Reason why Happinesse is thus called is rendered to be this for that it is easier to tell what shall not be in Heaven than what shall be there And of this kind is the Salvation our Saviour speaks of in this place This Salvation is to be considered Aug de Civ Dei l. 19. c. 20.27 either as it is initiall and begun here or as it is complementall and shall be perfected hereafter as it is here begun so Ephes 2.7 By Grace you are saved Here it is given us and assured unto us though that full and absolute perfection of it in respect of degree is reserved for another world and thus our Saviour saith to Mary Thy Faith hath saved thee It is done allready for Substance and not now to doe Thence Observe Doct. The true and beleeving Penitent even in this life is salved The Evidence of this Truth appeareth by the contrary for if the wicked and unbelieving be condemned already as is evident Ioh. 3.18 then it will not be hard to conceive that the Beleever is saved already But what need we seeke for further proofe when it appeares so evidently by Gods owne testimony who frequently affirmes of such as are penitent and believing and of that estate of theirs which is only via even in this their pilgrimage that they are blessed saved c. Mat. 51. Psal 1.1 32.1 Ephes 2.7 Iohn 17.3 For first we have Salvation in the Promises of it as 2 Cor. 7.1 Secondly Wee have it in those Graces which beginne it Iohn 17.3 Tit. 3.5 And 2.12 Iohn 3.8 3. We have it in the Assurance of it 2 Cor. 1.10 2 Tim 2 19. Act. 5.39 doth the Lord say and shall he not doe His Foundation standeth sure and hath his seale And if this Counsell be of God as Gamaliell said in another case ye cannot destroy it Vse 1 This may first informe us of the happy estate of every such one as believes and repents unfainedly Let their outward estate be what it will be yet their Salvation is certaine Rom. 8.38 Rom. 14 8. they are already saved and have the beginnings of eternall Life in them so that neither Life nor Death shall be able to deprive them of that Say we be in as great a strait as were the Israelites betwixt the Red-Sea and Pharaoh's Hoast One danger before us ready to ingulfe us another behind us ready to destroy us yet if thou beest righteous and truly penitent I will speake in the confidence of Moses Feare not stand still behold the Salvation of the Lord. Thine enemies may interrupt thine Assurance but they shall never overthrow thy Salvation As for outward things resigne up thy selfe wholy to Gods absolute dispose whither it be by Life or Death Say with Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good and as David 2 Sam. 15.26 Let him doe to me as he pleaseth Keepe thou the coast of Faith and Repentance and feare not thy comming to the holy Land Vse 2 But as for such who acquaint not themselves with Salvation here woe to those If there be no Salvation here had expect none hereafter The Gate of Heaven is here below Christ is the Doore by which we must enter into the Paradise of God Who so layes hold on him with his merits by the beliefe of his soule hath gotten Salvation already But in not believing and repenting a man is condemned allready Woefull therefore is the estate of such men who never acquaint themselves with Salvation before the end of their dayes and then begin to dreame of another condition Cyp tractat de habit Virgin 1 Sam. 14.13 Non est facilis ad magna ascensus saith S. Cyprian things which are great are not easily climbed unto What sweat and labour takes a man before he comes to the top of an Hill as you find Ionathan and his Armour-Bearer tooke before they came to the Philistins garrison And can we thinke to attaine the height of Mount Sion with a leape Wherefore let nothing delivered cause Security but put us on to a working out our Salvation with feare and trembling Thy Faith Text. Here we have the Instrumentall cause or meanes of the Iustification and Salvation of this Penitent Where observe we two things First The Quality 2. The Propriety The Quality of the Means is Faith The Propriety Thy Faith First of the Quality We may observe in that Remission of sins was before attributed to this womans Charity and now is said to come of her Faith That true Faith is joyned with Love Hope and other Graces It is not alone where one is there is the other likewise Doct. Faith Hope Charity and other graces are concomitants Where one is there is the other Her Love was spoken of before and here Her Faith is mentioned so that it is cleare enough both were in the same subject The frequent Conjunctions of these Graces in the Apostles writings makes this good as 1 Thes 1.3 3.6 7. Colos 1.4 Philemon verse 5. 