the throne a Sea of glasse Apoc. 4. such is the world to the Christian troublesome as the sea and transitory as glasse His ship that is the Church which like Noahs Ark floats upon the floud and makes him cry out as the Disciples in that storm save Master we perish His Merchandise that is true and heavenly wisdome Pro. 3.14 whose Merchandise is better then silver and whose gain is better then gold His losses that is his houses and lands Mar. 10. Matth. 16. his father mother wife children life yea and his soul too if he do not watch and pray and then what will it profit him to win the whole world if hee lose his owne soul Secondly a Merchant lends upon adventure He commits what he hath to the mercy of the sea to the unsafety of a ship which staggers up and down like a drunken man and is subject to many a storm and leak and to be indangered by Pyrats So doth a Christian If he look for comfort he casts his burthen upon the Lord and he knowes not when he shall have it If he look for faith peace joy in the Holy Ghost he casts himself upon the meanes and confidently adventures upon the truth of God If he looks for better times he casts the Anchor of hope because he hath them not and looks for new heavens 2 Pet. 3. and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse If he do but a work of mercy Eccles 11. he casts his bread upon the waters hoping after many dayes he shall finde it but he knowes not when the return will come If he finde his expectation to be fruitlesse he sayes as Peter to Christ we have laboured all night and have taken nothing yet at thy command I le cast down the Net and at last findes the successe answerable Thirdly a Merchant fetcheth in the commodities of every Country to enrich himself and his country the gold of Ophir the gummes and spices of Arabia and whatsoever he findes gain and glory in So doth the Christian If any thing be heard of truly good and honest Phil. 4. and of good report he thinks upon these things to do them He knowes how to distinguish betwixt base and valuable commodities If he meet with the superstition of Spain the pride of France the lust of Italy the drunkennesse of Germany he hates them even to the garment spotted of the flesh but whatsoever he meets withall that may be an honour to God an ornament to the Gospel an edification to his neighbour a comfort to his own soul that he brings home to inrich himself and others with it Fourthly a Merchant fetcheth all he hath from far As it is said of the good housewife she is like a Merchants ship Prov. 31. she fetcheth her food from a farre She fetcheth it from the earth to the house from the house to the wheel from the wheel to lomb from the lomb to her houshold her own and her husbands back Thus doth she her husband good and not evill all the dayes of her life So doth the Christian He looks to the earth to the Sea under the earth to the ayr yea and to the Church to espie what may be serviceable to him and his but yet he goes further He dares not make use of any thing he hath or can have before he knocks at the gate of heaven He sees an open trade driven betwixt Christ and his Church and he will not have gold nor rayment Apoc. 3. nor eye-salve no nor a crust of bread before he have beg'd the comfortable use of them from the great owner of heaven Vse Therefore I beseech you Christians be perswaded that it is not so easie to be a true Christian as most men think it to be You know the conceits of too many What is it but to beleeve in Christ and what is this belief but to trust in Christ upon the rotten grounds of their own hearts Oh but a Merchants life is full of care full of fear full of depending prayers full of hazards and losses and so certainly is a Christians also They are deceived that think to stretch themselves upon beds of Ivory Am. 6.4 to drink wine in bowles to eat the calves of the stall to invent instruments of Musick like and then to go to heaven in a Sedan Coach or Chariot as Elias The Kingdom of heaven must suffer violence and the violent take it by force Thorough Sea Land and a thousand difficulties doth a Merchant passe and so must you Ob. But doth not Christ say my yoak is easie why then are we frighted with danger and difficulty Sol. It is true that in many respects Math. 11. the yoak of Christ is easie and his burthen light In comparison of the yoak of Moses exacting perfect righteousnesse to justification or else cursing This was insupportable Act. 15. neither we nor our fathers were able to bear it In comparison of the yoak of worldly Princes These have a double yoak in penall statutes and voluntary decrees and resolves We would account our selves most miserable if we should be galled with the easiest of them In comparison of Adams yoak exacting the perfecting of the law of nature Posse perseverare non actum perseverandi