ignorant persons be most forward to commend their faith yet they are to know whiles they continue in ignorance they are altogether voide of faith and consequently of all grace whereby they might hope to be saued For without knowledge there can be n◠faith and without faith there is no hope of saluation or any other sauing grace Againe those which doe not giue assent to the whole word of God and euerie part thereof that it is true are so f◠from hauing the iustifying faith th◠they haue not so much as the general or historicall faith which the diue◠themselues are said to haue as namely those which will beleeue so much of the Scriptures as they list and no more then liketh them For although the proper obiect of faith as it iustifieth and vniteth vs vnto Christ is Christ our Sauiour or the promises of the Gospell concerning saluation by him yet by the same faith whereby wee are iustified wee doe vndoubtedly beleeue the whole word of God and euery part thereof The iustifying faith euermore including and presupposing the generall and dogmaticall faith Secondly they haue not the true euangelicall faith who haue not also the legall faith perswading them of their miserable and accursed estate in themselues both in regard of their sinnes as also of the punishments which by the threatnings of the law if they did truly beleeue them they would acknowledge to bee due vnto them Now this legall faith is a necessarie preparatiue to the iustifying faith For vntill wee see our selues to be accursed in our selues wee will not so much as desire seriously to be iustified by Christ. Vntill we find our selues to be bondslaues of sinne and Satan wee will not earnestly seeke to bee ransomed or redeemed Vntill wee acknowledge our selues to be the children of wrath we will not seeke to be reconciled vnto God in Christ. In a word vntill wee finde our selues to be miserable in our selues we will not seriously seeke and sue for the mercies of God or merits of Christ our Sauiour but as much as in vs lieth suffer his precious blood to bee spilt in vaine without any care to applie it to our selues For what neede hast thou either of a Sauiour if thou art not in thy selfe lost or of a Redeemer if thou art not a captiue or of a reconciler if thou art not an enemie or what need hast thou of mercie if thou art not in miserie The whole neede not the Physition saith our Sauiour Christ but the sicke Well thou euer hast had a good conceit of thy selfe thou euer hast loued God aboue all things and thy neighbour as thy selfe thou neuer didst doubt of thy saluation in al thy life c. an euident argument that thou diddest neuer care for Christ or finde thy selfe to stand in neede of a Sauiour But remember who saith I came not to call the righteous that is such as bee righteous in their owne conceits but sinners that is humbled sinners to repentance And againe that he came to seeke and to saue that which was lost to preach the Gospell to the poore namely in spirit to heale the broken hearted to preach deliuerance or redemption to the captiues Wherefore neuer perswade thy selfe that thou hast a iustifying faith if thou doest not as well beleeue the threatnings of the Law as the promises of the Gospell For although faith doth not iustifie as it apprehēdeth the threatnings yet that faith which doth iustifie including euermore the generall and consequently the legall faith doth beleeue the threatnings of the law as the vndoubted word of God The same faith therefore which doth assure thee of thy reconciliation redemption and saluation in Christ doth first informe thee that thou art an enemie of God a bondslaue of sinne and vtterly lost in thy selfe that being with the Publican humbled in thy selfe thou maist be exalted in Christ. Thirdly they deceiue either themselues with a fancie or others with a shew of faith who haue not an effectuall and liuely faith For as there is a twofold knowledge the one a literall or speculatiue knowledge the other spirituall and operatiue and that knowledge is onely true which is working 1. Ioh. 2. 3. 4 so there is a double faith an effectuall vnfained and liuely faith and an idle counterfeit and dead faith Now faith is said to be liuely and effectuall in two respects First respectu actus primi in regard of the effectuall and true being of it Secondly respectu actus secundi in regard of the operation of it In both senses every kinde of faith becommeth effectuall by application of that which is beleeued As first the dogmaticall faith is liuely and effectuall when thou doest not onely beleeue in generall what God is but by particular application to thy selfe doest beleeue that he is such a one to thee As for example if thou doest beleeue onely by a general and historicall faith that God is omnipresent that is in euery place present filling heauen and earth and that hee is omniscient and as the Scriptures call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing all things yea the very secrets of mens hearts and that by a most perfect and distinct knowledge thou maist be little the better for this faith But if thou doest beleeue with application to thy selfe that he is euery where present with thee and that his eyes be alwaies vpon thee beholding all thy