and so indeed they are the fruit and works of a bond-servant that is moved and constrained to doe all that heâ— doth for fear of punishment and hope of reward For saith Luther The Law given on mount Sinai which the Arabians call Agar begeteth none but servants and so indeed all that such a man doth is but hypocrisie for he pretends the serving of God whereas indeed hee intends the serving of himselfe and how can hee doe otherwise for whilst he wants faith he wants all things He is an empty vine and therefore must needs bring forth fruit unto himselfe till a man bee served himselfe he will not serve the Lord Christ nay whilst he wants faith he wants the love of Christ and therefore he lives not to Christ but to himselfe because he loved himselfe And hence surely we may conceive it is that Doctor Preston saith all that a man doth and not out of love is out of hypocrisie wheresoever love is not there is nothing but hypocrisie in such a mans heart But when a man through the hearing of faith receives the Spirit of Christ that spirit according to the measure of faith writes the lively law of love in his heart as Tindall sweetly sayth whereby hee is inabled to work freely and of his own accord without the coaction or compulsion of the Law for that love wherewith Christ or God in Christ hath loved him and which by faith is apprehended of him will constrain him to doe so according to that of the Apostle the love of Christ constraineth us that is it will make him to doe so whether he will or no hee cannot choose but doe it I tell you truly answerably as the love of Christ is shed abroad in the heart of any man it is such a strong impulsion that it carries him on to serve and please the Lord in all things according to the saying of an evangelicall man The will and affection of a believer according to the measure of faith and the spirit received sweetly quickens and bends to choose affect and delight in what ever was good and acceptable to God or man the Spirit freely and cheerfully moving and inclining him to keepe the law without feare of hell or hope of heaven for a christian man saith sweet Tindall worketh onely because it is the will of his Father for after that he is overcome with love and kindnesse he seeks to doe the will of God which indeed is a christian mans nature and what he doth hee doth it freely after the example of Christ as a naturall sonne aske him why he doth such a thing why sayth he It is the will of my Father and I doe it that I may please him for indeed love desireth no wages it is wages enough to it selfe it hath sweetnesse enough in it selfe it desires no addition it pays his own vvages and therefore it is the true childe like obedience being begoten by faith of Saraah the free-woman by the force of Gods love and so it is indeed the onely true and syncere obedience for sayth Doctor Preston to doe a thing in love is to doe it in syncerity and indeed there is no other defâ—inition of syncerity that is the best way to know it by Evan. But stay Sir I pray you would you not have believers to eschew evill and doe good for feare of hell or hope of heaven Evan. No indeed I would not have any believer to doe either the one or the other for so far forth as they doe so their obedience is but slavish and therefore though when they were first awaked convinced of their misery and set foot forward to goe on in the way of life they with the prodigall would be hired servants yet when by the eye of faith they see the mercie and indulgence of their heavenly Father in Christ running to meete them and embrace them I would have them with him to talke no more of being hired servants I would have them so to wrastle against doubting and so to exercise their faith as to believe that they are by Christ delivered from the hands of all their â—nemies both the Law sin wrath death â—he devill and hell that they may serve the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteâ—usnesse all the dayes of their lives I would â—ave them so to believe Gods love to them â— Christ as that thereby they may be conâ—trained to obedience Nom. But Sir you know that our Saâ—iour sayth Feare him that is able to destroy â—oth soule and body in hell And the Apostle â—yth We shall receive of the Lord the reward 〈◊〉 the inheritance is it not sayd that Moses â—ad respect unto the recompence of reward Evan. Surely the intent of our blessed â—aviour in that first Scripture is to teach all â—elievers that when God commands one 〈◊〉 and man another they should obey â—od and not man rather then to exhort â—â—em to eschew evill for feare of Hell And as for those other Scriptures by you alâ—â—aged if you mean reward and the means 〈◊〉 obtayn that reward in the Scripture sense 〈◊〉 it is another matter but I had thought 〈◊〉 had meant in our common sense and not 〈◊〉 the Scripture sense Nom. Why Sir I pray you what diffeâ—â—nce is there betwixt reward and the means to obteyn the reward in our common sense and in the Scripture sence Evan. Why reward in our common sence is that which is conceived to come from God or to be given by God which is a fancying of Heaven under carnall notions beholding it as a place where there is freedome from all misery and fulnesse of all pleasures and happinesse and to be obteyned by our own works and doings But reward in the Scripture sence is not so much that which comes from God or is given by God as that which lyes in God even the full fruition of God himselfe in Christ. I am sayth God to Abraham thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And whom have I in heaven but thee sayth David And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee and I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse And the means to obteyne this reward is not by doing but by believing even by drawing neere with a true heart in the full assurance of faith and so indeed it is given freely And therefore you are not to conceive of that reward which the Scripture speaks of as if it were the wages of a servant but as it is the inheritance of sons and when the Scripture seemeth to induce believers to obedience by promising this reward you are to conceive that the Lord speaketh to believers as a father doth to his young son doe this or that and then I will love thee whereas we know that the father loveth the sonne first and so doth God and therefore this is the voice of believers Wee love him because
comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for indeed Christ paid God till hee sayd hee had enough hee was fully satisfied fully contented and therefore in Jer. 50.20 it is sayd that in those dayes and at that time the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for by Christs death Satan sinne and Death were conquered and taken captive and whatsoever might bee brought against us was taken away as the least bill or scroule and yet it is sayd concerning the seed and children of Jesus Christ Psal. 89.30 If they forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements then will I visit your transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with stripes and in like manner 1 Cor. 11.30 it is sayd concerning believers For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleepe Now though all these Scriptures speake contrary one to another yet they all speake truth for they bee all of them the words of truth and that it may appeare to you that they doe so I pray you take notice that where believers are sayd not to bee under the Law and freed from the Law it is to be understood of the Law as it is the covenant of works and where it is sayd that believers are under the Law and that faith establisheth the Law it is to bee understood of the Law as it is the law of Christ now if believers be not under but are freed from the law of works or covenant of works then though they doe transgresse the law yet they doe not transgresse the Covenant of works and if they transgresse not the covenant of works then cannot God see any transgression of theirs as a transgression against that Covenant And if he see it not then can ye neither be angry with them nor yet chastise them for it But if believers be under the Law and faith doe establish the Law as it is the Law of Christ then if they transgresse any of the ten Commandements they transgresse the Law of Christ and if they transgresse the Law of Christ then doth Christ see it and if Christ see it he will be both angry with them and chastise them for it Now then neighbour Neophytus to apply these things to you and so to give you a particular answer to your question you are to know that you are not now under the Law but are by Christ freed from it as it is the Law of works and therefore whensoever you shall hereafter