1. Q WHat is it that doth, may, or ought to convince you that there is a God?

Ans. The Works, Rom. 1.20 the Word of God, 1 Tim. 2.5. and my own conscience, Rom, 2.15. ought to convince me that there is a God.

It behoves you and every Christian, not on­ly to know and acknowledge the true God, Ex. 20.3. whose glory onely in the salvation of your im­mortall soul you are to seek as the greatest bu­sinesse you have in this world: 1 Cor. 10.30. Matth. 16.26. But also, understandingly to know and remember some­thing that may help you in the hour of tempta­tion to beleeve that God; Col, 3.16. For sometimes Gods own people meet with this temptation, Is there a God? 1 Pet. 5.8, 9. And therefore if ever you should be tempted to say in your heart there is no God; Ps. 14.1. The works of God. First, seriously consider how won­derfully you your self, the heavens, the earth, and all the creatures therein are made and pre­served, Psal. 139.14.15. Psal. 100.3. Ps. 22.9, 10. Neh. 9.6. and try, if you can apprehend God, and the invisible things of God, the eternity, wisdom, power, and goodnes of God, by his wonderfull works in you, above you, and about you in every creature. Secondly, The word of God. call to minde that the Scripture saith that there is a God, Gen. 1. [...]. and that therefore you are bound to beleeve it, because all the Scriptures of the old and new Testament (the Apocrypha excepted) con­taining in them all things to be known and be­leeved necessary unto salvation, are the very word of God, 2 Tim. 3.16 And appear to be so, chiefly [Page 6] by the spirit that did indite them, Ioh 16.13. 1 Cor. 2.14 Psal, 36.9. 2 Pet. 1.21. and fur­ther by their being wholly for Gods glory, Ioh. 7.18. by their power upon consciences, For the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and in­tents of the heart, Heb. 4.12. which the word of An­gels, and of men good and bad could never pry into; Ier. 17.9. Conscience, Thirdly, make use of your own con­science in this case, which is as a thousand witnesses to you that there is a God, for the law of God that was once written in Adams heart, remains so written in your heart Rom. 2.15. (though defaced) as that you know, yea, you know, that you know, that there is a God, Rom. 1.21. and if you doe but think to the contrary, or any other way secretly sin against God, your self, or your neighbour, your conscience doth con­demn you, Rom. 2.15. and is many times so filled with horrour, as that you tremble with fear least God should tear you in pieces; which may fully convince you that there is a God, who is greater then your conscience, 1 Io. 3.20. to whose judgement your judgement of your self, upon your self, shall be subject.

2. Quest What is God so far as he hath revealed himself in his word?

Ans. God is one 1 Cor. 8.6. holy spirit 1 Pet. 1.15, 16. Ioh. [...].24. distinguish­ed into three persons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost. 1 Ioh. 5.7.

Although neither you nor any creature living can fully know what God is, Matth. 1.27. yet you and every one ought to endeavour to know God so farre as he hath revealed himself in his word, Ioh. 17.3. Rom. 15.4. and God hath made himself known in his word to be an eternall spirit, who is individuall and but one in his essence, 1 Tim. 2.5 and yet three in [Page 7] persons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost; The Trinity. Matth. 3.16, 17. and though the father be God, Eph. 4.6. and the Son God, Ioh 1.13, 14 and the holy Ghost God, 1 Thes. 5.23. yet there are not three Gods, but three divers subsistencies in the Godhead, which differ in their names, and in their order and manner of subsisting, and in their actions, The Father begets, Psal. 2.7. the Sonne is begotten, Ioh. 1.14. and the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son; Ioh. 15.26. And yet they are the same uncreate, eternall, essentiall, equall, incomprehensible, Almighty, infinite being 1 Ioh. 5.7. in all perfection.