waies then will this faith be effectuall to make thee behaue thy selfe vprightly as in his presence and sight and so of the rest The like may bee said of the legall faith For a man may beleeue in a confused and generall manner the threatnings of the law to be true and yet neuer the more bee humbled but goe on securely in his sinne and notwithstanding his impenitencie and infidelitie promise to himself impunitie But when as a man applieth the threatning after this manner to himselfe If this be true as I vnsainedly acknowledge it to bee the vndoubted word of God that euery one is in himselfe accursed and subiect to eternall death and damnation who hath not continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them how can it possibly be auoided but that I am in my selfe a most accursed wight and damned wretch who haue not continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them nay in steed of doing the things commanded I haue done the things forbidden in steed of keeping all the commandements of God I haue broken them al diuersly and grieuously in steed of continuing in a perpetual obedience I haue continued in the breach of Gods commandements as indeed vntill the time of a mans conuersion he doth nothing nay hee can doe nothing else but sinne against God Thus by application the legall faith becommeth effectuall and thereby a man is humbled and brought to despaire of saluation in himselfe so
that if hee would be saued hee must seeke to be freed from the curse of the Law and so bee forced to seeke for saluation out of himselfe in Christ to which ende the Lawe is said to bee a schoolemaster vnto Christ. The very same is to be vnderstood of the Euangelicall faith or faith in Christ. For many there be and they as it is to be feared are the greatest number who are content to make profession of the Gospel either because it is inioyned being as ready to embrace the religion of Antichrist if authoritie should impose it vpon them or because it standeth well with their outward respects or to say the best of them because it promiseth saluation to them that beleeue but rest in this outward profession of faith without any speciall application of the promises of the Gospell or apprehension of the merits of Christ without which it is not a true and effectuall faith vniting vs vnto Christ or iustifying vs in him For it cannot bee that a man seeing by a legall faith his owne damnable estate in himselfe he should be said truly and effectually to beleeue the promise of the Gospell which assureth saluation to all though most wretched in themselues that beleeue in Christ who is not willing to receiue and embrace him as his Sauiour desiring in his heart to be made partaker of the merits of Christ and resoluing in his mind to rest and rely vpon him for saluation For whatsoeuer either Papists or they that are Popishly minded doe speake of this applying of the promises of the Gospell and particular apprehending of Christ it is most certaine that without it faith doth not iustifie vs before God or vnite vs vnto Christ. For though 〈◊〉 sufferings of Christ bee as a soueraigne salue to heale our sores though his body be meat indeed and his blood drinke indeed to feed our soules vnto eternal life though his righteousnes be as a wedding garment to couer our nakednes and to make vs accepted of God yet his merits doe not cure our diseased soules vnlesse they be applied his body blood do not nourish vs vnlesse we spiritually eate his body and drinke his blood neither doth the robe of his righteousnes couer vs vnlesse we put it on And surely if faith doth iustifie vs as it is an instrument to apprehend Christ who is our righteousnes and no◠in any other respect then is it most certain that it doth not iustifie vnlesse it be such a faith as doth apprehend the righteousnes of Christ and apply the promise of the Gospell to our selues Wee must therefore learne to applie the promise of the Gospel to our selues which we may do after this manner Is this true as I acknowledge it to be the word of truth that although I am by the sentence of the law and testimony of mine owne conscience an accursed wretch in my selfe notwithstanding I shall be happy and blessed in Christ if I receiue him to be my Sauiour and truly beleeue in him for in him I shall not only be acquited from the curse but also intitled to the kingdome of heauen And doth the Lord in the ministery of the Gospell which he hath vouchsafed vnto me not only reueale the riches of his abundant mercy in Christ and offer the same vnto vs but also stirre vs vp to embrace his mercy offered vnto vs in Christ and by his Embassadors earnestly desire vs to be reconciled vnto him I do therfore vnfainedly receiue the Lord Iesus to be my sweete Sauiour first earnestly desiring in my heart to be made partaker of his merits to which end I wil daily pray vnto God that as he hath desired mee to accept of his mercy and to be reconciled vnto him so he would bee pleased to accept of the merits and obedience of Christ as a full discharge for my sinnes and that in him he would bee reconciled vnto mee pardoning my sinnes and imputing vnto mee the righteousnes of his Sonne and secondly resoluing in my mind to acknowledge him to be