through frailty transgresse any of the ten Commandements you are not to thinke you have thereby transgressed the Covenant of works neither are you to conceive that God either sees your transgressions or is angry with you or doth chastise you for them as they are any way a transgression of that Covenant for you being freed from that Covenant and so consequently from sinning against it must needs likewise be freed from all wrath anger miseries calamities and afflictions as fruits and effects of any transgression against that Covenant But yet whilst you live you are to conceive that you are under the Law of Christ and therefore whensoever you doe swerve or goe away from the rule of any of the ten Commandements you must perswade your selfe that you have thereby transgressed the Law of Christ and that hee sees it and is displeased with you for it and if you be not grieved for it and doe not reforme it Christ will chastise you for it either by hiding his face and withdrawing the light of his countenance from you and so by depriving you of peace and comfort in him for a time or else by some outward losse or crosse in this World for that is the penalty of the Law of Christ so that if you or any believer else doe transgresse the Law of Christ if need be you shall bee as sure of temporall corrections as an unbeliever that transgresseth the covenant of works shall be of eternall damnation in hell wherefore I beseech you according to my exhortation and your resolution first be carefull to exercise your faith and use all meanes to increase it that so it may become effectuall working by love for according to the measure of your faith will be your true love to Christ and to his will and commandements and according to the measure of your love to them will be your delight in them and your aptnesse and readinesse to doe them and hence it is that Christ sayth If ye love me keep my commandements and hence it is that the believing soule according to the measure of its faith sayth with the Psalmist I delight to doe thy will ô my God yea thy law is within my heart for this is the love of God sayth that loving Disciple that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous nay the very truth is nothing will be more grievous to your soule then that you cannot keep them as you would ô this love of God being truly rooted in your heart will make you say with godly Joseph in case you be tempted as he was How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God how can I doe that which I know will displease so gracious a Father and so mercifull a Saviour no I will not doe it no I cannot doe it Secondly If in case you be at any time by reason of the weaknesse of your faith strength of your tentation drawn aside and prevailed with to transgresse any of Christs Comandements then beware that you do not thereupon take occasion to call Christs love to you into question but believe as firmly that he loves you as dearly as he did before you thus transgressed for this is a certain truth as no good in you or done by you did move or can move Christ to love you the more so no evill in you or done by you can move him to love you the lesse no assure your selfe that as he first loved you freely so will he hereafter heal your backsliding and still love you freely Hosea 14.4 yee hee will love you unto the end John 13.1 And therefore as you must be nothing in your selfe in case of your most exact obedience so must you be all in Christ in case of your most imperfect and defective obedience the which if you be why then the love of Christ will constrain you to mourn with an evangelicall or Gospell mourning reasoning with your self after this manner and is it so indeed though I have thus sinned yet will the Lord love me never the lesse for all that and am I as much in his favour now and as sure of erernall happinesse with Christ as I was before I thus sinned ô what a loving Father is this ô what a gracious Saviour is this ô what a wretched man am I to sin against such
content with what is most repugnant to its desire as with hunger cold nakednesse yea and with death it self such is the wonderfull working of the hearts quiet and rest in God So that although such a mans senses be still exerâ—ised in and upon their proper objects yet is not his life sensuall for his heart taketh no contentment from any such exercise but is still for the most part exercised in a more transcendent communion even with God in Christ so that he useth the world and the things of the world as though hee used them not and receiveth no cordiall contentment from any sensuall exercise whatsoever and that because his heart is withdrawne from them which withdrawing of the heart is not unaptly pointed at in the speech of the Spouse Cant. 5.2 I sleep sayth she but my heart waketh so that it may be sayd that such a man he is sleeping looking hearing tasting eating drinking feasting c. but his heart is withdrawne and is rejoycing in God his Saviour and his soul is magnifying the Lord so that in the midst of all sensuall delights his heart and secretly sayth I but my happinesse is not here Nom. But Sir I pray you why do you call rationall and religious exercises a wildernesse Evan. For two reasons first because that as the children of Israel when they were got out of Egypt did yet wander many yeers in the wildernesse before they came into the land of Canaan even so doe many men wander long in rationall and religious exercises after they have left a sensuall life before they come to rest in God whereof the land of Canaan was a type Secondly because as in a wildernesse men often lose themselves and can finde no way out but supposing after long travell that they are neere the place whither they would goe are in truth further off even so fareth it with many yea with all such as walk in the way of reason they lose themselves in the woods and bushes of their works and doings so that the longer they travell the further they are from God and true rest in him Nom. But Sir you know that the Lord hath endued us with reasonable souls would you not then have us to make use of our reason Evan. I pray you doe not mistake mee I do not contemn nor despise the use of reason onely I would not have you to establish it to the chief good but I would have you to keep it under so that if with Hagar it attempt to beare rule and Lord it over your faith then would I have you in the wisdome of God like Sarah to cast it out from having dominion in few words I would have you more strong in desire than curious in speculation and to long more to feele communion with God then to be able to dispute of the genus or species of any question eyther humane or divine And presse hard to know God by powerfull experience and though your knowledge be great and your obedience surpassing many yet would I have you to be truly nullified anihilated and made nothing and become fools in all fleshly wisdome and glory in nothing but only in the Lord and I would have you with the eye of faith sweetly to behold all things extracted out of one thing in one to see al in a word I would have in you a most profound silence contemning all curious questions and discourses and to ponder much in your heart but prate little with your tongue Be swift to heare but slow to speake and slow to wrath as the Apostle James adviseth you and by this meanes will your reason be subdued and become one with your faith for then is reason one with faith when it is subjugated unto faith and then will reason keepe its true lists and limits and you will become ten times more reasonable then you were before so that I hope you now see that the hearts farewell from the sensuall and rationall life is not to be considered absolutely but respectively it doth not consist in a going out of either but in a right use of both And now for a conclusion let mee tell you when any of your souls shall thus forget her own people and her fathers house Christ her King shall so desire her beauty and be so much in love with her that like a Load-stone this love of his shall draw the soule in pure desire to him again and then as the Hart panteth after the rivers of water so will your souls pant after God yea then will your souls be so ravished with desire and so sick of love that it will bee manifest by your seeking him whom your soul loveth and so shall your soule come to have a reall rest in God and according to the measure of your faith be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious and how can it bee otherwise when your soule shall really communicate with God and by faith have a true taste and by the Spirit have a sure earnest of all heavenly preferments having as it were one foot in heaven whilst you live upon earth