of my own deficiency and intreat a candid Reader to pardon what is here done out of a great thirst and desire to cast in some mites for initiated believers as may help I hope and add to their faith or the joy of faith and supply something of what is yet lacking in the faith of some weaker christians with whom we converse in Ordinances Divinity is an Ocean that hath neither shoares nor bottom there is room enough without envy for every one to spread new Sails and in continual travelling we may still see more wonders of God in these Deeps But yet not to prescind and cut off all proper method and genuine handling of this subject I shall first set down the true nature and essence of this grace of saving faith and then proceed to the rest of the chapters in their prescribed order Now since it hath pleased the goodness of God to give spiritual life to many thousands in these British Isles that have and do believe by the instrumentality of several burning and shining lights ever since the latter end of the Reign of Tiberius Gildas deexciâ— Britan. when the Gospel began first to shine among our praecessors whom God hath raised from age to age out of his infinite mercy as serviceable under his divine commission to open and apply the holy Scriptures from Joseph of Arimathea and his companions at Glastenbury as our Ancestors do generally determine it and have handed it through dark and gloomy times Spelman concil Tom. 1. till its brightness recovered again by the industry of German of Auxere and Lupus of Troyes their disputation at Vepulam against Pelagius his errors and heresies Nay through his divine goodness there never wanted some worthy patrons of the truth under British Saxon and Nerman Governments till the days of Wicklif that great Luminary whose rayes shone into Bohemia Helvâ—tia and thence into Poland as a late worthy Rector of Lesna an university in that Kingdom sometimes since did acquaint me that they own it And after him still sprang up more and more illustrious persons till the restauration from Popery Since which the doctrines of holy â—aith derived from Scripture have been set forth by the Reformed in several Nations and called a Body of confessions printed in quarto But to let them pass I shall for the maine follow that Type of truth which our own teachers have gather out of those sacred pages In the first place then the church of England having exhibited the main doctrines consonant to the holy Scriptures in their Articles Catechism and Homilies I shall name some particulars to our purpose about Faith. In the eleventh Article we have this clause That we are justified by faith only is a most wholsome doctrine and very full of comfort See Nowels Catechism Homilies edit Lond. 1635. Fol. p. 22. Homily of â—alvation or justification part 1. p. 14. as is more largly expressed in the homily of Justification of which more fully in the confession of Faith and the defence of it by Bishop Jewel some hints see in the Catechism but especially the Homilies In the fourteenth Homily thus Lively Faith is a true trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ and farther that this true and lively faith is not ours but by Gods working in us and again p. 17. 'T is not the act of faith that justifies that were by some act or vertue that is within our selves c and again p. 18. By Faith given us of God we embrace the promise of Gods mercy and of the remission of our sins and yet still more fully in the third part p. 20. True christian faith is c to have a sure trust and confidence in Gods merciful promises to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his Commandments In the little Catechism there are hints to the same purpose as that in the answer about Baptism there is required Faith Whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God. But le ts proceed to others The Assembly of Divines in their Confession of Faith after some previous Discourse about it expresly thus The principal act of saving Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and eternal life by vertue of the covenant of Grace There 's also much to the same effect amplified in the larger and contracted in the shorter Catethism The Declaration of the Faith and Order of the Congregational Churches in England met at the Savoy in London by the Elders and Messengers Octob. 12. 1658. express it in the very same words Chap. 14. Sect. 2. Page 24. which are before rehearsed out of the confession of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster All these Societies then for substance do most harmoniously agree in the same Doctrine of Faith exclusive of works in the point of Justification And oh that they would also once agree to live quietly and peaceably by each other as becomes Professors of the same holy Faith washt in the same holy Baptism and called in one hope of the same calling and as becomes the worshippers of one Lord and one God and Father of all Eph. 4.5 who is above all and through all and in all that truly believe We agree in Judgment as to the great points of Salvation and why not affection and brotherly love and peace forbearing one another in little matters not introduced into the primitive Churches before the declension and apostacy began I am sure the Church of England teaches other Doctrine in the second and third part of the ☞ Sermon of Faith. Well then we are at amity in this great particular That Faith is the gracious acting of the whole soul or heart of a sincere Christian whereby he rests and relies upon a crucified Saviour for remission of sins and eternal life grounded on the precious promises of God which is infused and wrought there by the holy Spirit at our new birth and convertion from sin to holiness In this Declaration of the nature of Faith we may for distinction sake take more especial notice of the succeeding particulars in peculiar Sections SECT I. 1. FIrst We may enquire where this Grace of Faith is subjected and that 's exprest to be in the whole man. The Subject of its inherence is not this or that particular faculty but the whole Soul or heart of Man as the Scripture often expresses it and we may observe that some times the Heart is put for the a 1 King. 3.9 understanding sometimes for the b Act. 7.39 will other times for c 1 Cor. 7.37 purpose for the affection of d Mat. 6.21 love for inordinate e Rom. 1.24 lusts in their seat for f Eccl 6.7 desire and for the g Luk. 1.16 21.14 Acts 8 37 Luk. 24 Rom. 10.9 Prov 3 5 memory Now that Faith is scituate first in geral in the heart and then in
