can never perish so long as the God of all power and glory is able to preserve it This I am confident is the soundest and the most substantial foundation that any Christian can build upon having its Warrant from the manifold wisdom of God Ground thy self therefore firmly thereupon and then doubt not but thou art well rooted in Christ by faith Thirdly to be setled in the faith is a very good argument that we are well rooted in Christ by faith To be setled that is to be confirmed or established in the faith according to that of this Apostle Col. 2. 7. And this is done chiefly by observation and experience Doest thou desire to be setled in the faith Observe Gods mercy and loving kindnesse towards thee Prospering thine honest endeavours in the works of thy lawfull calling blessing thee in thy person and in thy posterity providing for thy necessities preserving thee from thine enemies comforting thee in all thine afflictions delivering thee out of thy distresses and graciously answering thee in thy fervent prayers and supplications But especially consider what great things God hath done to thy Soul In weaning it from the world redeeming it from the bondage of sin and Satan Translating it from darknesse unto light supplying it with good motions and godly desires fixing it firmly upon thy Lord and Saviour And working it to the willing obedience of faith and love If thou shalt thus apply thy self to see the good hand of God upon thee and to feel the sweet influence of his holy Spirit within thee Thou shalt come to know God experimentally Thou shall know that thou knowest him According to that of the Apostle 1 John 2. 3. With Job Thou shalt know that thy Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25. With David thou shalt know that God favâ—ureth thee Psal 41.
commend them for this Let all things be done decently and in order saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. 40. We do all strive to seem very spiritual But glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit which are Gods saith the same Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 20. Glorifie God in your body as well as in your spirit if you will acknowledge that your body belongeth unto God It is a fault amongst us that in matters of religion we do commonly indeavour to make our out-sides seem better then our insides really are But if our insides be not much better then our out-sides in this particular we are in nothing so good as we ought to be Let the wife see that she reverence her husband saith this third rule But if she do not reverence him in her outward actions as well as in her inward affections who can see that she reverenceth him at all besides her self We proceed to the fourth rule Let every woman have her own husband 1 Cor. 7. 2. The Soul that 's married unto Christ must have none other husband but Christ wherefore she will not suffer her affections to run out towards her old acquaintance her old suter sin For she reckons her self to be dead indeed unto sin being alive unto God through Jesus Christ her Lord as Rom. 6. 11. And therefore she will love her Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity as Eph. 6. 24. That so in every case of dread or danger She may indear him with good Hezekiah I beseech thee O Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 1 Kings 20. 3. The fift Rule is this let not the wife depart from her husband 1 Cor. 7. 10. And therefore when the Soul is truely wedded to her dear husband Christ the flesh the Devil the world with all their provocations assaults allurements and temptations can neither draw nor drive her to depart or flee away from her beloved Lord they cannot make her such a wicked harlot as to forsake the guide of her youth and to forget the covenant of her God like that strange woman Prov. 2. 17. They peradventure may so over-power her that they may force her accidentally to slip aside or slide a little back But she remembereth immediately that gracious invitation of her Lord Turn O back-sliding children for I am married unto you Jer. 3. 14. Together with that excellent assurance I will heal thy back-slidings and will love thee freely Hosea 14. 4. And thereupon she makes a quick return she humbly sues unto her Lord for pardon which she through faith obtaineth and by love renews her covenant and so resolves to walk more wisely for the time to come She bears in minde that wholsome caveat Take heed brethren least there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3. 12. And she forgetteth not that woefull curse which doth attend on such Apostasie cursed be the man whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Jer. 17. 5 6. There is a fixth Rule yet And that she findeth implyed by St. Paul Tit. 2. 4. Whereby it doth appear that women ought to love their husbands And this in truth compleateth all the rest For first if the wife submitteth her self unto her husband and not in love all her submission is but constrained Secondly without love her obedience is but slavish Thirdly her reverence without love is hypocritical Fourthly if she keepeth her self to her own husband and not in the way of love it is but to avoid reproach or scandal or shame or some such inconvenience And Fifthly if it be not for loves sake that she departeth not from her own husband it is in reference to some self-ends some carnal or sinister by respects Wherefore the Soul that is married unto Christ will be exceeding carefull that this rule of love be well and faithfully observed ANd now the spouse being resolved to please her husband after these and the like Rules desireth to conceive a godly seed That she may be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God as Phil. 1. 