for which he had a power of perseverance though not the act of it Alas we cannot do it we have not this power we cannot bear In comparison of the excellent helps we have to bear it Christ puts into one hand that we may pay him with the other Thus he saith they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 Therefore in these respects the yoak of Christ is easie But in respect of the duties of the Gospel and our weak natures to perform them it is very hard Put your souls to repent and beleeve to deny your selves to take up Christ and beleeve not onely to beleeve but to suffer for Christ to strive unto bloud to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live holily righteously and soberly in this present world to beat down the body and bring it in subjection to mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit not to care for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it and to walk in simplicity and godly purenesse it is hard very hard therefore ye have cause to think of the life of the Merchant Yet this addes to the worth of the Gospel that this Christian Merchant trades in this Kingdome of heaven 3 What doth he trade for The commodity traded for is the Pearl Christ Pearles especially for that pearl of great price that godly pearl This represents Christ unto to you who is the Diamond heart and soul of the Gospel And in truth Christ is this pearl in five respects First in respect of rarenesse Pearls are not to be found in every ground nor Christ in every soul How many thousands are there where Christ dwels not It is as impossible not to see a
by the preaching of the Gospell 28 Q. How is this faith confirmed in thee A. By hearing the same Gospell preached and using the Sacraments 29 Q. What are Sacraments A. They are signes and seals of the righteousnesse of faith 30 Q. How many Sacraments are there A. Two onely Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Q. What benefit hast thou by Baptisme A. A new estate in Christ and so the forgivenesse of my sinnes if I repenting do believe according to the Covenant of Baptisme 32 Q. What benefit hast thou by the Lords supper A. The body and bloud of Christ verily and indeed taken and received by my believing soul 33 Q. How must thou reverently prepare for this Sacrament A. I must examine my self whether I have desire repentance faith thankfulnesse and charity fit for the Lords table 34 Q. Is not prayer an excellent means also to make thy faith grow A. Yes it is a speciall means appointed by God 36 Q. What is prayer A. A religious moving of our souls to God to draw us into communion with him against sin for grace and all blessings 37 Q. Where canst thou more fully learn the matter of prayer A. In that which is commonly called the Lords prayer 38 Q. What is the enterance into this prayer A. Our Father which art in heaven 39 Q. What is the first petition A. Hallowed be thy Name 40 Q. What is the second A. Thy Kingdome come 41 Q. What is the third petition A. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven 42 Q. What is the fourth Petition A. Give us this day our daily bread 43 Q. What is the fift petition A. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us 44 Q. What is the sixt A. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill 45 Q. What is the conclusion of this prayer A. For thine is the Kingdome the power and the Glory for ever Amen A briefer Catechisme to be opened at first Question GIve me the summe of Religion in one sentence A. A sinner being justified by faith is bound to live a godly life Here consider three things 1 Thy danger A sinner therefore subject to the miseries of this world and that to come 2 Thy deliverance Being justified by faith and therefore in Christ by the Covenant of grace for forgivenesse and all other things promised 3 Thy duty Is bound to live a godly life and therefore from Christ bound in the Sacraments to faith working by love Or more fully thus Q. Give me the summe of Religion in four words A. My Generation Degeneration Regeneration and Glorification Here thou must consider 1 What thou art from God A creature brought into the world from thy parents 2 What thou art in and from Adam A sinner subject unto all miseries even to the nether-most hell 3 What thou art in Christ A new creature delivered from the curses of the law that thou maist embrace the blessings of the Gospell 4 What thou art from Christ walkin a new course till thou comest unto Glory Or the words of Scripture thus Q. Tell me what is thy Religion A. 1 It is the faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godlines Tit. 1.1 2 It is my holding fast of the form of sound words which I have heard in faith and love 2 Tim. 1.13 3 It is all things pertaining to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.6 4 It is the knowledge and service of God 2 Chron. 