the spirits instigation and inflexion then does God impute the righteousness of his beloved Son to that soul being now become a true believer and by inward intire love in the heart espoused to him Hence it follows that whatever the son hath the Father makes over to a Saint who by vertue of those espousals enters into a right and title to Christ Wisdom â— cor 1.30 righteousness sanctification and redemption and becomes a co-heir with Christ of the same inheritance in the kingdom of glory and as it is here in the kingdom of grace so much more in heaven above fulget radiis mariti the Church shineth not by reflected but by infused or implanted rayes of her husbands glory being one with Christ in mystical union the same spirit and the same glory being in them as our Lord sets it out I in them and thou in me John 17.22 23. Ezek. 16.14 John 1.12 and the glory which thou gavest me have I given them that they may be one even as we are one In his comliness we are made perfect For on them that receive him the Father bestoweth a powerful and magnificent priviledge to become the adopted sons of God. Having discoursed a little largely with thanks to the stronger christians for their leave and candid forbearance of time as to the weaker Saints about the nature of the will as being the principal seat of Faith and the seminary of its fruitful effects Let us now proceed In the third place to the affections of the soul which are indeed but several emanations or streams from the Will and may be compared to semidiametral lines that flow from this center and run out into the spacious circumference of actions For when the heart or will inclines this or that way or to their opposites it then shines forth in those extensive eradiations by the passions and several affections of the Soul. As for instance Isa 26. the church of God in the Prophet cries out with my soul have I desired thee in the night season So in respect to fear holy persons are said to fear God in the singleness of heart Col. 3.22 Dâ—ut 13.3 Judg. 16 152. Song 1 4 7 and others are recounted to love and trust in the Lord with all their hearts and love is stated to be from the heart In this love of our hearts to Christ lies the quintescence of our union and thence a spouse like reverence and a sweet holy fear to offend or displease him in the least Eph. 5.33 The like whereof is commanded in Scripture to be the holy deportment of all Wives to their Husbands Let the Wife sâ—e or look to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that she fear or reverence her Husband Insomuch that Solomon brings in the Spouse with such a reverent care when her bridegroom was asleep that she charges all persons in and about the place to make no noise that may disturb or awake her beloved till he please â—ong 2.3 She is filled with an heart-ravishing joy in communion with him though here but through the lattesse of Ordinances takes sweet complacency in an holy rest in his fellowship â—ong 2.5 and feels a delicious faintness in the sick agonies of love is always satiated in his society but never satisfied always filled to the brim with pleasure and running over in his praise to the daughters of Jerusalem while the fountain of love pours out of the heart of Christ into the bosome of a Saint by a true perpetual motion this glorious person 〈◊〉 5.7 delighting in his goodness and rejoycing over us with singing These and many more are the pure unstained sanctified motions of the will so far as renewed rectified by grace and acting towards its native and genuine objects at first concreated with it as fit proper and qualified for it 'T is the will then â—sal 42.1 8.25 which desires loves thirsts longs and pants after the living God and is never quiet or settles its full complacency on any person or thing besides God alone but there 't is satiated with all manner of delight and joy for evermore 4. In the next place conscience comes in to act its part and having lookt round about upon all the pre-actings of the soul subscribes to the new creation with this eulogy Behold all the work of God is very good It is a mixt act of the soul flowing from the understanding and will together and proceeds from an inward work Simplicius as a philosopher expresses it if I remember right When the soul makes dialogues within it self It is the reflexion of the soul upon all its precedent acts whether radical or deduced wherein conviction is mainely concerned As the Evangelist speaks of some Pharisees that they were convinced of their own consciences John 8.9 which do accuse or excuse according to the nature of the light and integrity within and so helps the soul to assurance by a diligent intuition into the actings of Faith. Conscience is the souls looking-glass Rom. 2.15 wherein it beholds all the red flashings upon its face when others talk behind them at a distance This inward redness more especially rises from the immediate rebukes of this vicegerent and happy are