11. For as the foresaid tree that 's richly planted well rooted full of vegitable Sap will bring forth fruit as well as leaves and blossoms Even so the Soul that is by faith and love united unto Christ not onely will professe her pure zeal and prepare her self to entertain please her heavenly husband But likewife she is evermore in labour to bring forth fruit after her Lords own likenesse such as deserves the name of godlinesse And therefore she doth constantly endeavour to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull unto every good work as Col. 1. 10. If you demand how our imperfect works can gain the title of true godlinesse I answer thus every work or thing will passe before our God for godlinesse that is performed by a true believer according to these three ensuing Rules set forth unto us by the Apostle Paul where he implyes the power of godlinesse Remembering saith he your work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 1. 3. First our work must be undertaken by faith Secondly it must be laboured in by love And Thirdly it must be continued by Patience by Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ First I say it must be undertaken by faith Not onely such a faith as makes a man a true believer in the common sense A justifying and a saving faith For this is alwaies to be presupposed But we must undertake what we intend in order unto such a special faith as onely minds that very thing it self For in this sense we are to understand that place of our Apostle Paul whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. And this faith must be established either by precept or by president By the word precept I intend not onely an absolute command but every word of exhortation or incouragement and every necessary consequence provided they be clear and unsuspected proceeding freely from the word of Truth not forced fained doubted or desired nor flattering nor favouring the flesh but answering the dictates of the Spirit in the design of Gods eternal glory By the word president I understand the pure example of our Saviour and of the pen-men of his holy Spirit there where their words and works are paralels But where the word of God is not the Rule the surest Saints may prove no safe examples And he that shall examine all his actions and square them to this principle I doubt not but he is one step in the way to godlinesse For this is that obedience of faith for which Gods holy Gospel is made known as Rom. 16. 25 26.
And as we must begin our works by faith So we must labour in those works by love Not that whereby we love pleasures for that is the part of a mad man Eccles 2. 1 2. Nor that whereby we love riches for that is the property of a fool Jer. 17. 11. Not that whereby we love them that hate the Lord for that is dangerous 2 Chro. 19. 2. Nor that whereby we love lies for that is damnable Revel 22. 15. Not that whereby we love the world for that will make us Gods enemies James 4. 4. Nor that whereby we love pride for that will make God our enemy 1 Pet. 5. 5. Not that whereby we love sin for that is Satan-like 1 John 3. 8. But that whereby we love the Lord for that is Saint-like Psal 31. 23. And therefore such a love as will be proper and fit to carry on a godly work must have God for its object and Gods glorie for its end More plainly thus If we will labour in a work by love so as to bring it to a godly frame Our love must be sincere to God in Christ firm to his will and zealous of his glory And verily it must be qualified in reference both to God and man like that which Paul sets forth in his Epistles Namely in the thirteenth Chapter of his first to the Corinthians beginning at the fourth verse Love suffereth long saith he is kinde it envieth not it vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth it beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things And he that shall according to this love or to a love not much unlike to this proceed in those designes which he hath first begun by faith he may be confident that if his patience be answerable he hath attained to the power of godlinesse And therefore it remains that we consider what kinde of patience will be suteable and proper to continue our ingagements For we do finde four kindes of patience Namely a patience of falsehood A patience of folly A patience of force And a patience of hope The first I say is a patience of falsehood or a false pernitious patience And this is when a man dissembleth his anger till he can finde a fitting opportunity to do the greater mischief Thus hatefull Esau did conceal his anger that he conceiv'd against his brother Jacob. And he said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob Gen. 27. 41. And thus proud Haman did dissemble his against good Mordecay for near twelve moneths For he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecay alone c. Esther 3. 