ô then what an Eucharisticall love will arise from your thankfull heart extending it selfe first towards God and then towards man for Gods sake because his everlasting love in his Christ is made known to your soule so that then according to the measure of your faith you shall not need to frame and force your selfe to love and doe good duties but being so assured of Gods love to you in his CHRIST your soule will stand bound ever more to love God and according to the measure thereof you will stand bound to the keeping of all his Commandements and this love of God in the heart will cut down selfe love so that now you will be for God and it will be your meat and drinke to doe his will whilst you live on earth and much more when you come to heaven the place of perfect and everlasting rest whither our Lord JESUS CHRIST bring us all in his due time Amen And now Brethren I commend you to GOD and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Neo. Well Sir at this time I will say no more but that it was a happie houre wherein I came to you and a happie conference that wee have had together surely Sir I never knew Christ before this day ô what cause have I to thanke the Lord for my comming hither and my two friends as a means of it and Sir for the payns that you have taken with me I pray the Lord to requite you and so beseeching you to pray the Lord to increase my faith and to helpe mine unbeliefe I humbly take my leave of you praying the God of love and peace to be with you Nom. And truly Sir I doe believe that I have cause to speake as much in that case as you have for
of it or being at all affected with it so far are wee from comming out of it And if the Lord be pleased by any means to open our eyes to see our misery and we doe thereupon begin to step out of it yet alas wee are prone rather to goe backwards towards the first Adams pure estate in striving and strugling to leave sinne and performe duties and doe good works hoping thereby to make our selves so righteous and holy that God will let us into Paradise againe to eat of the tree of life and live for ever and this we do untill we see the flaming sword at Edens gate turning every way to keepe the way of the tree of life Is it not ordinary when the Lord convinceth a man of his sin eyther by means of his Word or his Rod to cry after this manner O I am a sinfull man for I have lived a very wicked life and therefore surely the Lord is angry with mee and will damne me in hell ô what shall I do to save my soule And is there not at hand some ignorant miserable comforter ready to say yet doe not despayre man but repent of your sins and aske God forgivenesse and reforme your life and doubt not but he will be mercifull unto you for hee hath promised you know that at what time soever a sinner repenteth of his sins hee will forgive him And doth hee not hereupon comfort himself and say in his heart at least ô if the Lord will but spare my life and lengthen out my days I will become a new man I am very sorry that I have lived such a sinfull life but I will never doe as I have done for all the world ô you shall see a great change in me believe it And hereupon he betakes himself to a new course of life and it may be becomes a zealous professour of Religion performing all Christian exercises both publike and private and leaves off his old companions and keeps company with religious men and so it may be goes on till his dying day and thinks himselfe sure of Heaven and eternall happines yet it maybe all this while is ignorant of Christ and his Righteousnes and therefore establisheth his own Where is the man or where is the woman that is truly come to Christ that hath not had some experience in themselves of such a disposition as this if there be any that have reformed their lives and are become Professours of Religion and have not taken notice of this in themselves more or lesse I wish they have gone beyond a legall Professour or one still under the covenant of works Nay where is the man or woman that is truly in Christ that findeth not in themselves an aptnes to withdraw their hearts from Christ and to put some confidence in their owne works and doings if there be any that do not find it I wish their hearts deceive them not Let me confesse ingeniously I was a professour of Religion at least a dozen yeeres before I knew any other way to eternall life then to be sorry for my sins and aske forgivenesse and strive and endeavour to fulfill the Law and keepe the Commandements according as Master Dod and other godly men had expounded them and truly I remember I was in hope I should at last attain to the perfect fulfilling of them and in the mean-time I conceived that God would accept the will for the deed or what I could not doe Christ had done for me And though at last by meanes of conferring with Master Thomas Hooker in private the Lord was pleased to convince me that I was yet but a proud Pharisee and to shew mee the way of faith and salvation by Christ alone and to give mee as I hope a heart in some measure to embrace it yet alas through the weaknesse of my faith I have been and am still apt to turne aside to the covenant of works and therefore have not attained to that joy and peace in believing nor that measure of love to Christ and man for Christs sake as I am confident many of Gods Saints do attain unto in the time of this life the Lord be mercifull unto mee and increase my faith And are there not other though I hope but few who being enlightned to see their misery by reason of the guilt of sin though not by reason of the filth of sinne And hearing of justification freely by grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ do applaud and magnifie that doctrine following them that doe most preach and presse the same seeming to be as it were ravished with the hearing thereof out of a conceit that they are by Christ freely justified from the guilt of sin though still they retain the filth of sin these are they that content themselves with a Gospel knowledge with meere notions in the head but not in the heart glorying and rejoycing in free grace and justification by faith alone professing faith in Christ and yet are not possessed of Christ these are they that can talke like believers and yet do not walke like believers these are they that have language like Saints and yet have conversations like Devils these are they that are not obedient to the Law of Christ and therefore are justly called Antinomians Now both these paths leading from Christ have been justly judged as erronious and to my knowledge not onely a matter of 18 or 20 years agoe but also within these three or foure years there hath been much a doe both by preaching writing and disputing both to reduce men out of them and to keep them from them and hot contentious have been on both sides and all I fear me to little purpose for hath not the strict professour according to the Law whilst he hath striven to reduce the loose professour according to the Gospel out of the Antinomian path intangled both himselfe and others the faster in the yoke of bondage and hath not the loose professour according to the Gospel whilst he hath striven to reduce the strict professour according to the Law out of the legall path by promising liberty from the Law taught others and been himselfe the servant of corruption For this cause I though I be nothing have by the grace of God endeavoured in this Dialogue to walk as a middle-man betwixt them both in shewing to each of them his erronious path with the middle path which is Jesus Christ received truly and walked in answerably as a means to bring them both unto him and make them both one in him And oh that the Lord would be pleased so to blesse it to them that it might be a means to produce that effect I have as you may see gathered much of it out of known and approved Authours and yet have therein wronged no man for I have restored it to the right owner again in the margent some part of it my manuscripts have afforded me and of the rest I hope