28.9 5 It is faith working hy love Gal. 5.6 None of these descriptions are contrary either to other but subordinate and provided you comprehend under them what is necessarily to be believed and to be practised all is well TO His much Honoured Patronesse the Lady HONORIA NORTON of Southwick in Hantshire All happinesse here and here-after MAdam I must make my Apology before I say a word more I present a Catechism unto you who are able to instruct others and a mothers Catechism for her children when you have no children of your own under your instruction now This may seem strange to them that know not you to be to me a great encourager to this little work to them that are ignorant of your affections to a common good You have had experience of the power and profit of it in your family and in the Congregation over which you care and you will have me do some little good by it as you think to others that may see and use it The blessing of God be upon it and their blessing fall upon you if they receive good by it who have bin the main cause under God of my setting it forth I confesse that I have thus many yeares last past been solicited by many well minded people who have had the benefit of my private exercises to have let this unpolished birth to walk into many houses But being loath to hold out a little candle to a quick-sighted age or to prevent the more elaborate endeavours of my learned brethren I have shut it up rather in my head where it stuck by judgment and frequency then under my pen which is not so happy as my tongue in this kinde But now being overcome by your Ladyships entreating-commands and commanding favours I can hold it a prisoner no longer I let it loose from my head and heart to my pen and paper and from thence to every English soul to be either embraced or rejected according to present fansie If it prove un-successefull I 'le bear the blame who as an old man being ready to deny my self a being in this world have a little learned to deny my self in this and suffer words of diminution But if it prove acceptable to Christs Church and profitable to his meanest Members you Madam shall have the thanks and credit under whose wings it hath found leisure to be born I know that you will be cōmending it to some of your friends if not out of self-worth yet out of a conceit and expectation of some such like thing But I beseech you be wary To praise that which deserves it not may speak well of your affections but discommend your judgment and I would not have you engage where it may be a prejudice to you in the issue Indeed this little Treatise is a Catechism And whereas preaching is a speaking unto men to instruction 1 Cor. 14.3 Luk. 1.4 Act. 2. Mat. 22.37 Joh. 3.16 edification and comfort Catechising is a speaking to men for instruction mainly preaching is a dilating of one member of religion into a body Catechising is the contracting of the whole into a a sum Preaching is for all sorts Catechising for the yong and ignorant this may commend the work if the workman were answerable and as a Master-builder did lay the foundation But I know not how it fals out this Treatise is much in a little and that little derived from the capacitie of a mother to the
let the counsell of a poor friend be acceptable unto you so to live that ye be not swallowed up of sorrow so to live as ye be not devoured by peace As it was said of Saul and David of old so may it of prosperity and adversity that adversity hath slain 1000. but prosperity 10000. It is a glorious thing to be in prosperity and not to be worse It is a glorious thing also to be in adversity and to be better But to be bad in both is to make both a curse prosperity to be made a sweet Ladder from which to break our necks from when we think we are climbed up to heaven and adversity to be a sowr Ladder to let us down into hell here and to bring us at last to the burning Lake which torments for evermore The only way to help all this is both in prosperity and adversity to live in Christ If like the Eagles you make your Nest in this rock your faith shall be your victory Let prosperity come faith in Christ will say Cursed is he that doth not account one days fellowship with Jesus Christ above all the glistering vanities in this world I will not be flattered out of Christ Let adversity come faith in Christ will say Farewell mony farewell life farewell all things for Christ I will not be frighted from my Christ That you good Ladies may be helped to do so with all thanks for your loves I humbly present unto you both this little Catechism expounded There is none of you both but have in your families heard me open these grounds either to your children or servants Then you were pleased to approve them and now you will be pleased to love them more because they lye by you