1 Cor. 13.13 This is a truth which the Papists seeme with their strongest forces to gaine-say Stifly maintaining that Faith may be without Love and indeed we grant that fides Daemonum the faith of Divells may but not fides Christianorum the Faith of Christians A man may have an Historicall Faith which is that Faith of the Church of Rome defined by a Catechisme authorized by the Counsell of Trent and yet want Charity Yea he may have a miraculous Faith and yet be without true Love 1 Cor. 13.2 But a Iustifying faith which is that Faith must save cannot bee separated from it 1 Iohn 4.7 16. 1 Iohn 5.1 And wheras their Schoolemen in resolving of this case assigne to Faith a double subsistence Tho 1. â— q 6â— art 4. one in genere naturae when it hath all the Essentialls of its nature wherby it is distinct from other intellectuall habits and is principle of the proper acts therof in respect of its proper objects The other in genere moris when it is grown to have a virtuous subsistence in us that is Scot in 3. Dist 36. art 4. an acceptablenesse with God as Scotus interprets it and becomes to be a disposition to beatitude which they confesse cannot be without Charity They say little herein against us For we grant that in Nature and Property these Graces may be distinguished one from another If we consider them as Habits of the renewed soule they be distinct graces But that in the Vse they should be severed or that there should be such a kind of faith as gives interest to Christs Righteousnesse and eternall life without Charity we deny Vse 2 To come nearer home by our Love proove we the truth of our Faith Our blessed Saviour hath foretold a scarcity of Faith on Earth in the last times Luk. 18.18 And yet never were times fuller of Faith then these times which yet are the last times if it be
pledges to confirme their hope and assurance of injoying that good I and which God had promised to give them notwithstanding the malice of their enemies Thus the former Doctrine delivered of the vilenesse and dauger of that sin of Vncleanenesse and Incontinency is like to the Valley of Achor full of trouble and griefe to all such as are guilty But this Valley of Achor is given for a doore of hope this Maries Repentance is of purpose recorded to raise up the hopes of dejected spirits for God is still the same and as ready to receive Penitents as he ever was At the presence of the Sunne all the other lights with-draw themselves and hide their heads in a cowardly kind of fashion but when the Moone begins to shine they recover their former boldnesse and liberty Had we no other to cast our Eyes you but such as Iohn Baptist and that Mary who was blessed above women the mother of our Lord where were our hopes But where we have the Examples of such Sinners as these afore mentioned shining to us we cannot but hold up our heads and come abroad expecting to be made partakers upon Repentance of the like Mercy Wherfore let not the Eunuch say I am a dry Tree let none say J have beene an Adulterer a Murtherer and can have no place in Heaven For who so confesseth and forsaketh sin shall find Mercy assuredly Noli dicere nuÌ„ quid ecce talem hominem Deus correcturus est â—am malum taÌ„ perversum noli desperare queÌ„ rogas attende non pro quo rogas magnitudinom moâ—bi vi deâ— potentiaâ—n nedici non vides Aug in Ps 55. As we may not despaire of our selves neither may we despaire of others say not saith S. Austin what will God ever amend such a man so wicked so perverse Do not despaire look on him to whom thou prayest and not on him for whom thou prayest Thou seest the greatnesse of the disease thou seest not the power of the Physitian Thou seest such an one to runne on in the race of wickednesse led captive of the Divell to doe his will a branch of the wild Olive c. yet let all rash Judgement of his future estate be restreyned how desperate soever his present estate may seeme to thee to be Qui fecit reficere potest he that made him can mend him God is able to graft him in Rom. 11.23 And who knoweth what his will is Whose wayes are past finding out Shoot not thâ—n your Fooles bolt so rashly as with the Barbarians to say surely this man or woman is a Reprobate notorious Sinners may be called when glorious Hypocrites shall be condemned Publicans and Harlots saved when conceited Scribes and Pharisees shall bee rejected Mat. 21. Was not this woman as unlikely to have prooved a holy liver as any thou knowest Had not the Divell as strong Possession of her whilst she was under the guard of seven uncleane spirits Was not Paul as unlikely