such who have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience nil conscire sibi Heb. 10.22 nullaque aubescere onlpa To be conscious of no guilt and to have no faults staining vermilion upon the cheeks of conscience I might enlarge in the next place upon the power of fancy and imagination that anvill and hammer of thoughts in the work-house of the brain But I rather proceed to the last that I shall touch upon and that 's the Memory that wonderful faculty which Austin in his confessions does so extreamly and deservedly admire and the Platonists are so deeply affected with it that they thought the souls science to be little else then reminiscence or a recognition of what it had before its delapse from heaven into the body Memory is the souls christal cabinet replenisht with diamond cells or Loculi so termod by Tully wherein things heard and learned are safely retained and who is able to expound the reason of its rehearsals It is the recollection of the soul upon it self acting over and reviewing every thing at its pleasure and thereby hath a great influence upon the affections to excite them with delight or dolour meminisse juvabit dolehit When we lay up memorials in our hearts the end is to bring them forth of the treasury of a good and honest breast Luk. â— 66 Psal 139.18 63.6 like wise Scribes fitted for the Kingdom of God. Thus David remembers God sometimes to his comfort and when awake was still with God. At other times he remembred God and was troubled comparing his present dolesome state with his former more delicious times This faculty so we may term it Galen being a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a faciendi
heirship and all the priviledges and liberties of the children of God Sanctification to mortifie the power and dominion of sin and to quicken our graces and duties to support us against and under all fiery tentations to eularge and fortifie our spirits under dificult services and to persevere to the end Phil. 1.6 1â— that at last we may attain the redemption of our bodies from the dust and the resurrection to glory But these resort more properly under the tenth and last chapter and therefore here I forbear 7. The next place sets forth Faith by our cleaving to the Lord with full purpose of heart Aâ—s 11 23. Isai 28.16 When the soul is glewed by an holy love to the mercies and goodness of God it will then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stedfastly abide with him It makes not haste out of the mountains of Zion as if full of bogs and quakemires Deut. 10.20 Josh 2â— 8 1 Cor. 1.17 2 Cor. 11 2 but as being setled on the strong and lofty rock of ages This closing of the soul with God is often set down in Scripture by that trust and assiance which a true believer hath in God adhering on cleaving to God is a term also which sometimes attends upon conjugal relation wherby true and faithful persons having the yoke of that union lined with the soft velvet of love 1 Cor. 6.17 become one as in person by the law so much more in spirit and delight To the same purpose the Apostle affirms that true believers being united to Christ by a true and lively faith become one spirit with the Lord and long daily to be more sully espoused by larger affections of the unction of Christs spirit in order to the solemnity of that glorious marriage-day of the Lamb. Rom. 7.4 Rev 19 7 Phil 3 20 And this is true faith indeed when persons long for the appearance of Christ in glory 8. Next follows that term of embracing of Christ as the Saints of old being first perswaded of the truth and goodness of the promises Heb 1â— 13 then at length embraced them utrispue ulnis with all affection and what are the promises but the precious fine linnen wherein Christ our sacrifice was involved after his death at his funeral which is the principal object of our saith even Christ in his sufferings This act of embracing notes our ardent affection to him delight in him and heavenly communion begun betwixt Christ and the heart of a believer Love is Faiths Agent and factor Faith worketh by love a true lover of Christ is certainly a true believer in him and this love increases by faith and faith by love For the soul determines it The more I know of his Excellencies the more I believe in him Rom. 5.4 5 and I love him more because I have the experience of Christs love to me In this very state of the valley there is a mixing of hearts and spirits but in heaven the soul is swallowed up in his love for ever 9. In the ninth place a Believer arrives at this reverent freedom with the Lord in all its streights and dificulties to cast its cares and burdens upon him being both commanded and encouraged by him to do it Whenever I am afraid saith David Psal 56.3 He trust in thee If the heart safely trust in a friend Prov. 31 11. there follows a mutual unvailing and disclosing of the most secret and bosome counsels Psal 71.3 Jer 20.12 Psal 142 2 So does the soul pour out its sorrows and open its whole cause before God. Three things make a friend or relation desirable power to protect wisdom to advise and love to comfort and mingle joys sorrows together All these are eminently and transcendently found in heaven There 's a heart large enough to entertain thy moans Jam 1â— wise enough to guide thee in the dark turns of Providence and so good as not to upbraid thee and can command Legions of Angels at a beck for protection â— Pet. 5 7. Let us therefore cast our care upon him for he careth for us and 't is worth notice what the Apostle terms thy care the Psalmist terms thy burden promising that the Lord will sustain thee to shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dividing cares Psal 55.22 heart-rending cares are great burdens But divine sustentation