for daily use There will many faults be found with them as brevity plainnesse imperfection and the like but above all that they want the living voice and tender heart to set an edge upon them As to the first faults I confesse them and in truth I make this but as a fore-runner to a larger Catechism thorough the whole body of Divinity If God send me health life and leisure you may see that if this mean while be acceptable to the Church and it will more copiously handle all the grounds by way of explication observation and cases of conscience which are most obvious As to the last fault indeed it wants my voice but not my heart For when you are warming your own and your childrens hearts with it I will follow it with my prayers to make it successefull Could I do more I would do it Could I do lesse I would not As becomes him that hath been is and by Gods blessing will be to both of you worthy Ladies Your poor yet hearty friend to serve you and yours in Christ Jesus ROBERT ABROT Erratá Page Line for Read 78 15 life lift 79 9 blot out then  89 25 of in 110 3 doth teacheth 119 3 faith life 122 19 of by 122 23 wife house 122 24 work in work it in 124 5 where they whereby they 125 6 connexion conviction 159 17 The by the. 163 28 In obedience In sacrifice 186 1 must mayst 198 21 of both for both Epistle 19,20 Infants of Jews Believers 242 6 creatures Creatour A Mothers Catechisme for her Children MY good Child Gen. 3.16 I have brought thee forth into this world in great sorrow I have nourished thee either with my own breasts or as I thought by those that were better able I now desire not onely to see thee a member of the Church by profession but by the power of grace and because thou canst not be thus without the knowledge of God Joh. 17.2 Pet. 3.18 and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from the tender bowels of a compassionate Mother I desire to inform thee in thy estate by Nature created by nature corrupted and nature restored that in these things which concern thy self thou mayst know God and thy selfe and grow out of fellowship with thy selfe into communion with God in Christ that thou mayst have life Tell me therefore 1. Q. Who made thee A. God the Father It is true Esa 44.2 For thus saith the Lord that made thee And to make thee is to Give thee a being that is a body and soul and all the parts faculties and powers of them This is of great use 1. To enquire who made thee and 2. To resolve that it was God 1. Thou must enquire after him that made thee We must enquire who made us Both that thou mayst know to whom to ascribe the glory of the work and to whom to goe to supply the defects of thy nature for he can best repaire that first made as also that thou mayst be acquainted to whom to goe to sustaine nature Nature hath taught every thing to goe to that for sustenance which brought it forth as the Lambe goes to the Ewe and the Chicken to the Hens body Vse Therefore thou mayst see what fooles we are by nature who are more apt to enquire after any thing then after our Maker Every trick of our Trades every devise to help us to live or live comfortably is attended with all diligence but we desire not to be acquainted with our Maker But I hope better things of thee and that which accompanies salvation Be thou provoked to enquire after this and not to sacrifice to thy own nets or to run to naturall means chiefly for supplies when thou art necessitated 2. Resolve that it was God that made thee Galen himselfe when God made us as a natural Anatomist he did consider the frame of Man said like an Atheist that he sung a song in the praise of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thou my child needest not to be beholding to his confession for thou must be made either of nature or of thy selfe or of thy Parents or of God But thou art not made of nature for it cannot give a good reason of every thing in thee They that have doted most upon nature could never give a prevailing reason of the strength of the nether jaw-bone which hath such weake supporters nor of the heat of the stomach which consumeth fit things put into it yet not those parts about it Nor art thou made of thy selfe For though the Maker know the parts of the thing made yet thou doest not know thine no not by anatomy neither canst thou command or refraine the pulse of thy wrist or the motion of thy heart Nor art thou made of thy parents for neither thy father that begat thee nor I thy mother that conceived thee knew what was begotten nor what was conceived and yet it is necessary that the cause should know the effect What then remaines but that thou shouldst acknowledge thy selfe to be of the generation of God Act. 17.28 Vse Remember this then and know that God doth know whatsoever is in thee even thy most secret thoughts