to have prooved so able a Minister of the Gospell of Christ whilst he was a Persecutor of the Saints a Blasphemer of God Act. 9.1.2 c. Hadst thou seen him with the High-Priest when his Commission was a sealing for the apprehending and punishing of all those who professed Christ whither they were men or women and met him in the way trudging to Damascus for that end and purpose little wouldst thou have thought that this man would ever have sealed the Gospell with his blood and have bin so zealous as afterwards he was in that way which he now persecuted As the winde bloweth where it will so the Spirit beateth where it pleaseth him Nec quantitas crianinis Cypr Serm de cana Domini nec brevitas temporis nec horae extremitas nec vâ—tae enormitas excludit a venia saith St. Cyprian Neither doth the greatnesse of the Crime not the shorâ—â—â—sse of the Time neither the extreamity of the last howre nor the Enormitie of the whole life exclude from pardon In the 2 Sam. 1. We read of an Amalekite who brought news to David the King of the Death of Saul and to assure David therof he told him that he himselfe stood upon him and slew him because he was sure hee could not live beeing fore wounded verse 9 10. Upon which Relation David presently commanded that this Amalekite should be put to Death as one condemned by his owne mouth verse 15 16. Why what was his offence Wherin had he deserved Death Alas Saul was fallen before upon his owne Speare it was but mercy to kill him out right who was halfe dead already c. Yea but Saul said by his owne Confession my life is yet whole in me he was not dead yet he was alive and whilst there is life there is hope therfore did David slay him Qâ—um percussum ab hoste desperasset esse victurum eum sublata spei filucia jugulasset Dâ—â—erm â—om in Eccl. c. 2. v. 20 because that being wounded of the Enemy he despaired of life and having no confidence of hope he had killed the annoynted of the Lord He should have used his best diligence to have preserved Saul and done what lay in him to have bound up his wounds and not by despaire of helpe to say he could not live And thus is it in the case of sinne If we see any desperately wounded yet whilst life remaines there is hope of Mercy to be had fall not upon him with thy Sword slay him not out right by thy rash censure but follow thou the Apostles Direction 2 Tim. 2.25 Instruct them who are contrary minded use all good means to reclaime them prooving if at any time GOD will give them Repentance and bring them out of the snares of the Divell who are taken Captive by him to doe his Will Are forgiven Text. In Graeco non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod prâ—eteritâ— temporis nota peccata jam ipsi remissa suisse osten lit Mathes in loc Something may be noted from the Tence They are not shall be hereafter nor are now to be at this present but already it is done No sooner did she believe in Christ her Saviour but her sinnes were remitted and forgiven her even before she washed and annoynted him It is noted against the Papists who would have works to share halfe with Faith in mans Justification and therfore urge the Text as speaking of the time present we hold that workes follow Instification Non precedunt as speakes St. Austin Aug. de fide oper c. 14. But more of this in that which follows We come now to the Proofe of the Point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For she loved much The Rhemists note upon this is Not only Faith as you may perceive say they but Love or Charity obtaineth Remission of Sinne in the first act of Iustification But how may we perceive this Why the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proves
To whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Text. As if our blessed Saviour should say thus to Simon thou performest not those offices of Love that she doth for that thou apprehendest not such mercy in the forgivenesse of so great a debt as she who is of the number of those who owed 500. pence Thou amongst those who owe but 50. therefore blame her not though she manifest so much affection when thou shewest so little So that you see Doct. Proportionable to that assurance we have of the Remission of sin by Faith in Christ will be that Love we beare to Christ. When a man conceives that little is forgiven he will love but little but upon the apprehension and perswasion that much is remitted a man cannot but love much Looke what measure of Love is in any the like measure of Faith is in him For as they are together as before was shewed so commonly they are together in the same degree If no Faith than no