and support of the soul in trouble plainly shews that God takes a fatherly care of thee and will not suffer thee finally to be moved as Davids song in the end of that Psalm since thou art a righteous man and hast cast all thy soul-battering cares upon Gods promise which are but so many tentations to try thy faith and trust in him Besides this trust is exprest by casting anchor within the vail Heb 6 19 When the ship of the soul being turned up-side down as to the world though too near the earth in this bodily estate yet in spirit sails above the firmament and makes all its sails upward still Rev 11.19 and if any storm arises it then rides at Anchor upon the Ark in heaven within the vail beyond the starry Canopy as upon the rock of life the Lord Christ himself 10 In the tenth and last place faith acts by Resignation giving up all its comforts into his heavenly hand when a true believer both living and dying commends his spirit into his divine manutenency during this frail life in all the mighty turns circles or helixes of providence full of intricate meanders and mazes past finding out is led by a hand coming down from heaven So that all ends well with a Saint his stormy dayes do always end in a sun-shine evening He gives up himself to the guidance of his counsel and as to death both for time place way and method yields up all to his safe conduct and yet sometimes breaths out with a most humble and reverent motion his soul still lying in the dust of submission before him to grant him an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an easy departure out of this life if it may be his holy pleasure and still quietly hoping and waiting for his salvation Thus Jacob in the Old Testament in the midst of his last languishments cries out I have waited for that Salvation O Lord gen 59.18 Luke 2.30 23 46. and good old Simeon in the New Let thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen and mine arms embraced my Saviour and thy Salvation This did our most blessed Lord Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and so did blessed Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit testifying to the Deity of Christ Acts 7.59 the immortality of his soul and the resurrection of his body in the same prayer of resignation There may be found in Scripture some other passages exhibiting the nature of Faith and Trust as fixing the heart choosing of Christ waiting for his coming and expecting the blessed day much to the same effect
this work and grant this mercy to such petitioners at the throne of grace Perhaps thou wilt answer All this I find even sweet inclinations in me by grace to accept Mat 8.3 embrace and perform But oh blessed Lord I beg that I might be cleansed from the leprosy of sin oh that I might be holy To this I rejoyn a question Art thou willing to be holy according to the Gospel rules to accept the proffers of mercy as both pardoning and purging to be holy as well as happy in Christs method that is to use sincere endeavours after that holiness which thou declarest to thirst for if thou upon calling in the power of his might with integrity of heart doest really intend and set about it to use purging graces and ordinances and wait with perseverance for the manifestation and aid of the Spirit of grace whereof beneath I may then be humbly bold to say to thee though as yet but low it may be in the state of grace Luk. 19.5 yet oh thou little but zealous Zacheus come down and Christ may dine at thine house this day 1 cor 3.22 I may then say The Covenant is yours Christ is yours God is yours life and death and all is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods. Stretch out in the blessed name of the Son of God and in his power and at his command the hand of your longing thirsting hungring panting hastning Will to the Lord of life and the great work is done and thou art happy I confess I need say no more but that I desire to enlarge upon this so desirable a Theam considering that one thing may be sanctified to take with one Spirit that may not with another but le ts ever remember the connexion of holiness with Faith in the sixth chapter Col. 2.2 if you would obtain to be the heirs of clear full and strong Assurance to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and the Father and of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a spiritual acquaintance with God as a gracious Father in Christ John 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God in and together with Christ as a Father to dwell abide withus But le ts proceed to a second means of applicaâ—ion 2. Particular promises made in ancient times concern every particular believer in all succeeding ages For whatsoever was written aforetime was writ for our learning Rom. 15.4 that we might have hope As all the precepts concern us and we concern our selves in duty and obedience to them then why not interested in the promises unless there be some special reason assignable to the contrary 1 cor 10.11 Heb. 13.5 Rom. 4 24. We may observe also that all the examples of unbelief and Gods displeasure to ancient Israel and the particulars unto some persons among them were set forth for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come to us that live in the ends of the earth or ages of the world Joshuahs Faith and Courage is recorded for us The Faith of Abraham is recited not for his sake alone but ours also to whom it shall bâ— imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead The Apostle having inrolled the memorials of many famous Patriarks before our Lords time Heb. 11.40.13.8 concludes that they without us shall not be made perfect Whose Faith let us follow since Christ is the same yesterday in Joshaah's time to day in Pauls