And therefore when ever you are to wor­ship God, you are to worship him, God is to be worshipped, unity in Trinity, and Trinity in unity. not onely in the unity of his essence, Ioh. 4.24 but also in the Trinity of Persons, conceiving him in your minde to be an eternall, Psa. 90.2, wise, Iob. 9.4. Al­mighty, Exo. 6.3. holy, Rev 4.8. just, Exo. 34.7 mercifull, Exo. 34.6 spirit, that ought not to be likened (no not so much as in your thoughts) to any creature in heaven or earth; Exo. 20.4 And beleeving in your heart that God the Father is able and willing for his Sonnes sake by his spirit: that God the Sonne is willing and able from the Father by the holy Ghost: that God the holy Ghost is willing and able from the Father and the Son, to give you what you wait upon him for, in his way, above what you are able to ask, or to think how you should ask; Eph. 3.20 Thus God who is a Spirit is to be worshipped, in spirit and in truth, Ioh. 4.24. Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity.

3. Quest. How, and in what condition did this God (thus distinguished) make you and all man­kinde at the first in Adam?

Answ. God made me and all mankinde at the first in Adam after his own Image, Gen. 1.27. righteous both in soul and body, Eccl. 7 29. and so, in a blessed condition Gen. 2, 8, 9. .

God that made all things of nothing for his own glory, made Adam a perfect man, the most excellent of all creatures upon earth, little low­er then the Angels in heaven, Ps. 8.5, 6. For he made him his son and heir of all things, creating his body and the parts thereof, Luk. 3.38. apt materiall instruments for the service of an immateriall divine soul, actually free from diseases, pains, weaknesses, sorrows, and all infirmities that might make it subject to death: Rom. 5.12 Giving him such an upright countenance, stature, and gate, as caused all the creatures to obey him, and to stand in awe of him, The Image of God in Adam. whereby he was every way fitted to rule over them; Gen. 1.28. And as God made man like himself in his Majesty in regard of his body, so he breathed a living soul into him of a spirituall substance like himself, Gen. 2.7. writing a law in his heart, Rom. 2.14. and giving him a positive law, Gen. 2 17. and ability by his upright reason to know them both, by his naturall affections to take delight in them, by his liberty of will freely and fully to obey them. Eccl. 7.29. Adams hap­pinesse. And through his being in his whole person conformable to Gods will, and fit and able to serve and obey him, he had perfect and immediate communion with God, Gen. 2.8. peace of conscience in the view of his righteous, blessed condition, comfort in his dwelling, Gen. 2.15, 16. food, Gen. 1.29. labour, Gen. 2 15. relation, Gen, 2.23. and in all the creatures, wanting nothing that his upright reason could conceive or desire to make him happy upon earth.

And as God made man righteous not im­mutable; but left to the freedome of his will: The cove­nant of works. So he made a covenant with him, Gen. 2, 17. promi­sing him life and immortall blessednesse in this world upon his personall and perfect keeping of the law written in his heart, Gal. 3.12. and the posi­tive law of the tree of good and evil. Gen. 2.17. Lev. 18.5. For the summe of the covenant or law of works was Doe this, that is, perfectly keep my law and thou shalt live: And if thou doe it not, that is, if thou transgresse my law thou shalt die the death: unto which Adam in his heart did re­ally assent; Now as Adam: So you, and all mankinde were created in him after Gods own image, Eccl. 7.29. Rom. 5.12. and in a blessed condition every way as he was; And when God made a covenant with Adam he made it with you, and all mankinde in him, promising you (as he did him) immortall glory upon earth upon your doing what he required, and enabled you to do; The use you are to make of Gods goodnes to you in your creation. which should make you not only to have good thoughts of God, if you had nothing else to move you to it: But constrain you also, to admire God, Ps. 8, 4. to 9. to love him, and to glo­rifie him according to the knowledge you have of him, Rom. 1.21. for his goodnesse to you in giving you virtually a glorious being in Adam, Ps. 49.12. and actually a wonderfull being in the wombe, Ps. 139.14, 15. and for continuing of it unto you, in and from the wombe unto this day, Ps. 22.9, 10. being he was not bound to give you any being at all.