Love if but a shew of Faith than but a shew of Love if weake Faith than there is but a weake Love if an interrupted Faith then an interrupted Love Vse 1 So then by the degree of Love we may judge of the degree of Faith there are who boast of the strength and assurance of their Faith that they are perswaded of the Love of God in Christ in the pardon of their many and heynous sinnes c. But is it likely that by the Eye of Faith they see the height depth breadth and length of the Love and Favour of God when they cease not to dishonour him by a lewd and licentious life had these men once felt the Love of God shed abroad in their hearts and did indeed believe that God had done so much for them as they say they would manifest it as David did in powring out the water that he longed for before the Lord when he thought it was displeasing to him that he should get it with the jeopardy of the life of those Worthies Vse 2 We may likewise from hence learne what to judge of the Love which Ethnicks or any other superstitious Persons pretend towards God St. Paul granteth to the Iewes a zealous Love of God but saith he it is not according to Knowledge which is the beginning of Faith Now true Love of God is the Handmaid of Faith If then it comes gadding abroad and attends not on her Mistresse it may well be censured to bee base and blinde Looke what the Apostle speakes of Faith without Charity 1 Cor. 13 1. We may say of Charity without Faith If wee had all the Love in the World and yet had no Faith assuring us of the Remission of our sins our Love would be nothing Vse 3 And further wee may bee informed of the Reason whence it is that GOD is no more beloved in the world Surely hence for that there is little or no Faith in the world they have not a sence of Mercie nor doe they apprehend the greatnesse of it in the pardoning of so great a Debt as they owe to GOD They thinke they are but amongst those penny-men that they are indebted to GOD but in some small Summes they are Sinners as others are and that is all Did they but consider seriously what their sins are what hearts they have what lives they have led they could not but be marvellously affected with Gods love and favour You know how it affected Saul when hee fell into the Hands of David and had no hurt done by him considering how hee had used David before and yet now that David should spare his Life soe unexpectedly and undeservedly Oh! This melted him into Teares Levavit vocem suam flâ—vit saith the Text This made him confesse Thou art more Righteous than I my Sonne David If a man would seriously consiâ—er how wee have beehaved our selves towards GOD from time to time how wee have refused Mercie contemned Grace c. Yet that GOD should still follow us with a Pardon bee content to blot out all the old Scoare and to receive us againe into his Favour this could not but worke upon the hardest heart and enflame the Love of God in our soules dayly VERSE 48 49 50. Text. And hee said unto Her Thy Sinnes are forgiven thee And they said c. Here we have a comfortable Application made by our blessed Saviour unto the woman of that which before he had told Simon Wherin consider we First Her Absolution vers 48 49. Secondly Her Dismission vers 50. In Her Absolution we have First the Sentence pronounced vers 48. Secondly an Exception made against it ver 49. In the former we note 1. The Person absolving He said thy sins are forgiven 2. The Person absolved unto her thy sinnes c. From the Person absolving we learne Doct. The power of Absolution and Remission of sins is a power belonging unto Christ His it is Isay 43.12 Luk. 5.21 24. Matth. 9.6 Revel 3. 1.18 If you aske me how Christ came by it seeing none can forgive sin but God I answer First He had it by Commission from God it was A Power given him by His Father as hee himselfe saith Secondly By meanes of the Vnion of the God-head and Manhood into one Person he had this Power As he was God he had it of Himselfe as he was Man he had it by virtue of the Vnion from God Object But the Apostles had and the Ministers of the Gospell have this Power for so we read Mat. 16.19 which words though in that place directed to S. Peter because he by that Confession which he made in the verses before gave occasion to our Saviour of mentioning this Prerogative and power of the Church yet they were intended for all the Apostles and in them for all Ministers successively as appeareth Matth. 