6 7. Untill he falls upon that cursed decree to destroy to kill and to cause to perish all Jews both young and old little Children and women in one day as verse 13. This is a false treacherous patience or a patience with a mischief The second is a patience of folly A foolish and a partial patience And this is when a man can hear or see Gods glory vilified or abused or in his name or truth or Ordinances and not to be moved or offended at it Alas how hot and furious we are in the defence of our own reputation although it scarce be worth the speaking of But in Gods case we are as calm and cool as if we had nor spleen nor spirit in us We read that Jehu the son of Nimshi was very zealous in destroying the posterity of the Kings of Israel and Judah and in removing all obstructions and impediments that might hinder or molest his possession in the Kingdom of Israel Neverthelesse he was so patient in reference to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin that he departed not from after them To wit the golden Calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan 2 Kings 10. 26. For these he supposed to be as supporters to establish him in his Throne According to Jeroboams first intention 1 Kings 12. 26. And may there not be some in these our dayes that are very zealous to root out Monarchy Magistracy and Ministery which zeal they Jehu like proclaim to be for the Lord. Notwithstanding they continue their Golden Calves of covetousnesse and ambition whilest unâ—er the colour of liberty of conscience every one that is factious may do that which is right in his own eyes We finde likewise that Eli was so zealous for the Ark of God that when he heard it was taken by the Philistines he fell down and died 1 Sam. 4. 14. But he was so patient in relation to the sins of his own sons that he thereby provoked the Lord to denounce a fearfull curse upon his whole posterity 1 Sam. 3. 13. c. And are there not amongst us that will rage and inveigh very bitterly against the least mistakes of their opposers as scandalous and therefore execrable whereas they can with much patience passe by the lewd proceedings of their friends and followers as humane frailties therefore tollerable I cannot say but this kinde of patience may be of credit with Apostates But I conceive it was not so with the Apostles I am sure it was otherwise with impartial Paul when Peter came to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed saith he Gal. 2. 11. Be angry but sin not saith the same Apostle Eph. 4. 26. Assuredly this purblinde patience is opposite to the right Christian zeal neither complying with the work of faith nor with the labour of a godly love And is not this a foolish patience or a patience of folly The third kinde is a patience of force And this appeareth when a man conceives that he hath just occasion of offence And no lesse will to execute his anger had he not some restraint imposed on him This we may see was verified in Laban when he pursued hotly after Jacob It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt saith he but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight saying take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Gen. 31. 29. How often would the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees have seized upon Christ before the time but that they feared the people And thus the Lord doth oftentimes suppresse the fury of his Churches adversaries either by their confusion As he dealt with Pharaoh and his Egyptians Exod. 13. 23. c. Or he restraineth them to their conversion For thus he dealt with persecuting Saul who afterwards was also called Paul Act. 13. 9. And he that was made patient by force now teacheth us the Patience of Hope This is the fourth and last kinde of patience A hopefull and a happy patience This is the right way to possesse our souls in matter of desertion or death Luke 21. 19. By
this we wait upon the Lord our God without repining murmuring or offence even in the greatest tryals or distresses Ye have heard of the patience of Job saith Saint James and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercie Jam. 5. 11. This patience expecteth no reward but what the Lord is pleased to allow and she as willingly will wait his leisure for the performance of his gracious favour If we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it saith St. Paul Rom. 8. 25. Be of good courage therefore and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord as Psal 31. 24. I will not say but patience may miscarry And hope deferred may make the heart sick But this Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ who is the God of patience and of hope Rom. 15. 5 13. This verily is such a threefold cord as never can be broken And thus according to this patience we must continue and conclude the work begun by faith and laboured in by love For let this patience have her perfect work and ye shall be perfect and entire wanting nothing According to that of the Apostle Ja. 1. 4. And when our actions shall be undertaken by such a faith as onely respecteth Gods Commands and laboured in by such a love as onely affecteth Gods glory and continued by such a patience as onely expecteth Gods favour Then we may certainly assure our Souls they have brought forth the fruit of godlinesse And to confirm you further in this Rule I shall present you with some few examples Behold it first in father Abraham In that great work of offering up his son He undertakes it first by Gods command Gen. 22. 1 2. And therefore in the obedience of faith And Secondly his labour is of love of love to God For in comparison of that his love to God he loved not his Son his onely Son Thirdly his willingnesse did manifest his patience his patience of hope who against hope believed in hope saith the Apostle Rom. 4. 