ancient excellency reverent deportment and to powerfull excellency feare and testification of it by obedience in the Lord and for the Lords sake Vse Therefore my good child admire the wisdome of God here who for the well ordering of the world hath settled the Chaire of state and put every one within his traces If ever thou be a Father or Mother any of these wayes pray to thy God that thou carry thy selfe so as honour from others may willingly flow to thee Thou seest many who are Fathers and Mothers all these wayes who carry themselves unworthy of such honour This moves many young men to contemne the Aged many children to despise their Parents many of no gifts to contemne those that have many and many underlings to neglect those that are in authoritie both to their sinne and misery Again as thou art an Inferiour give all due honour to all Paternitie and motherhood Rise up before the hoarhead and honour the persons of the Aged Acknowledge all the gifts and graces of others and make use of them for thy good Be subject to the higher powers not for feare of wrath but for conscience sake Be subject unto thy parents and when they cannot provide for themselves doe thou thy best to provide for them and then if thou have not a penny thou shalt have a pound if thou live not long in this world which is not good enough for thee thou shalt live for ever at Gods right hand where there is fulnesse of pleasures for evermore which God grant unto thee 14. Q. What is the sixth Commandement A. Thou shalt not kill When God had set the world in order in the former Commandement What is required in the sixth commandement and made some high and some low some superiours and some inferiours that so his providence might be the more beautified in the sight of men he comes next to give men in charge things according to the price of them And because nothing is so precious as life for the Devil sees Job 2. that skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life therefore he first gives in charge the preservation of life This is that which God requires in this law the preservation of thy owne and thy neighbours life And because man hath a double life the life of the soule and the life of the body God would have thee have a care of both lives in thy selfe and others There is a difference betwixt killing and murder there may be a lawfull killing but no lawfull murdering for murder is an unlawfull hurting of the life of selfe or others But for killing though thou must never kill thy selfe yet may there be a lawfull killing of others when these foure things meet a just Cause a just Power a just order and a just Mind A just cause as God saith He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed Gen. 9. a just power as God saith Rom. 13. not the private man but the Magistrate beareth not the sword for nought a just order as that Jew said John 11. Our law judgeth no man before he be heard therefore there must be conviction and triall before condemnation and a just mind which doth it not out of revenge but out of love of justice for though Jehu did execute Gods Justice upon the house of Ahab yet because he did it with his owne revengefull heart God saith Hos 1. I will visit the blood of Jezrael upon the house of Jehu Thus thou seest there is a difference twixt killing and murder yet because God would have thee see how precious life is before him he saith Thou shalt not kill Thou must not kill the soule either of thy selfe or others by yeelding or perswading to any sinne or else by giving a scandall whereby thy brother may be moved to fall Sinne is that alone which murders soules Thou must not kill the body either of thy selfe or others This wicked murder doth rise by Envy and carnall Anger it doth rancle by Hatred and Malice it breaks out in the Countenance by scornfull disdainfull and furious lookes in the Body by pointing of the finger or turning the back by way of disgrace It is executed by wilfull hurting of limbes liberties or life when body and soule are parted by an unjust hand Vse Therefore my deare child take heed that thy heart be not made a slaughter-house and then thy hand will never be made a murderer It is fearefull to see what murderings of soules and bodies there are in the world Ministers murder soules either by stabbing them with false doctrine or by starving them for want of teaching One Christian murders the soule of another by perswading and encouraging or exampling to a thousand sinnes And for mens bodies what envy hatred malice what scornes diminutions and disrespects what hurting of limbes liberties and lives doe abound to the sadding of those whose hearts God would not have sadded But let not thy soule enter into their secrets Possesse thy selfe in mercy and love Be thou able to look upon an enemy without anger to behold his prosperitie without envy and to beare his