justified by faith it is a very needless thing for him to endevour to keep the law and to do good works Evan. I remember Luther sayth that in his time there were some that did reason after the like manner if faith say they do accomplish all things and if faith be onely and alone sufficient unto righteousnesse to what end then are wee commanded to doe good deeds we may go play us then and work no working at all to whom hee makes an answer saying not so ye ungodly not so And there were others that said If the law do not justifie then is it in vaine and of none effect yet is it not therefore true saith he for like as this consequence is nothing worth money doth not justifie or make a man righteous therefore it is unprofitable the eyes doe not justifie therefore they must be plucked out the hands make not a man righteous therefore they must be cut off so is this nought also the law doth not justifie therefore it is unprofitable we do not therefore destroy and condemne the law because wee say it doth not justifie but we say with Paul the law is good if a man do rightly use it and that this is a faithfull saying That they which have believed in God might be carefull to mayntaine good works these things are good and profitable unto men Neo. Truly Sir for mine own part I do much marvell that this my friend Antinomista should be so confident of his faith in Christ and yet so little regard holinesse of life and keeping of Christs commandements as it seemes hee doth for I give the Lord thanks I doe now in some small measure believe that I am by Christ freely and fully justified and acquitted from all my sins and therefore have no need eyther to eschew evill or do good for feare of punishment or hope of reward and yet me thinks I finde my heart more willing and desirous to doe what the Lord commands and to avoid what hee forbids then ever it was before I did thus believe surely Sir I doe perceive that faith in Christ is no hinderance to holinesse of life as I once thought it was Evan. Neighbour Neophytus if our friend Antinomista do content himself with a meere Gospell knowledge in a notionary way and have run out to fetch in notions from Christ and yet is not fetcht in by the power of Christ let us pitty him pray for him and in the mean time I pray you know that true faith in Christ is so far from being a hinderance from holinesse of life and good works that it is the onely furtherance for onely by faith in Christ a man is enabled to exercise all Christian graces a-right and to performe all Christian duties a-right which before he could not As for example before a man believe Gods love to him in Christ though he may have a kind of love to God as he is his creatour and preserver and gives him many good things for this present life yet if God do but open his eyes to see what condition his soul is in that is if he do but let him see that relation that is betwixt God and him according to the tenour of the conant of works then he conceives of him as an angry Judge armed with justice against him and must be pacified by the works of the law whereunto he finds his nature opposite and contrary and therefore hee hates both God and his law and doth secretly wish and desire there were neyther God nor law and though God should now give unto him never so many temporall blessings yet could hee not love him for what malefactour could love that Judge or his law from whom he expects the sentence of condemnation though he should feast him at his table with never so many dainties But after that the kindnesse and love of God his Saviour hath appeared not by works of righteousnesse that he hath done but according to his mercy hee saved him that is when as by the eye of faith he sees himselfe to stand in relation to God according to the tenour of the covenant of grace then he conceives of God as a most mercifull and loving Father to him in Christ that hath freely pardoned â—nd forgiven him all his sins and quite released him from the covenant of works and by this means the love of God is shed abroad in his hart through the Holy Ghost which is given to him and then he loves God because he first loved him for as a man seeth and feeleth by faith the love and favour of God towards him in Christ his Son so doth he love again both God and his law and indeed it is impossible for any man to love God till by faith hee know himself loved of God Secondly though a man before he believe Gods love to him in Christ may have a great measure of legall humiliation compunction sorrow and griefe and be brought down as it were to the very gate of hell and feele the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience for his sins yet is it not because hee hath thereby offended God but rather because he hath thereby offended himself that is because hee hath thereby brought himselfe into the danger of eternal death and condemnation but when once he believes the love of God to him in Christ in pardoning his iniquity and passing by his transgression then he sorrows grieves for the offence of God by the sin reasoning thus with himselfe and is it so indeed hath the Lord given his own Sonne to death for me who hath been such a vile sinfull wretch and hath Christ borne all my sins and was hee wounded for my transgressions ô then the working of his bowels the stirring of his affections the melting and relenting of his repenting heart then he remembers his own evill ways and his doings that were not good and loaths himselfe in his own eyes for all his abominations and looking upon Christ whom he hath pierced he mournes bitterly for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne thus when faith hath bathed a mans heart in the bloud of Christ it is so mollified that it quickly dissolues into the teares of godly sorrow so that if Christ doe but turn and look upon him ô then with Peter hee goes out and weeps bitterly and this is true gospel mourning and this is right evangelicall repenting Thirdly Though before a man doe truly believe in Christ he may so reforme his life and amend his ways that as touching the righteousnesse which is of the Law he may be with the Apostle blamelesse yet being under the covenant of works all the obedience that he yields to the Law all his leaving of sin and performance of duties all his avoyding of what the law forbids and all his doing of what the law commands is begotten by the law of works of Hagar the bond-woman by the force of self-love
though I have out-stript him in knowledge and it may be also in strict walking yet doe I now see that my actions were neither from a right principle nor to a right end and therefore have I been in no better a condition then he and truly Sir I must needs confesse I never heard so much of Christ and the Covenant of grace as I have done this day the Lord make it profitable to me and I beseech you Sir pray for me Ant. And truly Sir I am now fully convinced that I have gone out of the right way in that I have not had regard to the Law and the works thereof as I should But God willing I shall hereafter if the Lord prolong my dayes be more carefull how I lead my life seeing the ten Commandements are the law of Christ. And I beseech you Sir remember me in your prayers and so with many thanks to you for your pains I take my leave of you beseeching the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to bee with your spirit Amen Evan. Now the very God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great sheepherd of the sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen John 8.36 If the Sonne make you free you shall be free indeed Gal. 5.1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Ver. 13. Onely use not your liberty for an occasion of the flesh but by love serve one another Chap. 6. ver 16. And as many as walke according to this rule peace bee upon them and mercie and upon the Israel of God Mat. 11.25 I thanke thee ô Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God that was with mee Psal. 36.11 Let not the foot of pride come against me LOving Reader the Printer drawing towards a conclusion and wanting matter to compleat so many sheets as was desired I have thought good by reason of the sutablenesse of this with the former to adde these Propositions following which are proved by Scripture and gathered long since by Patrick Hambleton Scottishman and martyred who was burned in Scotland the first day of March Anno 1527. The first Proposition He that loveth God loveth his neighbour This Proposition is proved 1 John 4.20 If a man say I love God and yet hateth his brother he is a lyer for how can hee that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene love God whom he hath not seen The second Proposition Hee that loveth his neighbour as himselfe keepeth all the Commandements of God This Proposition is proved Matth. 