my only Sauiour and to rest vpon him alone for my saluation being perswaded that hee died for my sinnes and rose againe for my iustification Thus by application the Euangelical faith becommeth effectual to vnite vs vnto Christ and to iustifie vs before God But as our faith must be effectuall in apprehending Christ the obiect thereof vnto iustification so must it bee in some measure effectuall in the subiect that is the beleeuer vnto sanctification For true faith inwardly purgeth the hart and outwardly worketh by loue Fo◠when a man is truly perswaded of the euerlasting loue of God towards him in Christ this perswasion which is faith if it bee true and effectuall cannot but stirre vp his heart to loue the Lord and his neighbour for the Lords sake Faith therefore as S. Iames saith must be demonstrated by good workes which are the necessary fruits thereof For although faith alone doth iustifie as Paul sheweth because faith is the only thing in vs which concurreth vnto the act of iustification and is the only grace which serueth as an instrument to apprehend and receiue Christ who only is our righteousnes yet that faith which is alone not ioyned with repentance amendment of life doth not iustifie as Iames proueth because it is not a true faith For euen as the body saith he without spirit that is breath is iudged dead so faith without workes which are as it were the breathing of a liuely faith is iudged to be dead We are to remember that they which be in Christ haue their workes to follow them as it is heere said For in whom Christ dwelleth by faith to iustifie them hee dwelleth also by his spirit to sanctifie thē neither did he come wit◠water alone or blood alone but as Io◠saith hee came both with water and blood both which gushed out of h◠side the blood I say of redemption to purge vs from the guilt of sinne and the water of ablution to cleanse vs from th◠corruption And euen as from the fis◠Adam there is communicated vnto vs not only the guilt of his first sin by in◠putation because as we were in him a the root so in him we sinned originally but also the corruption of his natur◠which by his sinne hee had contracte◠deriued vnto vs by generation So fro◠Christ the second Adam there is co◠municated vnto vs not only the me◠of his obedience by imputation to a quite vs from the guilt of sinne beca◠in him as in our head we haue fulfill◠the law satisfied the iustice of God but also the graces of his spirit where we are made partakers of the diuine 〈◊〉 ture deriued vnto vs by regeneration therefore we be in Christ wee beco◠new creatures 2. Cor. 5. 17. walking 〈◊〉 after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 81. For if we shal say that we haue communion with
vs and the Papists do affirme that whiles we consider the mercies of God and merits of Christ wee haue cause of assurance as the Protestants teach but when wee looke into our selues wee haue iust cause to doubt according to the doctrine of the Papists But I answere if we looke into our selues as we are in our selues considered a part from Christ the best of vs all shal haue iust cause not onely to doubt as the Papists teach but also to despaire Yea it were presumption for a man in that case to make but a doubtfull matter of it But although we are to be humbled in the conceit of our owne vilenes and are not onely to doubt but also to despaire of saluation in our selues wee being not considered as in Christ yet this hindreth not but that wee may and ought to be assured of saluatioÌ„in Christ. For though wee be sinfull in our selues yet are wee the righteousnes of God in Christ though in our selues wee haue broken the law and are therefore subiect to the curse thereof yet in Christ we haue fulfilled the law and are freed from the curse though in our selues we are the children of wrath and seruants of sinne yet in Christ we are the children of God and heires of eternall life As therefore the faithfull most certainly be in Christ so let them learne to conceiue of themselues as they be in Christ that what cause soeuer they haue in themselues to doubt they may in Christ assure themselues of their iustification and saluation Many a one that indeede beleeueth in Christ doth himselfe wrong by not thinking of himselfe as hee is in Christ. For the more assured wee are of Gods loue in Christ the more shall our heart bee enflamed with loue towards God and our brethren for his sake the more zealous we shall be of Gods glorie the more cheerefull in his seruice And that which is the happinesse of a Christian here wee shall leade our liues in the expectation of a better life For the life as it were of this life mortall is the assurance of life immortall Thus you haue heard that the faithfull be in Christ and the vse which wee are to make thereof now wee are to shew that this being in Christ is the ground of our happinesse For it is not our liuing nor our dying in it selfe that maketh vs happie but our being in Christ whilest we liue maketh vs happy beatitudine viae that is with such a happinesse as in this time of our pilgrimage is incident vnto vs whilest we are in the way and our being in Christ when we die maketh vs happie beatitudine patriae that is with complete and eternal felicitie when we