wrongs without desire of revenge Keep thy soule without sinne raigning and doe what thou canst to keep others also and what thou canst not doe in answer to this command mourne for it sadly and seriously and fly to Jesus Christ to heale thee that thou mayst be better 15. Q. What is the seventh Commandement A. Thou shalt not commit adultery Exod. 20.14 What is required in the seventh Commandement The next precious thing among men is Honesty If God would have men live surely he would have them live honestly therefore so soone as ever he had commanded that men should live and not be killed presently he adds that they must live honestly It is better that men were dead then that they should live adulterers therefore saith God Thou shalt not commit adultery Here God requires the preservation of thy owne and thy neighbours Chastity Adultery properly is the polluting and defiling of another mans bed when men commit folly and wickednesse with another mans wife but because this is odious to God as a seminary of corruption both to the Church Common-wealth and Family therefore he comprehends all other uncleannesses under this head There is an inward and outward uncleannesse The inward is a wanton nature lustfull thoughts violent burnings delight in them and serving their tyranny The outward uncleannesse is either in Preparation or in Practise Men and women are prepared for lust by Drunkennesse Gluttony Idlenesse and Wanton apparell Men and women practise it by wanton eies filthy speech unseemly gestures and these bring forth fornication ravishing adultery incest unnaturall sinnes which I am loath to name unto thee much lesse describe Yet all these God comprehends under Adultery And that thou mayst not thinke that thou art exempted from this law God speakes to every particular
truth of the Law and Gospel also yet Devils and wicked men may doe thus much and yet not have saving faith Yea what thou doest not actually know and assent unto now thou must have a prepared and ready mind to know and agree to it when God shall reveale it unto thee from the Scriptures Others will tell thee that this faith is a full perswasion of thy heart that what God hath promised in Christ he will make it good to thee It is not a full perswasion But take heed for this will be a rise for fearefull temptations Put case the Devill should tempt thee and say If thou be a Christian indeed thou hast true saving faith If thou have this faith thou art fully perswaded that thou art one of Christ's saved ones Tell me then art thou fully perswaded thus If the ground should now open and swallow thee up quite if thou wert now to give an account of all things that are done in thy flesh whether they are good or evill art thou fully perswaded that without more faith repentance obedience thou shalt go to the heaven of heavens What saist thou now faith Satan art thou fully perswaded If not thou hast no faith if thou hast no faith thou art no good Christian therefore go with me to thy own place Where art thou now Act. 1. How is thy soul perplexed It is true that thou must labour to be fully perswaded for God saith 2 Pet. 1.10 make thy calling and election sure and it is proper to faith to work this full perswasion in Gods people at many turnes but there is a vast difference betwixt the working of faith in it self and the work of it in thee Thy handkerchief band cuffs or any part of thy linnen may be very white yet put it into an Ink-pot and it will soon be made black So true faith works full perswasion of it self but put it into thy heart where there is too much flesh and unbelief and doubting and self-policy and the work of faith is too much too long too often hindred which makes thee cry out Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Besides nothing can work this full perswasion but faith for faith is an argument to conclude it Therefore Paul saith Ephe. 1.13 that after ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise as if he should say after the spirit had wrought faith in your hearts for faith is a fruit of the spirit the same spirit took faith Gal. 5. and thence concluded to your souls as with a seal that the promise of salvation did belong unto you Thou seest then that faith is one thing and a full perswasion is another a full perswasion is nothing but a conclusion or consequence that issueth from true faith Therefore pitch not upon that description of faith Build then upon that which thou hast given It is a resting upon Christ for salvation that it is the resting of thy soul upon Christ for salvation Thou would'st fain be saved and lookest through all heaven and earth to satisfie thy weary soul with sinne thou findest Christ and seest his fitnesse and fulnesse and then resolvest upon him onely and restest upon him for thy salvation This is called confidence