and for ever throâ—gh all generations All the sheep of Christ drink of the same River of life the same streams of the promise that runs through paradise in â—mne volubilis aevum It comes originally from the secret channels of the Ocean of divine and eternal love and breaks or springs forth out of the rocky mountain of Zion and the various sources of its Ordinances So that every Saint may sing with David Psal 87.7 All my springs are in thee O Zion in thee O God of Zion All the promises are in and thru ' Christ the Prince of Zion 2 Cor. 1.20 Yea and Amen even certain inviolable and unchangeable 3. If thou wouldest successfully apply the promises labour to strengthen the habit of Faith by frequent actings of it upon Christ in the Promise Remember to be every day ejaculating up to heaven and casting the eye of Faith upon a Saviour in glory Rev. 506. a Lamb as it had been slain and standing in the midst of the Elders by the Throne of God. This is a sweet method to breed love to Christ and love will raise thee up to some assurance and confidence in his love God is love and his mercy to sinners in misery is the fruit of his love and love springs out of the original goodness in the nature of God who delights in them Psal 33.18.147.11 that hope in his mercy and trust in his love and when the love of God to us begins to warm our hearts with the inward feeling and tast of it as the foretast of the Wine of the Kingdom it encreases Faith and experience of it advances us into higher degrees of love Then this sweet sense of divine eternal electing love brought into our hearts by Faith leads us at last into the pleasant fields of Assurance 4. That so we may particularly apply the promises call to mind and ruminate upon the qualifications mentioned in the promises and if you can find such gracious inclinations wrought in you by the Spirit of God then may you humbly determine your selves to be heirs of the promises I would not strain hard in the examination of many great things required in the promises but if thou canst by a sincere search find in thee a humble broken-hearted frame it is a covenant frame if thou find in thee a penitent fear to sin a holy trembling at Gods Word a thirsting after Christ with some sparks of true love to him Psal 147.3 Isai 66.2 tho thou mayest seem to faint under the sense of wrath sometimes yet if thou resolve in his strength still to thirst after him and his pardoning love and to hope for it in his promise yea and if thou perish and thy heart-strings break yet to gasp out thy last at his foot Thou art the desirable person the Daniel the man of desires the Samuel the asked of God the Nathanael the gift of God without guile the beloved the acceptable person that shall be taken into his bosom for ever Only and alwayes remember and perfectly conâ— this lesson I intreat thee in the Lord that these actings must alwayes be connexed with holiness as 't is expresly determined Chapt. 6. and which I do so often recal to mind and the Lord by his powerful grace enable us to do it then may est thou draw forth a perfect lot for thy self out of our Joshuah's Book of the Land of Canaan which is above all heavens Thus
precepts and the promises being the rule of asking We have a most free access to plead the promises both of this and the life to come Eph. 3.12 Heb. 4.16 1 Tim. 4 8. so that by holy degrees and steps we may arrive to further humble confidence of divine mercy 4. When we feel some gracious risings of love to God as pardoning our iniquities for Christs sake and tho we do not so fully and sweetly feel it as we would yet our hearts do pant and long after it This is a true sign of Love. But yet to clear it a little the humble soul will ask Quest How shall I know that I love God Ans I answer Of all the affections that spring and bubble out of the will this is most easily to bediscerned and known Do you know the Sun when you see him walk in brightness do you know that you live by the actings of the senses and the pulsation of your arteries or do you know that you walk when you move your feet and feel your motions from place to place you may as certainly know your affections and the workings of your Soul This distinguishes men from Bruits in the acting of their reason upon all they do and in managing ends and means The affections spiritually beating are the pulsations of the regenerate heart Observe then your Objects if you love the things above better than all below Col. 3.2 Isal 73.25 in your choice and preference tho sometimes under some ebbs and eclipses yet still you find an inward regard to God and his glory and that you perform every action in ordine ad Deum and love all as to the inward sincerity of your heart 1 Cor. 10.31 and enjoy every relation with some desire to work up your mercies towards God in thankfulness and usefulness These are good tokens that you are risen with Christ by Faith and that your life is hid with God in him and that by continued degrees of Sanctification you shall at last arrive to this even to appear with him in Glory 4. But that I may at length wind out of this delightful Labyrinth in discoursing about Assurance Let us hearken to the second Question wherein the Soul being somewhat revived does now start the fourth Particular at the beginning and that is Quest 2. How may I preserve and retain Assurance when it is gained Ans The reason of this Question arises not only from hence because the sweet sense of divine love is a most desirable frame of Spirit and fills the soul to the brim with joy and peace in the Holy Ghost and besides renders persons very serviceable and greatly honours Religion But also because 1. Many gracious persons that have true Faith yet labour under deep fears of Hypocrisie arising