4. Quest. Did you and all mankinde keep the Image of God, and continue in that righteous and blessed estate that you were made in at the first in Adam?

Ans. I and all mankinde sinned in Adam, Rom. 5.11. and so lost the Image of God, and our blessed estate in Paradise, Ps. 49.12. and became liable to all curses temporall, spirituall and eternall Gal. 3.10. Rom. 6.23. .

God that governs all things for the praise of himself, Mat. 10, 29 and the eternall good of his, Rom. 8.28 suffered not only the reprobate Angels to sin and fall, and so to become devils; 2 Pet. 2 4. Adams sin and punish­ment. But the first man Adam also (by the motion of Eve that was first in the transgression by the temptation of the devil in the serpent) Gen. 3.1, to 7. to transgresse his law (and in it the ten com­mandments) in the eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Gen. 3.6. and thereby to loose his Image Ps. 49.12. Gen. 3.10. as a just punishment inflicted upon him for the ill use he had made thereof; and so he became a childe of wrath, a servant of sinne and Satan, and not onely unconformable to the law of God, and unapt, and unable to serve God, and to rule over all other creatures: but polluted also with originall sin in his whole person, and subject to all curses both of body and soul here, and hereafter, Gen. 3.16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24. Gal. 3.10. without the least hope of help or redresse in or from himself, or any other creature.

Now as Adam; So you and all mankinde in him transgressed the law of God, and so broke the covenant of works, for he by Gods appointment stood in the room of all; Rom 5.12. And therefore his sin was imputed to you, and counted yours at your first breathing in the wombe, Ps. 51.5. for which God might justly have given you a second breathing in hell; And as Adam, so you by sinning in him lost the Image [Page 11] of God, and became a childe of wrath, Eph. 2.3. a slave of sin and Satan, Rom. 6.20. 2 Tim. 2.25. Originall sinne. and wholly cor­rupted in your whole man with originall sin, which was conveied unto you from your parents by naturall generation; Rom. 3.10, to 19. And therefore you were conceived in sin, Ps 51.5. and born with a blinde minde, Eph. 1.18. a stubborn will, Rom 8.7, 8. a hard heart, Ezek. 36.26. disordered affections, Gal. 5.26. and with a body defiled with sin from the crown of the head to the sose of the foot, Rom. 3, 13, to 19. where­by you became not only unfit and unable to perform any acceptable service to God, Heb. 11.6. and uncapable to partake of life by a covenant of works: Rom. 3.20. But prone, and apt also to evil, and that continually; Gen. 6.5. And if you had your due according to the desert of the sin, you sinned in Adam, God might in his justice fur­ther punish you with all the curses of this life and the life to come, Rom. 6.23 Gal. 3.10. But you cannot but sin actually through the body of sin in you; Rom. 5.19, 24. 1 Ioh. 1.8. Actuall sin. And as often as you have transgressed the law of God, 1 Ioh. 3.4. by committing of evil in thought, word, or deed, therein forbidden, or omitting of, or failing in duty therein required: Rom. 6.23. So often, over and over, you have deserved eter­nall death and damnation. And although you may (by the light of nature and the word through the help of the priviledges and ordi­nances you partake of in a visible Church, and the common grace of the spirit, you may re­ceive thereby) repent as Iudas did, Matth 27.3, 4, Beleeve as the devils and hypocrites doe, Iam. 2.19, 20. Fast and pray as the Scribes and Pharisees did, Luk 18.11, 12. and perform all manner of duties for the outward acts of them [Page 12] that either the letter of the law or Gospel re­quires as temporary beleevers doe, Note. Luk. 8.13. Yet it is impossible you should thereby either please God, escape hell or obtain heaven, Heb 11.6. Ioh. 3.36.8.24. Because you have already transgressed the law and broken the covenant of works both virtually in Adam, and actually in your own person, and you can­not satisfie the justice of God for the breach of his law for time past, by any thing you can do or suffer for God, Gal. 3.10. neither can you personally and perfectly keep the law for time to come, 1 Ioh. 1.8. if the justice of God were satisfied for the breach of the law for time past; What you think of these things, God that understands the thoughts of your heart best knows; I conceive, that when ever Christ shall send forth his spirit in the mini­stery of the law to convince you of sin origi­nall and actuall, The know­ledge of your sinfull condition should hum­ble you. and of curse and wrath due to you for the same, and of the insufficiency of any creature to free you from it, you will be so pricked in heart, and brought into bondage and terrour (which is called legall repentance or humiliation) with the sence of your sinfull, cursed, lost condition, as that you will crie out in your heart at least, what shall I doe to be saved? Act. 2.37. And indeed, Christ will not be Christ to you, nor the Gospel, Gospel, (though you hear of the sound thereof) untill you re­ceive the spirit of bondage to work you to such a frame and temper of heart, Mat. 9, 12. Rom. 8.15. Go then and learn what that meaneth, They that be whole need not a Physitian, but they that are sick: as who say, not the righteous, but the sensible lost [Page 13] sinners have need of a Saviour.