7.12 Whatsoever he would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets and in Rom. 13.8 9. Hee that loveth his neighbour fulfilleth the Law For this thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not bear false witnesse thou shalt not covet and if there be any other Commandement it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe and in Gal. 5.14 All the law is fulfilled in this one word Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self The third Proposition He that hath faith loveth God My Father loveth you because ye love me and believe that I came out from God John 16.27 Argument He that keepeth the Commandements of God hath the love of God He that hath faith keepeth the Commandements of God Ergo He that hath faith loveth God The fourth Proposition Hee that keepeth one Commandement of God keepeth them all This Proposition is confirmed Heb. 11.6 It is impossible for a man without faith to please God that is to keep any one of Gods Commandements as he should do then whosoever keepeth any one Commandement hath faith Argument Hee that hath faith keepeth all the Commandements of God He that keepeth any one Commandement of God hath faith Ergo He that keepeth any one Commandement keepeth them all The fifth Proposition Hee that keepeth not all the Commandements keepeth none of them Argument He that keepeth one Commandement of God keepeth all Ergo he that keeps not all the Commanments of God keepeth not one of them The sixth Proposition Faith is the gift of God Argument Every good thing is the gift of God Faith is a good thing Ergo Faith is the gift of God The seventh Proposition Faith is not in our power Argument The gift of God is not in our power Faith is the gift of God Ergo Faith is not in our power The eighth Proposition He that hath faith is just and good Argument He that is a good tree bringeth forth good fruit and is just and good Hee that hath faith is a good tree and bringeth forth good fruit Ergo he that hath faith is just and good The ninth Proposition Hee that believeth the Gospel believeth God Argument Hee that believeth Gods Word believeth God The Gospel is the Word of God Ergo Hee that believeth the Gospel believeth God To believe the Gospel is this that Christ is the Saviour of the world that Christ is our Saviour Christ bought us with his bloud Christ washed us with his bloud Christ offered himselfe a sacrifice for us Christ bare our sins upon his own back The tenth Proposition He that believeth the Gospel shall be safe Go yee unto all the World and preach the Gospel unto every creature hee that believeth and is baptised shall be saved Mark 16.16 A comparison between Faith and Incredulity Faith is the root of all good Incredulity is the root of all evill Faith maketh God and man good friends Incredulity maketh them foes Faith bringeth God and man together Incredulity separateth them All that Faith doth pleaseth God all that Incredulity doth displeaseth him Faith maketh a man good and righteous Incredulity maketh him evill Faith maketh a member of Christ Incredulity a member of the Devill Faith bringeth a man to Heaven Infidelity bringeth him to Hell A dispute between the Law and the Gospell The Law said pay the debt the Gospel said Christ hath payd it The Law said thou art a sinner the Gospel said thy sins are forgiven thee The Law said the Father of Heaven is angry the Gospel said Christ hath pacified it The Law said where is thy righteousnesse the Gospel said Christ is a believers righteousnesse The Law said thou art bound over to me the Devill and Hell The Gospel said Christ hath delivered a believer from you all No manner of works make us righteous We believe that a man is justified
I may say as Jacob did of his venison Gen. 27.20 The Lord hath brought it unto me let me speak it without vain glory I have endeavoured herein to imitate the laborious Bee who out of divers flowers gathers honey and wax and thereof makes one combe if any soule feels any sweetnesse in it let them praise God and pray for me who am weak in faith and cold in love E. F. TO THE READER IF thou wilt please to peruse this little Book thou shalt finde great worth in it There is a line of a gracious Spirit drawne through it which hath fastned many precious truths together and presented them to thy view according to the variety of mens spirits the various ways of presenting known truths are profitable The grace of God hath helped this Author in his worke if it in like manner helps thee in reading thou shalt have cause to blesse God for these truths thus brought to thee and for the labours of this good man whose ends I believe are very syncere for God and thy good Jer. Burroughes OCcasionally lighting upon this Dialogue under the Approbation of a learned and judicious Divine I was thereby induced to read it and afterwards upon serious consideration of the usefulnesse of it to commend it to the people in my publike Ministry Two things in it especially tooke with me first the matter the main substance being distinctly to discover the nature of the two Covenants upon which all the mysteries both of Law and Gospel depend To see the first Adam to be primus foederatus in the one and the second Adam in the other to distinguish rightly betwixt the law standing alone as a Covenant and standing in subordination to the Gospel as a servant this I assure my selfe to be the key which opens the hiden treasures of the Gospel As soone as God had given Luther but a glimpse hereof hee professeth that hee seemed to bee brought into Paradise again and the whole face of the Scripture to bee changed to him and he looked upon every truth with another eye Secondly the manner because it is an Irenicum and tends to an accommodation and a right understanding Times of Reformation have always been times of division Satan will cast out a floud after the woman as knowing that more die by the disagreement of the humours of their own bodies than by the sword and that if men be once engaged they will contend if not for truth yet for victory Now if the difference be in things of lesser consequence the best way to quench it were silence this was Luthers counsell given in an Epistle written to the Divines assembled in a Synod at Norimberge Meum consilium fuerit cum nullum sit Ecclesiae periculum ut hanc causam sinatis vel ad tempus sopitam utinam extinctam jacere donec tutiore meliore tempore animis in pace firmatis charitate aduatis eam disputetis I think it were good counsell concerning many of the Disputes of our times But if the difference be of greater concernment as this is then the way to decide it is to bring in more light which this Authour hath done with much evidence of Scripture backt with the authority of most moderne Divines so that whosoever desires to have his judgement cleered in the maine controversie betweene us and the Antinomians with a small expence either of money or time hee may here receive ample satisfaction this I testifie upon request professing my selfe a friend both to truth and peace Novem. 12. W. Strong THis book at first well accommodated with so valuable a testimony as M. Caryls besides its better-approving it self to the choicer spirits every where to the speedy distribution of the whole impression it might seeme a needlesse or superfluous thing to adde any more to the praise thereof yet meeting with detracting language from some few by reason of some phrases by them either not duly pondered or not rightly understood it is thought meete this second impression to relieve that worthy testimony which still stands to it with fresh supplies not for any need the truth therein contained hath thereof but because either the prejudice or darknesse of some mens judgements doth require it I therefore having throughly perused it cannot but testifie that if I have any the least judgment or rellish of truth hee that findes this book findes a good thing and not unworthy of its title and may account the Saints to have obtained favour with the Lord in the ministration of it as that which with great plainenesse and evidence of truth comprises the chiefe if not all the differences that have been lately ingendred about the Law it hath I must confesse not onely fortified my judgement but also warmed my heart in the reading of it as indeed inculcating throughout the whole Dialogue the cleer and familiar notion of those things by which we live as Hezekias speaks in another case and it appeareth to me to be written from much experimentall knowledge of Christ and teaching of the Spirit Let all men that taste the fruit of it confesse to the glory of God he is no respecter of persons and endeavour to know no man henceforth after the flesh nor envie the compiler thereof the honour to be accounted as God hath made him in this point a healer of breaches and a restorer of the over-grown paths of the Gospel as for mine own part I am so satisfied in this testimony I lend that I reckon what ever credit is thus pawned will be a glory to the name that stands by and avows this truth so long as the book shall endure to record it Ihshua Sprigge Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus My loving friend in Christ I Have according to your desire read over your Booke and finde it full of Evangelicall light and life and I doubt not but the oftner I read it the more true comfort I shall finde in the knowledge of Christ thereby the matter â—s pure the method is Apostolicall wherein the works of love in the right place after the life of faith bee effectually required God hath endewed his Fisher with the Net of a trying understanding and discerning iudgement and discretion whereby out of the Christaline streams of the well of life you have taken a messe of the sweetest and wholsomest fish that the whole world can afford which if I could daily have enough of I should no more care for the flesh or the works thereof Samuell Prittie A CATALOGUE of those Writers names out of whom I have collected much of the matter contained in this ensuing Dialogue A Doctor Ames M. Aynsworth B M. Beza M. Bulenger M. Bradford M. Bastingius Bishop Babington M. Ball M. Robert Boulton M. Samuel Boulton C M. Calvin M. Culverwell M. Carelesse M. Cornwall D Du Plesse B. Dâ—wname Doctor Diâ—daâ—e M. Dixon M. Dyke E M. Elton F M. Fox M. Frith M. Forbs G M. Greenham M. Gibbens M. Thomas Goodwin