18.18 Ioh. 20.23 In both which places he useth the plurall number and by a solemne Ceremony of breaâ—hing upon them as S. Iohn shews he invâ—sted them all with this Authority Resp They have so but their Power was not Primitive but Derivative not Absolute but Delegate in their owne name they do it not but in the Name of their Lord and Master 2 Cor. 5.18 2 Cor. 2.10 God pardons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Minister onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In respect of supre ame authority in God this Power is authoritativè he pardons in dependenter and ex authoritate primaria In Christ this power is said to be excellenter because he hath by his blood set open the Kingdome of Heaven for all beleevers and he pardons ex commissione by a second and derived authority In Man this Power is ministerialiter he pardons by a ministeriall publication of the word of Pardon the power of which we shall in the next Point shew Object But other men are bound to forgive as well as Minister so we find Matth. 18. If you forgive not saith CHRIST neither will my Father forgive you Resp
here used did manifest especially her Affection for want of that was Simon blamed So then we learne Doct. The Signes and Testimonies of Affection may not be forgotten It is not enough that the Heart be kindly affected unlesse we give due testimony outwardly of that Affection which we beare What S. Iames speaks of Faith Jam. 2.18 Shew mee thy Faith by thy works may be applied to Love shew me thy love by thy works To thy friends saith Salomon shew thy selfe friendly Pro. 18.24 And were not the signes of true Affection to be regarded I see not why the Apostle should give such a speciall charge about them in his Letters Rom. 16. wishing that his Salutations might be remembred to divers in particular mentioned as we find at large Rom. 16. and that they would greet one another with an holy Kisse Rom. 16.16 1 Thes 5.26 I 'le give you Reason for it Manifestation of Affection breeds Affection nothing more Againe By this the Truth of Affection may be discovered Our Love will bee found heereby to bee without Dissimulation which if true like fire will discover it selfe either by its Smoake or Flame Vse 1 Such may do well to think of this who pretend fervency of affection yet give no testimony of it They wish well to others as they say and pray for them but for any outward manifestation of this their love it is not to be seen There is a kind of Love indeed which Salomon cals Secret Beda in Pro. 27.5 Prov. 27.5 but he preferres open Rebuke before it When Love is Chambered and keeps close we may feare it is uncleane or sicke And such a Love it is that Salomon speaks of as Beda understands it A good and sound love will be seen abroad and take the aire els it should not be Faiths Daughter Vse 2 Be we perswaded to neglect no good office wherby our Friends may be certified how well we do affect them Are they in Affliction then mourne with them pray for them minister Counsell Comfort Helpe to them Are they in Prosperity Rejoyce with them and indeavour the continuance of their wellfare what lyes in you Be not wanting in any one duty of kindnesse and courtesie entertaine and salute one another with chearfullnesse if present Visit or send some tokens of Love one unto another if absent And to quicken us somewhat more in the performance of this duty forget not how willing the wicked of the world are that others should take notice of their Brother-hood in evill Why then should the godly live like strangers one with an other But this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my Feet Text. Simons defect is here aboundantly by this Penitent supplied Not his Face but his very Feet she kisseth and might it have bin any service to him the very dust under those feet of his should have bin licked by her So great was the affection which she bare unto our Saviour Our Collection shall be this Doct. Who so loves Christ will be content to kisse even the very Feet of Christ. Object But Christ is in Heaven you will say who can ascend on high to kisse him Resp Yet we must kisse him as the Prophet David shews spiritually though corporally we cannot Ps 2.11 12. More particularly To kisse is put first for Reverence and high estimation Pro. 24.26 And thus we must kisse him Phil. 2.10.2 It is put for Love and Affection Ier. 29.13 And thus we must kisse him Ioh. 21.15 1 Cor. 16.22.3 For Obedience and Subjection Gen. 41.40 And this kisse may not be wanting Rom. 14.11 Mat. 17. S. Bernard makes a whole Sermon of kissing Christ of which he might say as Lipsius did when he wrote a Chapter de osculis beginning thus Abi Venus fallem ego te quae ipsa multos de osculis caput scribam inscribam in quo tamen nihil tibi loci autju ris Venus hath no place therein