And wait upon God in the Ministery of the law, (the ordinary means by which he con­vinces people of sin and miserie) Rom. 2.20 Act. 2.37. for to have your sinfull lost condition further revealed to you, for you are lost, without sense of losse, Eph. 2.1, 2. so as that you cannot see a need of a Savi­our, untill God discover it to you Ioh. 16.9, 10. neither can you rightly beleeve in Christ, untill you see an absolute need of Christ.

5. Quest. Hath God utterly forsaken you, and all mankinde in this sinfull, cursed condition you are fallen into?

Answ. God so loved the world, that he gave his onely begotten Son: that whosoever beleeveth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life. Ioh. 3.16.

The infinite wise God that out of his meer will and pleasure Mat. 11.26. chose some Angels to glory 1 Tim. 5.21 and in Christ some men Rom. 9.11, to 27.11.5. to ever­lasting glory for the manifestation of the ex­ceeding riches of his grace, Election. Reproba­tion. Rom. 9.18 and left the rest eternally to perish, 1 Pet. 2.4. Mat. 24.41. for the expression of his justice against sin, Rom. 9.17, 22. and both for his ho­nour: Did not deal with the elect Angels and fallen mankinde as he dealt with the fallen Angels, for he left them without a remedie: 2 Pet 2.4. but confirmed the standing Angels, Gods love to the elect of mankinde. by the personall mediation of Christ; And so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son, by his purpose from eternity, 1 Pet. 1.20. (according to the covenant of grace he had made with Christ from everlasting, and in him with all the elect, as his seed, Isa 43.10.49.8. Heb. 7.22,) by promise in the beginning, Gen. 3.15. offering [Page 14] himself freely to Adam, and to all, without excluding any, The cove­nant of grace after the old ad­ministration. to be a reconciled God through the promised Messiah, as if he never had been offended: Afterward making a covenant with Abraham upon his believing, to be his God to justifie, sanctifie, protect and save him: Gen. 17.7, to 12. Gen. 15.6. Rom. 4.11. adding thereunto the signe of circumcision a seal of the righteousnes of faith: And promi­sing not only to be his God, but also to be a God to his children Gen. 17.7. in outward priviledges and ordinances that they were capable of, whereby they might partake of inward grace; And therefore he required him to walk up­rightly before him, Gen. 17.1. to give up his children to him to cause every manchilde of them to be circumcised the eight day, Gen. 17.11, 12. and to bring them up under his ordinances for him, Gen. 18.19 And as many of them, whether they were born Jews, or made Jews by profession as the proselytes were, Act. 13.26, 43. as walked in the steps of their father Abraham, were blessed with him, in having the Lord for their God, as he had. Gal 3.9.