comming to the end of our way doe arriue into the hauen of rest and heauen of blisse which is the countrey and kingdom which the Lord hath prepared for all those that be in Christ. Now that our being in Christ is the ground of all our happinesse I shew it thus For first if we be not in Christ we are in the state of damnation And contrariwise the cause why any man is exempted from damnation is because he is in Christ. There is no condemnation saith the Apostle to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 1. Secondly If wee be not in Christ wee are dead in our sinnes neither can we do any thing being out of him which belongeth to a spirituall life But being in him we liue in him and he in vs a spirituall life which neuer shall haue end For as in the vnion of the bodie with the soule the bodily life consisteth so in the vnion of the whole man with Christ consisteth our spirituall life And as the bodie seuered from the soule is dead so the whole man seuered from Christ is spiritually dead how liuely or cranke so euer he may seeme to be in respect of the bodily life Thirdly if we be out of Christ we are altogether foolish in respect of spiritual things yea our wisedome is â—mitie against God we are in our serues vniust and guiltie of sinne vnholy and defiled with manifold corruptions and laffly in our selues are bondflaues of fin and Satan but being in Christ he is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption For being in Christ wee haue communion with him and he with vs. So that as our sinne was his by imputation so is his obedience ours he being made sinne for vs that we might be the righteousnes of God in him And as his sufferings be ours so ours be his But wee are not onely made partakers of his merits to our iustification but also being in him we are made partakers of his graces vnto sanctification For as the sacred oyle being powred on the head of the high Priest who was a figure of Christ rested not there but descended to his lower parts so the oyle of grace wherewith Christ our head was annointed without measure is from him deriued to his members For of his fulnes wee doc all receiue euen grace for grace Ioh. 1. 16. Fourthly being in Christ we haue not onely communion with him in respect of his merits and efficacie but also haue vnion with him in respect of his person wee being made one with him and hee with vs from which vnion the asortsaid communion doth proceede And therefore in him as our head wee may truly be said to haue fulfilled the law in him wee haue satisfied the iustice of God And that which is more in him are wee not onely risen againe but also are ascended into heauen and set in the heauenly places in Christ Ephes. 2. 6. And our life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. Al which doe argue the assurance which the faithfull ought to haue of their iustification of resurrection vnto glorie and of eternall life For so long as the head is aboue the waters the other members cannot be drowned so while our head is happie in heauen the saluation of all his members is most sure and certaine Lastly being in Christ we are not only vnited vnto him but in him wee are also vnited to the whole Trinitie and being vnited vnto it we shall haue with it euerlasting fellowship in which fellowship and fruition of God perfect felicitie doth consist Thus haue you heard that the faithfull are in Christ and that all which bee in Christ are happie and blessed Now if we beleeue as our dutie is this vndoubted truth namely that al which by faith are in Christ be blested then will we in our iudgements esteeme and in our affections desire to be in Christ aboue all the things of this world For what is our happinesse that is esteemed and affected of vs as our chiefest good If therefore this be our happinesse to bee in Christ then will wee with the Apostle esteeme all other things as drosse and dung that hauing gained Christ
by a true faith wee may bee found in him and accordingly will we giue diligence not onely in vsing the meanes whereby wee may beleeue and be in Christ but also in gathering testimonies to assure vs that we are in Christ by a true and liuely faith The vse therefore which wee are to make of the former doctrine concerning the blessed estate of those which be in Christ by faith is two-fold First that we labour to be in Christ the second that we labour to know that wee are in Christ. As touching the former wee are to performe two things The first that we vse the meanes to beleeue Secondly that wee doe beleeue The ordinarie meanes of begetting faith is the ministerie of the word For as the Apostle saith Faith commeth by hearing the word and againe How can they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how can they heare without a Preacher For what are Preachers but Ministers by whom you doe beleeue 1. Cor. 3. 