from their pious Education not answered by proportionable holiness It puts great jealousies in their hearts that all they have done is but a forced work and a habit of formality attracted from the precepts of godly Ministers and Parents instilling into an inlightned conscience the frightful form of an outward conversation consonant and therefore fear at a strange rate that their diamonds are but as it were from the soft Rock of St. Vincent their Gold but Alchymy their Faith but fained and temporary But be not discouraged For that Faith is true and unfeigned which proceeds from a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 19. and a good conscience that is without fraud and guile in setting it naked and open before God Act. 24.16 in labouring and exercising to keep a good conscience in sight of God and Men. You may then rejoyce in the testimony of such a conscience having been upright before him in the main bent of the soul Psal 18.23 and in keeping from your own iniquity What tho thou didst not come in with such remarkable pangs no more did Zacheus nor Lydia T is not the manner but the truth of our coming in to Christ is the great point if thou constantly adhere to the Lord with full purpose of heart Nay what if there were some errors at first Act. 11.23 this puts no bar if the root of the matter be in thee The Apostles followed our Lord at first in some hopes of preferment in the temporal Kingdom of the Messiah but at length understood the Doctrine of the Crosse better which God in great tenderness is pleased to vail from young converts at first or at least preserve them from suffering till they are strengthened and then like the Apostles they still cleave to and continue with the Lord under all trials by the exceeding power of his might And thus as I remember Dr. Crakenthorp in defending of Cyprian and Jerom against some pontificians imputing some errors to them Crakenthorp of the sixth Council P. the better to vindicate their Liberius answers that if they did erre they did it not willingly but were ready to reform upon the first approach of Scripture light and conviction T is so in our case they are ready with that holy man to pray what I see not teach thou me Job 34.32 The mind and will of God is the perfect square rule canon and compass of all their actions and tho they may fail threu ' weakness yet never thru ' wilfulness Wherefore be not out of heart O tender and trembling soul let not go your hope and confidence because you have not had so long and such bitter pangs in the new birth that makes the work the harder but not the truer A child may be born sometimes with greater ease and speed Great horrors may attend great sinners and yet after all their heavy convictions may stick in the birth and never be truly converted till they are truly and perseveringly reformed which indeed cuts the work short and makes the evidence clear If thou hast been under a gentler hand from God bless him with louder Songs of praise For the shorter and sweeter the method the greater is the mercy and as one said A young Saint may make as old Angel. 2. This question begs a full answer because though want of Assurance does not denote an unbeliever yet it keeps a true believer under the dark shades of fear and sorrow Assurance besides in the best of Saints is but an imperfect work because our Faith it self is but imperfect we see but in part because we do but trust in part If our Faith do at any time waver and stagger â—ol 2.2 assurance must needs qviver and shake It 's true there 's mention made of the riches of full Assurance but that 's comparative in respect to some Saints and mentioned as attainnable with full sweetness and may possibly for the main continue pretty constant especially in very active and suffering Saints yet 't is not without ebbs and buâ—â—etings in the best There are but few that walk in the mountain of Sun-shine all their lives as 't is said of Zabarel the Philosopher when one day
will so satisfie comfort and erect the Spirits of feeble and staggering Believers that they may the more sweetly and firmly lay the stress of their fears in life and death upon this Rock in Zion and if they will be but careful and vigilant as to holy walking and be earnest in Praver to enjoy the beautiful and Soul-refreshing influences of the Holy Spirit They may then walk safely and joyfully through the valley of the shadow of death till they arrive at the mountain of Glory And so I proceed to the second part of this Treatise about the nature and actings of Faith it self more immediate and particular PART II. Of the Nature of Faith in particular Having in the first part of this Treatise laid the precious foundation upon those two marble râ—cks the Dâ—ctrine of the Divinity of the Scriptures and the Deity of Christ which may be likened to those vast and stately fulciments which Solomon built on the sides of Mount Moriah to sustain the grandeur of the Temple I should now proceed to erect the strong hold of confidence the pleasant Palace of assurance wherein that beautiful Daughter of Zion the grace of faith sits as upon a throne of every within the Curtains of our second Solomon And this I shall endeavour in the Ten Apartiments or Chapters following Chap. 1. Of the Name and Nature of Faith. Chap. 2. The various Expressions setting out its nature Chap. 3. The lowest or least degree of saving Faith. Chap. 4. Of Justification the immediate effect of Faith. Chap. 5. Of entring into Covenant with God by Faith. Chap. 6. Of the necessary and inseparable connexion between Sanctification or holiness and Faith. Chap. 7. Of the Infirmities of Believers Chap. 8. Of assurance or joy of Eaith how attained with some clear signs Chap. 9. The danger of Vnbelief Chap. 