And in the fulnesse of time God according to his promise, sent his Son, Gal. 4.4. The natures of Christ. Who was God and man in one person, 1 Tim. 3.16 Ioh. 11, 14. perfect God, from eternity, Prov. 8.22, to 30. perfect man in time, con­ceived by the holy Ghost with originall righte­ousnesse, and so without sinne; Mat. 1 20. Luk. 1.3 [...]. Heb. 7.26. born of the virgin Mary, Mat. 1.25. and so dwelt among us in our nature Ioh. 1 14. subject to all the infirmities thereof, sinne onely excepted; Heb 4.15. The offices of Christ. Ordained of God to be a prophet to teach, Act 3 23. a Priest to satisfie and pray for, Heb 7.21. a King to rule, and to deliver his people; Act. 5.31. Filled in his Manhood by the Godhead at his conception, [Page 15] but more abundantly at his baptisme withall fulnesse of grace, Col. 1.19. Ioh. 1.16. Christ was our surety. whereby he was fitted to fill us all with all grace sufficient to salvati­on, and to fulfill all righteousnesse for us; For he undertaking out of his meer love to be our surety, Heb. 7.22 was bound not onely to doe for us what God required of us in the covenant of grace, and what we could net doe, Rom. 8. [...] name­ly to fulfill the Morall law, and to give us grace to beleeve, Heb. 12 1, 2 and live to him: But in­gaged also to suffer for us what Gods justice did require, and what we could not suffer, to wit the penalty of the breach of the law, Heb. 10.9, 10. And therefore God passed by, and spared us, and spent his justce on Christ, laying on him the iniquities originall, and actuall of us all, and all the curse and wrath due to us for the same: Isa. 53.6, to 12. Ioh. 1.29. 1. Pet. 3.18. so as that Christ suffered from his conception, Phil. 2.7, 8. untill his resurrection, more especially in the garden, and on the crosse all the wrath that Gods justice did require, or our sins did deserve; Luk. 22.40, to 45. Mat. 26.38. Mat. 27.20, to 47. And though his suffer­ings of body and soul were finite for time, yet they being the sufferings of him that was, and is God, Rev 1.8. Christ hath satisfied Gods justice for the sins of the elect. they were of infinite worth, even to the satisfying of Gods infinite justice; Eph. 5.2. Col. 1.20. Rom. 8.33, 34. Heb. 10.12. And thus Christ did doe the office of a Medi­atour in both natures betwixt God and us, 1 Tim. 2.5. and by his active and passive obedience did re­deem us from eternall death, Gal. 3.13. Rom. 6.23. Heb. 2.15. and merit for us everlasting life. Ioh 17 2. And as Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, Mat. 27.2. was crucified dead and buried Mat. 27.35, 50, 60. to take away our sins, Rom. 4.25. according to the determinate councell of God, Act. 2.23. else all the world could not have [Page 16] crucified him: Ioh. 19.11. So he rose again the third day for our justification, Rom. 4.25. and fourty daies after ascended into heaven, Luk. 24.51. to prepare a place of glory, for us, Ioh. 14.2 and now sits at Gods right hand, executing for us his Propheticall, Priestly, and Kingly offices; Rev. 1.18. Heb. 7.25. whereby Pastours, teachers, and other officers of the Church are given to us, and gifts, and graces, to fit them for the same, Eph. 4.10. to 14. 1 Cor. 12.28. for the revealing, and applying of Christ for salvation to as ma­ny of us as are ignorant of him, Mark 16.15, 16. Rom. 1.17. and have not as yet received him: And for the accept­ing, Rev. 8.3. building up, perfecting, and well governing of us that are called to be Saints, Eph. 4.12, 13. untill he come the second time to judge both quick and dead, Act. 10.42 and so receive us up to glory.