5. who because they are by preaching the Gospel the instruments of God for the begetting of faith in the elect by which they are iustified and adopted sons of God are therefore said to iustifie men and by the preaching of the Gospell which is the immortall seed whereof Peter speaketh to beget men vnto God If therefore there be no saluation but by Christ and if we haue no part in Christ but by faith and if we attaine not to faith ordinarilie but by hearing the word of God this therefore must teach vs as wee desire to be saued so to be carefull and conscionable hearers of the word of God which is his power to our saluation For how meanly soeuer carnall and worldly men esteeme of the preaching of the Gospel notwithstanding it is the ordinance and good pleasure of God by the foolishnes of preaching for so men esteeme it to saue those that doe beleeue 1. Cor. 1. 21. But our hearing must be mingled with faith or else it profiteth nothing When as therefore the Lord in the ministerie of the Gospell doth not onely reueale and offer vnto vs his vnspeakeable mercie in Christ but also by his embassadours doth desire vs that wee would be reconciled vnto him and that we would accept of his mercie offered vnto vs in Christ by receiuing him to be our Sauiour we are not only in generall to beleeue that hee is the only Sauiour of Mankind but in particular wee are to embrace the mercies of God offered vnto vs in him and receiue him as our Sauiour earnestly desiring in out hearts to be made partakers of his merits and vnfained resoluing in our minds to rest and rely vpon him as our only Sauiour He that thus receiueth Christ is esteemed of God who accepteth in weake Christians their sincere desire to receiue Christ and vnfained resolution to rest vpon him alone for saluation for the deed it selfe which is faith he is esteemed I say to beleeue and by this faith whereby he thus receiueth Christ he is vnited vnto him And howsoeuer as yet in the court of his owne conscience perhaps he is not iustified being poore it spirit and hungring and thirsting after the righteousnes of Christ which in his owne sense he doth not yet find imputed vnto him yet notwithstanding in high court of heauen he is as surely iustified before God as by our Sauiour Matth. 5. he is pronounced blessed And if any man shal think it strange that so small a measure of faith should be effectuall to vnite vs vnto Christ and to iustifie vs before God let him consider that faith doth not iustifie vs as it is a qualitie gift habite or worke in vs or in respect of the worthines thereof but only relatiuely in regard of Christ the obiect which it doth apprehend In so much that Peter calleth the faith of all the faithfull though vnequall in it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of equall value or price because it doth alike iustifie though all be not alike assured of their iustification For the same righteousnes of Christ which by a strong faith is apprehended to iustification is also apprehended by a weake faith For as the almes receiued by a feeble hand doth as well relieue the partie as that which is receiued by a strong hand and it is not the hand but the almes properly which doth relieue and as the brazen Serpent which was a figure of Christ did heale those among the Israelites which listed vp their weake eyes towards it as well as those which were quicke-sighted so the righteousnes of Christ being apprehended by a weake faith doth as well iustifie the beleeuer as when it is receiued by a strong faith so it is the righteousnes of Christ which faith doth apprehend and not faith it selfe which doth iustifie But it will be said faith is a full assurance therefore he that hath not a full assurance hath not faith I answere not all faith is a full assurance but the strong and perfect faith For a man must belieue in Christ before he can be in Christ or haue remission of sinnes by him A man must haue remission of sinnes before he is bound to beleeue it and a man must beleeue it and haue some measure of assurance before he can haue the fulnes of assurance which is not attained at the first But you will say faith is defined of good Diuines to be a full assurance I answer that they define it in the perfection of it to teach vs not to content our selues with the lesse degrees of faith but to proceed from faith to faith vntill wee come to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full assurance of faith For this is the second thing which as I said wee are to labour for namely to know and to be assured that wee be in Christ. And to this purpose wee are to performe two things First we are to trie our selues whether we be in Christ and secondly wee are to giue diligence to make our being in Christ more sure vnto vs. As touching the former it is the aduice of the Apostle that wee should trie our selues whether wee bee in the faith For many deceiue both themselues with a vaine opinion and others with a bare profession of faith As first they who haue not so much as the dogmaticall or historicall faith which is but a degree towards a iustifying faith For though a man may haue this generall or historicall faith and yet want the iustifying faith yet a man cannot haue a iustifying faith who hath not in some measure the generall or dogmaticall faith Now this generall faith consisteth of two things knowledge of the word of God and assent vnto it that it is true First therfore they who haue not knowledge of the principles of religion are so farre from hauing a true iustifying faith that they haue not so much as the first steppe or degree towards it Therefore though