10. The happy Fruits and benefits of Faith. And so conclude the whole with some Corollaries by the blessed leave and help of our gracious God. I intend not to enlarge very much on any but to be briefest on those where others have been copious On the second third sixth and eighth I would insist a little liberally it being my primary design to strengthen the weak believer and in courage sinking spirits beseeching them to meditate seriously on the directions for understanding the nature of Faith in the first and second and to be consciencious in their holy care of walking with God in the points prâ—scribed in the 6th chapter That so they may live more comfortably dye more sweetly and reign victoriously And now let us walk together into the first chapter by the gracious assistance of our holy and ever-blessed God. CHAP I. Of the name and nature of Faith THe Rise or Origen of this word is from the Italian Fede and that from the Latine Fides and that as some conceit from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to perswade and that from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cicero in his Offices descants on the word Fides as if so term'd quia fit quod diâ—tum because we believed what is spoken or promised shall be done Our English Saxon word Believe comes from the Dutch lieven and that as 't is thought from the old provincial Latine among the Roman Colonies in those quarters Libeo Libet to list or consent to a thing with love or liking and that the word Love comes from a Teutonick word of the same extract Verloff which signifies to assent Now as one of the Ancients says consensio est volentis consent is the act of a person that is willing so to believe is to consent freely and with love to the truth of what is spoken which breeds conviction and satisfaction on the mind of man. Now the inclination of the will to believe is wrought by God and if any question why one is perswaded by God and not another Psal 119.36 Let him take his answer from holy Paul that 't is God that maketh to differ and O man who art thou that repliest against God and if that please not let the bold fellow go look another 1 Cor 4.7 Rom. 9 20. But as Austin treats him caveat presumptores c. Let him take heed of presuming in curious searches and determining the mysteries of grace and the counsels of God. Is it not abundantly enough that thy heart is softned melted inclined to cast thy self wholly on the free-grace of the New-covenant when others repelling the glorious light of the Gospel run back again to the Old Covenant of works and split themselves upon the rock of presumption expecting divine mercy without the merits of Christ and so rush upon the pikes and spears of divine justice and vengeance to their eternal ruine But to prosecute our work To Believe is to be perswaded and satisfied in our hearts and consciences of what God hath spoken and promised in the holy Scriptures On the other side to beget a confidence and trust as to what any man speaks or asserts among several Nations according to their civil municipal Laws there must intervene a proof or an ascertainment made by the instrument of a publick Notary or by trusty witnesses of the vicinage as among the Northern Nations recited in Lindebrogius c. or else by sound arguments that cannot be refelled without incurring gross absurdities as in cases of unknown Murders the wonderful providence of God doth shine forth in their discovery by such methods and probable arguments which procure an acquiescence and quietation of spirit as to the truth of the things delivered But in divine cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am sufficiently satisfied and perswaded by the meer word of God Rom. 8.38 When I am sure that God has said it I believe it for in things Divine there can be no sublimer proof then the testimony of God himself For the very being of an infinite God determines his verity and when our imperfect and lapsed reason and many times misguided by education and the secret impressions of converse from designing persons that are apostates from the truth doth thr'u pride and envy and delight in contention study to contradict and invalidate the texts of sacred Scripture Let 's remember that infinite Wisdome had it so pleased him could have amazed us with such potent arguments that might strike us dumb and muzle and astonish us as our Lord did the Pharisees at every turn God is Truth and Truth Essential the fountain of all Truth and in him is no darkness at all Not one Iota or tittle of any of his sacred words can be infringed by the least or greatest of Errors John 1.5 Whence it comes that the truths of Gods revelation are the grounds of all the firmitude and stability of our spirits which otherwise might waver Isa 7.9 2 Chron. 20.1 and wander from their constancy per avia eserti through the gloomy by-paths of error to all Eternity In the significant language of the Hebrews