The Cove­nant of grace after the new ad­ministration Now as God out of his meer love for Christs sake that was to come made a Gospel-covenant under the old Testament with Abraham to be a God to him and his, annexing the seal of circumcision thereunto: So God out of his good will and pleasure for Christs sake that is now come, makes the same Gospel-covenant under the new Testament, Act. 2.39. (for the cove­nant of grace is the same alwaies Luk. 1.54, 55, to 74. Rom. 11, 13, to 25. though divers for administration) freely offering him­self to be a God through Christ to as many as shall repent and beleeve, Act. 2.38.17. Baptisme succeeds circumcision and to their chil­dren, as he promised, and was to Abraham, and to his seed: instituting baptisme in the room of circumcision to be the first seal thereof unto them. Col. 2.12, 13. with Rom. 4.11. How Chri­stian infants have a right to baptisme. And therefore through Gods love to you for your parents sake as instruments (if either of them were a beleever) God at [Page 17] once did virtually call you, and outwardly take you into covenant with your parents, Luk. 19 9. Act. 2.38, 39. Rom. 11.10. so as that you had a right to baptisme from birth, Gen. 17 11. Matth. 28.18. being born outwardly a Christian, holy, and in covenant, Act 15.10. 1 Cor. 7.14. Act. 2.39. as a Jew was born a Jew, holy, and in covenant, Gal. 2 15. Rom. 11.16. Gen. 17.7. though in­wardly sinfull, a childe of wrath, and a stranger to God. Psal 51.5. Eph. 2.3, 12. Why you were bapti­zed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost.

Whereupon by your parents means you were in your infancy given up to the Lord, and baptized with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost, to as­sure you that as God did declare himself at your baptisme to be your God according to his promise Act. 2, 39. in offering his whole Christ in the baptismall water 1 Cor 1.30. to regenerate you, and his spirit to be a seal thereof unto you: Eph. 1.13. So he will be your God 2 Cor. 6.18 and you shall be his childe, and Christ will be your Saviour and you his servant, 1 Tim 4.10. Rom 6.18. and the spirit your sanctifier, and you his dwelling house: 1 Cor 6.19. 2 Cor. [...].16. You ought now to re­new your co­venant with God. if you will but now (according to your bounden duty, for you are ingaged by baptisme to be wholly and only the Lords) accept of God for your God, of Christ for your Saviour, of the spirit for your Comforter as they freely offer themselves to you in the word, Isa. 55 1. Rev. 22.17. Ioh. 1.12. and give up your self to the service of that God in whose name you were baptized Luk. 1.74, 75. So as that by this you may perceive that God hath not utterly left you in that sinfull cursed condition you are fallen into: but hath out of his meer mercy given you a right to his covenant, Act. 2.39.3. [...]5. called you by his name, Heb. 8.10, declared you actually by baptisme a member [Page 18] of his Church (for you were admitted at your baptisme into the visible Church of Christ) 1 Cor. 12.13. priviledged you to partake of his lively oracles, Rom. 3.2. and set you in a way, whereby you may be in a farre better estate, then ever you were in at the first in Adam 1 Cor. 15.47, to 15. Matth. 16.18. Ioh. 10, 28. How the knowledge of Gods love in giving of Christ should work upon you. Which great love of God should not onely move you to endeavour to glorifie him by be­leeving and living to him: 2 Cor. 5.14. But melt you also with godly sorrow (which is called evangelicall repentance or humiliation) that you have wearied him with your sins, that you have pierced his Christ with your iniqui­ties, Zach. 12.10, 11. that you have neglected him that hath regarded you from eternity, and from the beginning of time hitherto; which good work, Gods love will be­gin in you, if once the spirit of Christ be poured out upon you; Act. 2.37, to 40. Therefore dili­gently attend the Ministery of the Gospel the ordinary means for the revelation of the spi­rit, Gal 3.2. that you may receive the spirit of Christ, for to convince you of Gods love in giving of Christ to be our righteousnesse, Ioh. 16.8, 9, 10 Ier. 23.6. for to affect your heart with it: for to help you to beleeve it, and to cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 for the further revealing, and applying of it, for your comfort here, and eternall salvation hereafter.