nor right and therfore may be gone it is chast enough He tels us of a threefold Kisse which is owing to him The first is Osculum pedis Bern sup Cant. Serm. 3. the Kisse of his Feet And this we kisse when the soule doth lie prostrate before him in Humility and Devotion as we see here Maries did The second is Osculum manus the Kisse of the hand And his Hand we kisse when the soule is taken up by him so as to exercise the workes of Charity and the deeds of Mercie Of this Kisse our Saviour speakes Mat. 25.35 The third is Osculum oris A Kisse of the lips And thus we kisse Christ when the soule doth enjoy the sweetnesse of his presence by the inspiration of his Love and the contemplation of his Glory Of which kisse the Spouse speaks Cant. 1.2 And great Reason there is why Christ should thus be kissed by us For first he is wholy delectable there is nothing in him but is amiable Cant. 5.2 He came into the world and kissed us First with the Kisse of Peace and that at the first meeting So sang the Angelicall Quire Glory be to God on high and on Earth Peace c. And then at his parting My Peace I leave with you my Peace I give to you 2. He kissed us with the Kisse of Reconciliation Before we had the Kisse of his lips all things were at variance and disordered but He made all one Colos 1.20 Ioh. 17.11 3. With the Kisse of Religion he hath kissed us All those holy Doctrines which dropped from his lips like sweet smelling Myrrh Cant. 5.13 were as so many kisses Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy loaden Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly c. Matth. 11.28 29. that was a sweet Kisse saith Melancton Who so is a thirst let him come hither Melanc in Ps 2 and I will give him to drinke freely that was another Kisse of his Lips Iohn 7.37 So Matth. 5.1 c. Every Beatitude is a Kisse that whole Sermon of his is like the Book of Canticles it begins with kissing and ends in Spices We read in the French History History of Iewis 11. l. 1. p 26. that a Queene of France passing by a Chamber in the Court where the Chancellour of the Kingdome lay a sleepe which she espying saith the Story went and kissed him saying thus to her Ladies who began to marvell at it I kisse not the man but I kisse that mouth from whence have passed out so many excellent Discourses Let us kisse both man and mouth If we do not it will not be well taken for so we find Psal 7.12 Kisse the Sonne least he be angry that He is God the Father whom in the ver before we are willed to serve in Feare vers 11. God the Father is provoked to wrath when his Son is not kissed which may be another Reason to put us on upon the Duty There is a memorable Story in Theodoret
it and shews that Love was the cause why her many sins were forgiven her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem valet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aret. in loc But are they ignorant of this the For is oftentimes a note of Inference or Consequence and as well an argument of the Effect from the Cause as of the Cause from the Effect We say it is Spring-time Why so For or Because the Fig-tree puts forth and buds The putting forth of the Figg-tree argues the Spring-time Dilectio hic nō dicitur esse venia causa sed posterius signum Calv. but the budding and putting forth of the Fig-tree is not the Cause of Spring-time I say this child is alive because it cryes or this man lives because he mooves will any so understand me as if I meant the crying of the one and the mooving of the other is the Cause of life and motion in the one or in the other Our Saviour himselfe useth this kind of arguing as we find Iohn 15.15 I have called you Friends for all things I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you where declaring of those things to them is the Effect not cause of his Love And that our Saviour here reasoneth from the Effect to the Cause is evident enough from the whole discourse the scope wherof is to shew that the forgivenesse of the debt of sinne is a just cause of Love according to the measure and rate of the sins forgiven as is evident in such debters from whom the similitude is taken who beare no speciall love unto their creditours untill they know how they shall bee dealt withall Now if it should be as the Papists would have it that Love and the Fruits therof should be a cause of Remission our Saviours Application should be directly contrary to that which in this Parable he had propounded for then the greater Sinner should have somewhat to satisfie when the Parable saith that not so much as the lesser can doe it And that which in the Parable