therefore it belongs to me yea and say with PAUL I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himselfe for mee Hee saw in mee sayth Luther on the Text nothing but wickednesse going astray and flying from him yet this good Lord had mercy on mee and of his meere mercy hee loved mee yea so loved mee that hee gave himselfe for mee who is this mee even I wretched and damnable sinner was so deerly beloved of the Son of God that hee gave himselfe for mee ô print this word me in your heart and apply it to your own self not doubting but that you are one of those to whom this me belongeth Neo. But may such a vile and sinfull wretch as I am be perswaded that God commands me to believe and that hee hath made a promise to me Evan. Why doe you make a question where there is none to be made Goe sayth Christ and preach the Gospel to every creature under Heaven that is go tell every man without exception whatsoever his sins be whatsoever his rebellions be goe and tell him these glad tydings that if hee will come in I will accept of him his sins shall bee forgiven him and hee shall bee saved if hee will come in and take mee and receive mee I will be his loving husband and hee shall bee mine owne deare Spouse let mee therefore say unto you in the words of the Apostle Now then I as an Ambassadour for Christ as though GOD did beseech you by mee I pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled unto God for hee hath made him to be sin for you who knew no sin that you might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Neo. But doe you say Sir that if I believe I shall bee espoused unto Christ Evan. Yea indeed shall you for faith coupleth the soul with Christ even as the Spouse with her husband by which means Christ and the soule are made one for as in corporall marriage man and wife are made one flesh even so in this spirituall and mysticall marrriage Christ and his Spouse are made one spirit and this marriage of all others is most perfect and absolutely accomplished betweene them for the marriage between man and wife is but a slender figure of this union wherefore I beseech you to believe it and then you shall be sure to enjoy it Neo. Surely Sir if David sayd seemeth it to you a light thing to be an earthly Kings son-in-law seeing that I am a poore man and lightly esteemed then surely I have much more cause to say seemeth it to you a light thing to bee a heavenly Kings daughter-in-law seeing that I am such a poor sinfull wretch surely Sir I cannot be perswaded to believe it Evan. Alas man how much are you mistaken for you look upon God and upon your self with the eye of reason and so standing in relation to each other according to the tenour of the Covenant of Works whereas you being now in the case of Justification and Reconciliation you are to looke both upon God and upon your selfe with the eye of faith and so standing in relation to each other according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace for sayth the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their sinnes unto them as if hee had sayd because as God stands in relation to man according to the tenour of the Covenant of works and so out of Christ hee could not without prejudice to his justice be reconciled unto them nor have any thing to doe with them otherwise then in wrath and indignation therefore to the intent that justice and mercy might meet together and righteousnesse and peace might embrace each other and so God stand in relation to man according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace hee put himselfe into his Son Jesus Christ and shrowded himself there that so hee might speake peace to his people Sweetly sayth Luther because the nature of God was otherwise higher then that wee are able to attayne unto it therefore hath hee humbled himselfe to us and taken our nature upon him and so put himselfe into Christ here hee looketh for us here he will receive us and hee that seeketh him here shall finde him This sayth God the Father is my well beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 whereupon the same Luther sayth in another place We must not thinke and perswade our selves that this voice came from heaven for Christs own sake but for our sakes even as Christ himselfe sayth John 12.30 This voyce came not because of mee but for your sakes the truth is Christ had no need that it should be sayd unto him this is my well beloved sonne he knew that from all eternity and that he should still so remain though these words had not beene spoken from heaven therefore by these words God the Father in Christ his Sonne cheereth the hearts of poore sinners and greatly delighteth them with singular comfort and heavenly sweetnesse assuring them that whosoever is marryed unto Christ and so in him by faith hee is as acceptable to God the Father as Christ himselfe according to that of the Apostle Hee hath made us acceptable in his beloved wherefore if you would bee acceptable to God and bee made his deare childe then by faith cleave unto his beloved Sonne Christ and hang about his neck yea and creepe into his bosome and so shall the love and favour of God be as deeply insinuated into you as it is into Christ himselfe and so shall God the Father together with his beloved Sonne wholy possesse you and be possessed of you and so God and Christ and you shall become one entire thing according to Christs prayer That they may bee one in us as thou and I are one and by this means may you have sufficient ground and warrant to say in the matter of reconciliation with God at any time whensoever you are disputing with your selfe how God is to be found that justifieth and saveth sinners I know no other God neither will I know any other God besides this God that came dow from heaven and clothed himselfe with my flesh unto whom all power is given both in heaven and in earth Who is my Judge For the father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne so that Christ may doe with mee whatsoever him liketh and determine of mee aecording to his own minde and I am sure hee hath sayd Hee came not to judge the World but to save the World and therefore I doe believe that hee will save mee Neo. Indeed Sir if I were so holy and so righteous as some men are and had such power over my sins and corruptions as some men have then I could easily believe it but alas I am so sinfull and so unworthy a wretch that I dare not presume to believe that