without great mercy to the innocent party For the truth is Sancâ—ior copulâ— cordis quam corporis it can be no less than an original cheat and a wicked action when a Woman accepts a Husband meerly for gain or honour when her heart was never honestly and truly towards him It was the false act of a strange or whorish heart in the sight of God when others whose spirits were right might have stood sincere and faithful being filld with candor and sweetness in conjugal Relations Even so it is as to outward hypocritical and feigned Professors who take Christ in the Sun-shine of the Gospel and in hope of a great inheritance when the will in its personal adherence to Christ for his righteousness and holiness never came to a true and real union Whereas the Will is the main point in Marriage according to the determinate rule of the civil Law Consensus non concubitus efficit matrimonium Cod. Justin T is consent and not the bed that makes it So in all moral actions contracts and agreements neither is it otherwise in this grand spiritual concernment of the soul when the Judgment has declared the undone and ruined estate of any out of Christ and proclaimed the rare excellencies that are in him and how appropriate a Saviour to scatter all our fears root out all despondencies and to supply all its wants and indigencies Then comes in the Will and chooses his person as the most lovely in Heaven and Earth consents to all his gracious offers and sincerely embraces his love and mercy with unspeakable joy and thankfulness and delightful resolutions of new and constant Obedience The soul then being invited by Christ in such sweet alluring terms Rev 24 17 Isa 551 Song 1 3 as these Whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely and ho every one that thirsteth c. it finds a sweet inclination smelling fragrantly of the precious anointings of the Spirit when this powerful faculty is turned about renewed and filled with the balsome of heaven and thereby through infinite grace and irresistable power allured to look and run after him to accept him and close with him on the terms of the New Covenant of grace In Scripture therefore the Will is often phrased and signified by the bea rt Thus Solomon prayes at the Dedication that the Lord would incline their hearts that is 1 King 8 58 Psal 119 36 112. sweetly bend their wills to keep his laws and David thus incline my bea rt unto thy testimonies and to perform thy Statutes To incline the will is when divine light has set before the understanding the knowledge of the true good this divine power inwardly moves the will to it Lactant. de Orig c 3 de fals sap l. 3. c. 10 de ira Dei c 7. Bp Wilkins in a set discourse 8. Lond. 1678. not by any force or coaction but by a sweet melting and moulding it into the Will of God. Man is a rational creature and a religious as Lactantius seems to make the last his specifick difference from bruits So that when the stony heart is by infinite power changed into golden oar then 't is melted by the fire of divine love in the furnace of godly repentance and by degrees cast into the mould of the divine will and effigiated or shaped into the exact image of his Son. After this great work the renewed soul finds its will determina ely carried to blessed objects and turned quite about to delight in heavenly persons and things There 's no compulsion in the point but natura renovata fertur the soul being changed is now by its own spontaneous freedom carried with a spiritual naturality to that which is coadequate to its essence and hath received from God a blessed recovery to an enjoyment of and a complacency in this supreame and everlasting good Now though the soul can do no otherwise as far as 't is renewed yet it is no way compelled but acts according to its own delight and pleasure For the whole soul whole heart whole will so far as renewed is carried out with all the Sails of its desires and satiated with the sense and comfort of this most happy change and when come to heaven will be fully concentred in those enjoyments and bathed in that Ocean of bliss no otherwise in their though minute proportion than God himself the humane nature of our Lord then holy Angels and the Saints in glory After which manner some of the Ancients and several of the Moderns express themselves I shall a little touch upon what Strangius declares to this point Libertas naturae est ab omni necessitate Strangig de Voluntate Dei amstel 1657. p. 683. l 3 c. 14 p. 686. quae repugnat naturae voluntatis Liberty of nature is when free from all necessity which is a thing repugnant to the nature of the Will. Again Necessity doth not overthrow our Liberty Again p. 687. Indifferency lies then in the nature of Liberty when it can act or not act about the same object when it may choose either that or another and afterward instances in God in Angels and in the blessed Saints 690. and so Pemble p. 87. Ant Burges of sin p. 312. whose will is determined to true Good c. This powerful and sweet motion and inclination of the will of a believer by the spirit of God may be happily shadowed forth by the inclination of the mind in persons carried towards union in the Marriage-covenant It is of God and generally little or no reason to be given of many of their choices but an influence or impulse from heaven in those that out of pure and honest affection give mutual consent to that relation and not for any base and sinister ends but for personal delight in each other wherein that unspotted intaminated love in rational beings so vastly differs from bruitish lusts and draws nigh to an Angelical Excellency like that of an honourable Lady to a Philosopher in Scotland mentioned by Burton in his book of Melancholly How much more and transcendently excellent is that joyful and heavenly love moving in the heart by the finger of God in a soul that thirsts after spiritual espousals to the Lord of Life There is no adumbration of our union to the Lord Jesus more proper or pertinent than this wherein the Scripture doth so greatly delight To the accomplishment whereof the drawing of the Father is requisite and 't is performed by inward teaching Eph. 5.32 Rev. 19.7 Johae 6.44 45 and thereby producing a heavenly inclination to this union and communion with his Son as the most excellent person and most beloved of the Soul. This secret work being formed upon the heart makes up that inseparable conjunction with Christ which shall triumph in the same chariot to eternity Moreover when 't is freely consented to by the Soul For the gracious heart acts voluntarily tho by