hee had made the Cause of the Love of the Forgiven Person heere hee should make the Effect of it Besides the other clause immediately following doth evidence it sufficiently that our Saviour argueth from the Effect For to whom little is forgiven saith our Saviour the same loveth little so that according to the proportion of Forgivenesse the proportion of Love followeth S. Ambrose thus understands the plate Bellar. depaenit lib. 2. c 14. resp ad object and Bellarmine himselfe saith that these words of Christ Many sinnes are forgiven her Confirmant absolutionem invisibiliter datam doe confirme the Absolution invisibly before given So then the Absolution which was given before was confirmed by her Love and by it shee might know and rest assured that her sins were remitted according to that of St. Iohn 1 Epist 3.14 Wee know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren This Collection then of theirs you see is but grating upon a word and contrary to the sence of the place a meere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A folly it is to follow them too far we come to such as the Text will naturally afford as first Doct. A Proofe a posteriore from the Effect is a strong Proofe and very Demonstrative Thus the Truth of our Faith is to be prooved Iames 2.18 And of Repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 And of Charity 1 Iohn 3.14 And so Saint Iames prooves Wisedome from above by the Effects Iames 3.17 Still Scripture puts us upon the Tryall of our Graces by these kinde of Proofes Grace is invisible in its Nature it cannot be seene in habitu Therefore as GOD was seene to Moses so is Grace to men by its Backe-parts and as the wind which no man can see in its proper Essence by the full sayles of the Ship is perceived which way it stands Vse Let this be a Direction to us in our Examination and tryall of our selves I deny not but a Proofe or Demonstration a priori from the Cause to the Effect is better and more excellent in its owne nature then the other But for us in the tryall of our spirituall estates it is safer and more demonstrative to proceed from the Effect to the Cause Would I know if the Sun shines there is no climbing up to the Sky to be resolved nor examining what matter it is made off I looke upon the beames shining on the Earth I perceive it is up and shines by the light and heat it gives Would I know if GOD hath elected me to life and to salvation There is no climbing up into Heaven to know his Decrees and hidden Counsell as too many would most audaciously but study well the markes of it from the Effects The head of Nilus cannot be found but the sweet Springs issuing from thence are well knowne No surer way to the Sea then by taking a River by the hand Our Vocation and Sanctification will carry us to Election Rom. 8.30 2 Pet. 1 5-10 These are the meanes whereby our Election and Salvation is made certaine not the efficient Causes wherby it comes to be decreed The Sun not the shadow makes the Day yet we know not how the Day goes by the Sunne but by the shadow In a word as the Planets are knowne by their Influence the Diamond by his Lustre and the Soule by her Vitall Operations so Grace is most sensibly knowne to us by the Effects therof Doct. Secondly we observe from hence That a true and unfeined love of Christ is a sure signe that our sins are remitted David thus reasons Psal 18.1 2. I will love thee O Lord my strength he got that lesson by heart yea in his heart now presently he takes forth The Lord is my Rocke and my Fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the horne of my Salvation This Argument our Saviour useth to raise up and comfort Peter after his fall who questionlesse was much cast downe under the sight and sense of his sin Simon thou sonne of Jonah lovest thou me Ioh. 21.15 q. d. If this be in thee be of good comfort know thy sins are remitted and God reconciled to thee So 1 Iohn 4.16 Hee that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in GOD and GOD in him Now as the Prophet speaks Can two walke together except they be agreed Questionlesse God is reconciled to them who truly love him els he would not bee an Inhabitant within them Soe 1 Pet. 1.3 4 8. Reason And it cannot otherwise be in that true Love ariseth and springeth from Faith Therfore in the place of S. Peter before noted 1 Tim. 1.5 after he said they loved the Lord he inferreth presently they also beleeved in him Which as we shall after see vers 50. is the instrumentall Cause of our Iustification It is Faith that brings the holy Fire of Love into our frozen hearts Gal. 5.6 or they would never