satisfied or else I will take hold on thee â—hen answer you and say O Law bee it known unto thee that I am now marryed unto Christ and so I am under coverâ— and therefore if thou charge me with any debt thou must enter thine action against my husband Christ for the wife is not suable at the Law but the husband But the truth is I through him am dead to thee ô Law and thou art dead to me and therefore justice hath nothing to doe with me for it judgeth according to the Law And if it yet reply and say I but good works must be done and the commandements must bee kept if thou wilt obtain salvation Then answer you and say I am already saved before thou camest therefore I have no need of thy presence for in Christ I have all things at once neither need I any thing more that is necessary to salvation hee is my righteousnesse my treasure and my work I confesse O Law that I am neither godly nor righteous but yet this am I sure of that he is godly and righteous for me and to tell thee the truth O Law I am now with him in the bride-chamber where it maketh no matter what I am or what I have done but what Christ my sweet husband is hath done and doth for me and therefore leave off Law to dispute with me for by faith I apprehend him who hath apprehended me and put me into his bosome wherefore I will be bold to bid Moses with his Tables and all Lawyers with their books and all men with their works hold their peace and give place so that I say unto thee O Law be gon and if it will not be gon then thrust it out by force And if sin offer to take hold of you as David said his did on him Psal. 40.14 then say you unto it thy strength O sin is the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 and the Law is dead to me and therefore O sin thy strength is gon and therefore be sure thou shalt never be able to prevail against me nor doe me any hurt at all And if Satan take you by the throat and by violence draw you before Gods judgement seat then call to your husband Christ and say Lord I suffer violence make answer for me and help me and by his help you shall be enabled to plead for your selfe after this manner O God the Father I am thy Sonne Christs thou gavest me unto him and thou hast given unto him all power both in heaven and in earth and hast committed all judgement to him and therefore I will-stand to his judgement who saith He came not to judge the World but to save it and therefore hee will save me according to his office and if the jury should bring in their verdict that they have found you guilty then speak to the Iudge and say in case any must be condemned for my transgressions it must needs be Christ and not I for albeit I have committed them yet hee hath undertaken and bound himselfe to answer for them and that by his consent and good will and indeed hee hath fully satisfied for them and if all this will not serve the turne to acquit you then Adde moreover and say As a woman that is conceived with childe must not suffer death because of the childe that is within her no more must I because I have conceived Christ in mine heart though I had committed all the sins in the world And if death creep upon you and attempt to devoure you then say thy sting ô death is sin and Christ my husband hath fully vanquished sin and so deprived thee of thy sting and therefore doe I not feare any hurt that thou ô death canst do unto mee And thus you may triumph with the Apostle saying Thanks be to God who hath given mee victory through my Lord Iesus Christ. And thus have I also declared unto you how Christ in the fulnesse of time performed that which God before all time purposed and in time promised touching the helping and delivering of falne mankind and so have I also done with the law of faith Nom. Then Sir I pray you proceed to speake of the law of Christ and first let us heare what the law of Christ is The law of Christ in regard of substance and matter is all one with the law of workes or covenant of workes which matter is scattered through the whole Bible and summed up in the Decalogue or ten commandements commonly called the Morall Law containing such things as are agreeable to the minde and will of God to wit piety towards God charity towards our Neighbour and sobriety towards our selves therefore was it given of God to be a true and eternall rule of righteousnes for all men of all Nations and at all times so that Evangelicall grace directs a man to no other obedience then that wherof the law of the ten commandements is to be the rule Nom. But yet Sir I conceive that though as you say the law of Christ in regard of substance and matter be all one with the law of works yet their forms do differ Evan. True indeed for as you have heard the law of works speaketh on this wise doe this and thou shalt live and if thou doe it not thou shalt die the death but the law of Christ speaketh on this wise And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live And whosoever liveth and believeth in mee shall never die Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children and walke in love as Christ hath loved us And if ye love me keep my commandements And if they breake my statutes and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take away from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail Thus you see that both these laws agree in saying doe this but here is the difference The one saith doe this and live and the other saith live and doe this the one saith doe this for life the other saith do this from life the one saith If thou do it not thou shalt die the other saith If thou doe it not I will chastise thee with the rod the one is to be delivered by God as hee is a creatour out of Christ onely to such as are out of Christ the other is to be delivered by God as he is a Redeemer in Christ onely to such as are in Christ Wherefore Neighbour Neophytus seeth that you are now in Christ beware you receive not the ten commandements at the hands of God out of Christ nor yet at the hands of Moses but onely at the hands of Christ and so shall you be sure to receive them as the law of Christ. Nom. But Sir may not
he first loved us the Lord doth pay them or at least giveth them a sure earnest of their wages before hee bid them work and therefore the contest of a believer according to the measure of his faith is not what will God give mee but what shall I give God What shall I render unto the Lord for all his goodnesse for thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth Nom. Then Sir it seems that holinesse of life and good workes are not the cause of eternall happines but onely the way thether Evan. Doe you not remember that our Lord Jesus himself sayth I am the way the truth and the life And doth not the Apostle say to the believing Colossians As ye have received Jesus Christ the Lord so walk in him that is As you have received him by faith so goe on in your faith and by his power walk in his Commandements so that good works as I conceive may rather be called a believers walking in the way to eternal happinesse then the way it self but however this wee may assuredly conclude that the summe and substance both of the way and walking in the way consist in the receiving of Jesus Christ by faith and in yielding obedience to his law according to the measure of that receiving Neo. Sir I am perswaded that through my neighbour Nomistas asking you these questions you have been interrupted in your discourse in shewing how faith doth enable a man to exercise his christian graces and performe his christian duties aright And therefore I pray you go on Evan. What should I say more for the time would fail me to tell how that according to the measure of any mans faith is his true peace of conscience for sayth the Apostle being justified by faith wee have peace with God yea sayth the Prophet Isaiah Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee here there is a sure and true grounded peace therfore it is of faith sayth the Apostle that it might be by grace and that the promise might be sure to all the seed and answerably to a mans believing that hee is justified fully by Gods grace through that redemption that is in Jesus Christ is his true humility of spirit so that although he be endued with excellent gifts and graces and though he performe never so many duties he denyes himselfe in all hee doth not make them as ladders for him to ascend up into Heaven by But desires to be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ he doth not think himselfe to be one step neerer to Heaven for all his works and performances and if hee heare any man prayse him for his gifts and graces hee will not conceit that he hath obteined the same by his own industry and pains taking as some men have proudly thought neyther will hee speak it out as some have done saying these gifts and graces have cost mee something I have taken much pains to obtain them but he sayth Not I but by the grace of God I am that I am and not I but the grace of God that was with me And if he behold an ignorant man or a wicked liver he will not call him carnall wretch or prophane fellow nor say stand by thy selfe come not neere to mee for I am holier then thou as some have said but he pitieth such a man and prays for him and in his heart he sayth concerning himself who maketh thee to differ And what hast thou that thou hast not received And thus I might goe on and shew you how according to any mans faith is his true joy in God and his true thankfulnesse to God and his patience in all troubles and afflictions and his contentednesse in any condition and his willingnesse to suffer and his cheerfulnesse in suffering and his contentednesse to part with any earthly thing yea according to any mans faith is his ability to pray aright to heare or read the Word of God aright to receive the Sacrament with profit and comfort and to do any duty either to God or man after a right manner and to a right end yea according to the measure of any mans