18. See it again in Josephs abstinence His Mistris courts him to commit a sin odious to God injurious to his Master and thereupon he could not but believe it was the minde of God he should refuse her Gen. 39. 7. 8. And here his love to God was evident How can I do this great wickednesse saith he and sin against God verse 9. And was it not a sign of Patience that he would rather suffer then accuse his lustfull Mistris or excuse his own abused innocency as verse 20. We likewise find this power of godlinesse in the three children as we use to call them In Shadrach Meshach and Abednego The king injoyns them to fall down and worship his golden image Dan. 3. 14 15. A thing quite opposite to Gods command Exod. 20. 4 5. And therefore in obedience to faith they disobey his heathenish injunction For they answered and said O Nebuchad-nezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up Dan. 3. 16 17 18. In which reply it likewise may appear they loved God more deerly then their lives Nor is their patience lesse observable in that they went to their intended torture without recanting murmuring or repining As verse 21. Yet one example more and that from Paul The author of this Rule this Golden Chain and in relation to his Ministery unto the which he was commissionated by God in Christ Acts 9. 15 16. Which is yet more exactly set forth Act. 26. 15 c. And set his matchlesse love unto his Lord in his undaunted resolution Act. 20. 22. to 26. And with what patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ he suffered the afflictions of the Gospel it may most perfectly appear unto us in that he gloried in such tribulation We glorie in tribulation also saith he knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed c. Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Now these and every work of the like nature whether it be of doing or of suffering of speech of action or of abstinence begotten by God in the womb of faith and born unto God by the hand of love and nursed for God at the breast of patience This is the sweet fruit which the teeming Soul doth usually bring forth unto her husband to God in Christ her husband And therefore it may very well be called according unto Gods name Godlinesse or after Christs name Christianity I will not say that ever any man except the Son of God both God and Man did fully and exactly steer his course according unto these points But I say that he which failes in any one of these so far he falleth short of godlinesse And yet 't is not denied but he may be a godly man that oftentimes doth misse to shape his actions to these principles Provided that his heart be well disposed that his desires be orderly and good and his endeavours vigorous and constant A Ship at Sea may sometimes be becalm'd and sometimes weather-beaten by a storm so as she cannot keep a steady course Sometimes the winde may set so sore against her that you would think her sailing to a Coast far distant from the Port that she intendeth And yet the Pilot is a skilfull man and brings his Vessel to his wished Haven in a good hour Even so the precious Soul may sometimes want Divine assistance sometimes such a storm of strong temptations may circumvent her as may inforce her from her good desires or Satan in his malice may beset her with some such difficulties as may drive her far distant from the course of her endeavours And yet the body joyned with this Soul is a good godly person and so full both of the seed and fruit of godlinesse That he may lay a warrantable claim unto the title of eternal life as a joynt Heir with Jesus Christ his Lord through the obedience of faith and love by vertue of that Covenant of Grace For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life FINIS The chief Heads contained in and pertaining unto this Copy of the Covenant of Grace  Page Page THe Covenanters 1. to 25. The Consideration 25. to 29. The Gift 29. to 38. The Provisoe 38. to 55. The Prevention 55. to 65. The Inheritance 65. to 93. Several Pretenders to the said Inheritance together with their Actions their Allegations and their Evidences 93. to 125. The right Heir discovered 125. to 133. His Evidence examined 133. to 200. His rich Plantation 200. to 243. His Souls affection 243. to 258. Her Profession 258. to 270. Her Inquisition 270. to 288. Her Confirmation 288. to 371. Her Satisfaction 371. to 388. Her gracious marriage 388. to 397. Her godly seed 397. ad finem Errata PAge 23. l. 3. r. in the wayes p. 54. l. 3. r. and of the gift p. 103. l. 6. r. of the Lord p. 14. l. 15. r. yet it p. 152. l. 11. r. me to do 193. l. 6. r. but in de p. 199. l. 16. r. such as p. 201. l. 4. r. find it in p. 204. l. 6 r. yet this p. 210. l. 4. r. strange flesh p. 206. l. 5. r. must not be p. 251. l. 13. r. Cant. ◠3. p. 298. l. 24. r. the praises due p. 270. l. 27. r. his prayer p. 271. l. 28. r. 1 King p. 277. l. 19. r. Son p. 281. l. 28. and 29. r. speak p. 283. l. 3. r. learns p. 284. l. 14. r. is leading p. 298. l. 4. r. if the. p. 301. l. 14. for intimated r imitated p. 302. l. 14. r. nor according p. 307. l. 6. r. this is p. 328. l. 13. r. Jo. 1. 29. p. 329. l. 21. r. and is in p. 346. l. 26. r. world lieth in p. 349. l. 2. r. drink wine p. 360. l. 8. r. Haman l. 17. r. or future p. 373. l. 15. r. wary Soul p. 381. l. 8. r. is the third p. 383. l. 19. r. and it is p. 408. l. 17. r. and see his