affiance trusting but this is the plain English sense Esa 10.20 a resting upon Christ This is described by staying upon the Lord 2 Cor. 3.4 Psal 37.5 Joh. 3.15 16. by trusting through Christ to God-ward by rowling our way upon the Lord by beleeving upon Christ and in Christ but the plain sense of all is 1 Joh 3.23 Eph. 3.12 thy resting upon Christ Because Christ is Gods onely ordinance to keep thee out of hell Who shall save thee Christ How shall he save thee By his holy death rightly applied Whom shall he save Those that trust in him or rest upon him Joh. 5. and so honour the Father in the Sonne If thou do thus thou shalt be guarded by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5.9 Put case that the mouth of hell were opened and thou wert ready to be tumbled into it Thou seest Christ set by God like the tree of life in the way to stay thee from that bottomlesse pit and thou rowlest thy self upon him and resolvest there to live and die what ever comes this is faith Mat. 16.18 Christ is called A Rock oftentimes in the Scripture Put case that a man were cast into the sea he spies a rock and swims to it as fast as he can one wave after another beates him back yet his face is to the rock and he will not give over He strives and strives and at last he gets hold of it There he prayes and cries and looks to heaven and resolves there to live and there to die So thou art cast into a sea of grief for thy sea of sinne Thou espiest Christ thy rock fastened by God for him hath God the Father sealed to keep thee from perishing Joh. 6. Thou hungerest after him thou makest to him with the strength of thy heart Thou art beaten off again and again by many temptations and art ever and anon ready to give over yet at last by the mercy of thy God thou dost imbrace him and grasp him Then thou criest out as Jacob Gen. 28. I will not let thee go without a blessing Thou resolvest to live and die with him in whose bosome thou now doest lye this is thy faith And though sometimes thou hast not a full perswasion yet in this resting there is more or lesse for thy soul An old man can rest upon a staffe and so can a young man and so can a palsie man one weakly another strongly another shakingly yet all rest upon it according to the measure of strength So a weak faith a stronger faith and the strongest faith of all can rest upon Christ according to the measure of their faith There is a latitude in resting to hold up a fainting soul One rests weakly upon Christ yet he rests another strongly yet he doth but rest Vse Therefore my dear childe finde this faith this true and living faith to be in thee without it no salvation with it are all things belonging to faith and godlinesse This faith makes thee one with Christ and Christ with thee and so bringeth thee to suck honey out of the rock This faith brings Christ in the mouth of it to God the Father who therefore can deny thee nothing This faith makes arguments out of the word of God to conclude convincingly for a powerfull holinesse He that is in Christ must be a new creature but I am in Christ by faith Rom. 6. He that is in Christ must be led with boldnes to the throne of grace Col. 3. but I am in Christ by faith He that is dead with Christ must not live to sin but I by faith am dead with Christ He that is risen with Christ
must seek the things that are above above sin grace above the world the church above earth heaven Rom. 8.1 but I am by faith grafted into the similitude of his resurrection He that is in Christ hath no condemnation which shall touch him but I am in Christ by faith because I live not after the flesh but after the spirit This faith can do wonders pacifie God with the bloud of Christ shed above a thousand six hundred years ago purifie thy heart open the windowes of heaven and triumph over death and hel Rest not therfore before thou finde it in thy soul and if thou canst not finde rest unto thy soul with the resting of a strong man yet comfort thy heart that thou doest it with the resting of a childe and labour in the use of Gods means and by experience of his love to encrease it more and more Now look back a little and let me see what thou hast profited Q. How many natures had Christ A. Two he was God and man Q. Why was he a man A. Because man had sinned and man must give satisfaction Q. Why was he a God A. Because by his sufferings he might bring in the righteousnesse which is of God Q. What use did he make of his humane nature A. To dye for my sinnes Q. What use did he make of his divine nature A. To rise again for my justification Q. Can the rising of Christ justifie thee A. Yes by certifying me that my surety hath payed all my debts Q. But who shall have the benefit of Christs death A. Those only who have a lively faith Q. Why so A. Because faith onely is the eye foot hand and mouth of the soul for enjoying of Christ Q. What then is this faith A. A resting of my soul upon Christ for salvation Q. Why must thou rest upon Christ for salvation A. Because he is Gods ordinance to keep me out of hell Thus have I led thee along my child from thy creation to thy misery and frō thy misery to thy deliverance When thou wast made thou sinnedst against thy creation when thou hadst sinned thou layest under the curse when thou layst thus miserable Christ came to save thee he came to save in the fine only beleevers and thou hast now heard what this faith is But now thou maist say Joh. 4. the well is deep and there is no body to draw I cannot tell how to reach this faith therefore tell me 27. Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart by the preaching of the Gospel In this thou saist right also Faith is one of the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 and it was the Lord Act. 16.14 who opened the heart of Lydia and made her attend to the preaching of Paul Joh. 6.44 and drawes us unto Christ and that he doth it by the preaching of the Gospell may appear to thee in what Paul saith to the Romans and to the Galathians Rom. 10.14 15. To the first he saith they cannot beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and they cannot hear without a preacher and they cannot preach now unlesse they be sent to preach the glad tydings of good things Gal. 3.2 Act. 11.14 To the second he saith that they received the spirit of the hearing of faith Hence Peter tels that God gave him a Commission to tell Cornelius words that is to preach the Gospel whereby he and his wife should be saved It is not man that can work in thy heart were he as an Angel from heaven He may tell thee the whole history of the Gospel and all the promises of salvation by Christ and thou wilt be never the nearer to powerfull believing But if the holy Ghost bring home the word of Christ to the soul he will write it there Heb. 8. and so seal it home that he will make an impression of faith upon thy soul And in truth it must be the holy Ghost that must do it For Faith is an infinite comfort against an infinite horrour of sinne Nothing should deeper wound thee then sinne and thy sins in respect of thy self are infinite in guilt and number Who can comfort against this but an infinite God who can rebuke thy unbeleeving heart Besides will it not seem contrary to thy reason that thou shouldest be made wise by another mans wisdome righteous 1 Cor. 1.30 by another mans righteousnesse holy by another mans sanctification and persevering by another mans full redemption But let the holy Ghost bring the Word to thy heart and convince thee that Christ was thy surety and so one person with thee doing and suffering in thy room and for thee then wilt thou beleeve that Christ is not another person but one with thee and so his riches are thine Agaiu thou saist that the Holy Ghost works faith in thy heart Rō 10.10 for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse This must put a difference betwixt the faith in the head and faith in the heart Wicked men and devils have the faith in the head where they know and assent to the truth of the Gospel and they are said to tremble Jam. 2. because they have no share and part in it But good people onely have faith in the heart whereby they savingly rest upon Christ as a wife upon an husband for protection provision and pleading their cause even to their perfection in the body of Christ Vse Therefore my childe depend not upon thy own strength nor upon the wisdome of flesh and bloud for the attaining of this faith neither think it an easie worke as they do that lay the weight of their salvation upon an easie possibility of believing at their latter end but submit thy self to the holy Ghost Eph. 3. who onely can strengthen thee in the inner man and work Jesus Christ to dwell in thy heart by faith This will argue a goodnesse in thy soul if when thou comest to hear the Gospel preached and so often as thou doest it then pray to God for Christs sake that the spirit of God may accompany the word according to his covenant Esa 59.21 to work faith in thy heart that Christ may be one with thee and thou with Christ And because thou maist have a faith in the head by connexion and not a faith of the heart by true conversion unto Jesus Christ pray also that by the word thou maist not onely submit to the truth of the Gospel but receive it into thy soul so as thou maist be changed into the image of Christ thy husband and be called a true Christian I remember I have read of one in the primitive Church who being examined what he was he answered a Christian What is thy name he answered Christian What is thy profession he answered Christian What life leadest thou he answered Christian What are thy thoughts words and deeds he still answered