faith is his love to Christ and so to man for Christs sake and so consequently his readinesse and willingnesse to forgive an injury yea to forgive an enemy and to doe good to them that hate him and the more faith any man hath the lesse love he hath to the world or the things that are in the world to conclude the greater any mans faith is the more fitter he is to die and the more willing he is to die Neo. Well Sir now I doe perceive that faith is a most excellent grace and happie is that man that hath a great measure of it Evan. The truth is faith is the chief grace that Christians are to be exhorted to get and exercise and therefore when the people asked our Lord Christ what they should doe to worke the worke of God he answered and said this is the work of God That ye believe on him whom he hath sent speaking as if there were no other duty at all required but onely believing for indeed to say as the thing is believing includeth all other duties in it and they spring all from it and therefore sayth one Preach Faith and preach all Whilst I bid man believe sayth learned Rollock I bid him doe all good things for sayth Doctor Preston truth of belief will bring forth truth of holinesse if a man believe works of sanctification will follow for faith draws after it inherent righteousnesse and sanctification wherefore sayth he if a man will goe about this great worke to change his life to get victory over any sin that it may not have dominion over him to have his conscience purged from dead works and to bee made partaker of the divine nature let him not goe about it as a morall man that is let him not consider what Commandements there are what the rectitude is which the Law requires and how to bring his heart to it but let him goe about it as a Christian that is let him believe the promise of pardon in the bloud of Christ and the very believing the promise will be able to cleanse his heart from dead works Neo. But I pray you Sir whence hath faith its power and vertue to doe all this Evan. Even from our Lord Jesus Christ for faith doth ingraft a man who is by nature a wild olive branch into Christ as into the naturall olive and fetcheth sap from the root Christ and thereby makes the tree bring forth fruit in its kind yea faith fetcheth a supernaturall efficacie from the death and life of Christ by vertue whereof it metamorphoseth the heart of a
and apprehend him by faith as blessed be God you see our Neighbour Neophytus hath done and then shall you finde the like loathing of sin and love to the law of Christ as he now doth yea then shall you finde your corruptions dying and decaying daily more and more as I am confident hee shall Neo. I but Sir shall I not have power quite to overcome all my corruptions and to yield perfect obedience to the law of Christ as the Lord knows I much desire Evan. If you could believe perfectly then should it be even according to to your desire according to that of Luther If wee can perfectly apprehend Christ then should wee be free from sin But alas whilest we are here wee know but in part and so believe but in part and so receive Christ but in part and so consequently are holy but in part witnesse James the just including himselfe when he sayth In many things we sin all and John the faithfull and loving Disciple when he sayth If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us yea and witnesse Luther when he sayth a Christian man hath a body in whose members as Paul sayth sin dwelleth and warreth and albeit he fall not into outward and grosse sins as murther adultery theft and such like yet is hee not free from impatience and murmuring against God yea sayth hee I feele in my selfe coveteousnesse lust anger pride and arrogancie also the feare of death heaviness hatred murmuring impenitencie so that you must not looke to bee quite without sin whilst thou remain in this life yet this I dare promise you that as you grow from faith to faith so shall you grow from strength to strength in all other graces wherefore sayth godly Hooker strengthen this grace of faith and strengthen all nourish this and nourish all so that if you can attain to a great measure of faith you shall bee sure to attain to a great measure of holinesse according to the saying of Doctor Preston hee that hath the strongest faith hee that believeth in the greatest degree the promise of pardon and remission of sins I dare boldly say he hath the holiest heart and the holiest life And therefore I beseech you labour to grow strong in the faith of the Gospell Neo. O Sir I desire it with all my heart and therefore I pray you tell me what you would have me to doe that I may grow more strong Evan. Why surely the best advice and counsell that I can give you is to exercise that faith which you have and wrastle against doubtings and be earnest with God in prayer for the increase of it forasmuch sayth Luther as this gift is in the hands of God onely who bestoweth it when and on whom he pleaseth thou must resort unto him by prayer and say with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and you must also be diligent in hearing the word preached for as faith commeth by hearing so is it also increased by hearing and you must also read the word and meditate upon the free and gracious promises of God for the promise is the immortall seed whereby the spirit of Christ begets and increaseth faith in the hearts of all his and lastly you must frequent the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and receive it as often as conveniently you can Ant. But by your favour Sir if faith be the gift of God and he give it when and to whom he pleaseth then I conceive that mans using such means will not procure any greater measure of it then God is pleased to give Evan. I confesse it is not the means that will either beget or increase faith but it is the Spirit of God in the use of the means that doth it so that as the means will not doe it without the Spirit neither will the Spirit doe it without the means where the means may be had wherefore I pray you doe not you hinder him from using the means Neo. Sir for mine own part let him say what he will I am resolved by the assistance of God to be carefull and diligent in the use of these means which you have now prescribed that so by the increasing of my faith I may be the better inabled to subject to the will of the Lord and so walk as that I may please him but yet I doe perceive that in regard of the imperfection of my faith I shall not be able perfectly to apprehend Christ and so consequently shall not be able to live without sin therefore I pray you Sir tell me how you would have mee to be affected when I shall hereafter through frailty commit any sin Evan. Before I can give you a true and full satisfactory answer to this your necessary question I must intreat you to consider with me First that in Rom. 6.14 it is sayd concerning believers Yee are not under the Law but under grace And in like manner Rom. 1.6 it is sayd But now we are delivered from the Law And yet it is said concerning a believer 1 Cor. 9.21 Being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ And in like manner Rom. 3.31 it is sayd Doe wee then make voyd the Law through faith God for bid yea by faith we establish the Law Secondly That in 1 John 3.6 It is sayd That whosoeuer abideth in Christ sinneth not and in like manner ver 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin And yet it is sayd concerning such 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and in like manner Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all Thirdly That in Numb 23.21 It is sayd concerning believers Hee that is to say God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversnesse in Israell in like manner Cant. 4.7 It is sayd behold thou art all faire my love and there is no spot in thee And yet it is sayd Prov. 5.21 as well concerning believers as others that the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and hee pondereth all his goings and in like manner Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe Fourthly That in Isai. 27.4 the Lord sayth concerning believers Anger is not in me and in like manner Isai. 54.9 it is sayd As I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworn that I would no more be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee and yet it is sayd Psal. 10.40 That because the people went a whoring after their own inventions therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against this people insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance And in Deut. 13.1 Moses a true believer sayth The Lord was angry with him Fifthly That in Isai. 40.2 The Lord sayth concerning believers Speake yee