6 Qu [...]st Will God save all men by Iesus Christ, whom he sent into the world to save sinners?

Answ. He that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life, he that beleeveth not the Son, shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him. Ioh. 3.36.

The free grace of God hath so far appeared to all where the Gospel cometh, as that God freely offers his whole Christ unto all Mar 16.1 [...] Ioh, 7.37. without excluding of any effectually to call his who are amongst this all, to unite them by faith unto him, to beget them anew, to recon­cile them to himself, to adopt them for his, to pardon them all their sinnes, to redeem them out of the hands of all their enemies, to make them wise unto salvation, to sanctifie them throughout both in their bodies and souls, and everlastingly to save them; Cor. 1, 30. Eph. 1.3, to 17 Whereby he plainly shews that he damns none under the Gospel meerly because he will, Ezek. 33.11. but also because people will not accept of his Christ freely offered unto them; Ioh. 5.40. Mat. 23.27. None are saved by Christ but Elect belee­vers for whom Christ died. And yet God is so free, in his free grace, as that he saves none by it, but his chosen vessels of mercy for whom onely Christ died, Ioh. 10.15, 28, 19. Rom. 8.28, to 38. and to whom onely power is given to beleeve; Act 13 48. Your privi­ledges and performan­ces will a­vail you no­thing with­out faith in Christ. And therefore though you were born a Christian of Christi­ans, descended of the stock of the godly, bap­tized in your infancie, and have had Christ in the word and Sacraments freely offered unto you, to be all in all to save you: yea, though you professe to have all repentance, and faith, and to doe and suffer the will of God in every thing; yet all your all, and Christ that is all in all, will avail you nothing at all to your justification and salvarion without the faith of Gods elect, which worketh by love, works of holinesse to God, works of righte­ousnesse to men. Gal. 5.6. Phil. 3.1, to 5. Heb. 4.2. Iam. 2.19, 20. to 26. O then, trust not in your priviledges, professions of faith, performances, tears, repentances, good meanings, devotions, [Page 20] good praiers, good deeds, many sufferings, nor in your joyes, inlargements, nor in any of your own righteousnesses or graces: Isa. 64.6. Phil 3.3, to 9 See the con­clusion of the directi­ons. But count all your all, nothing at all, without Christ, but such things as will rather condemn you, then justifie you, damn you, then save you; And all that you may win Christ, and be found in him, not having your own righte­ousnesse, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnes which is of God by faith. Phil. 3.8, 9.

7. Quest. Is it in your own power and strength truly to beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ?

Answ. Faith is the gift of God, Eph. 2.8. and I cannot say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 12.3.

It pleased the Father since the fall of Adam, that all fulnesse of grace should dwell in the Lord Jesus Christ, Col. 1.19. that all his, might, in their measure, receive of that fulnesse grace for grace Ioh. 1.16. None have free will to beleeve, and [...]o to be sa­ved if they will. So as that neither you nor any of man­kinde have any grace Eph. 2.1, to 7. (nor can have untill you come to Christ for it, Ioh. 15.5. ) either to repent, beleeve, or to doe any thing that is acceptable to God; Heb. 11 6. Nay, you are so farre from ha­ving naturally a sufficiencie of grace to be­leeve, 2 Cor. 3.5. Ioh. 6.44, 65. and so, to be saved, if you will: as that you can neither know, Mat. 1 [...].17. nor desire, Phil. 2.13. nor come to Christ Ioh. 6.44 no not, with all the help of all the men, means, and ministery of grace in the world, 1 Cor. 3.6, 7. But as God shall give you to know, Ioh. 1.9. desire him, and beleeve in him, Phil. 1.29. What faith is. For faith is the supernaturall gift and free grace of God, Eph. 2.8. Eph. 1.18, 19. whereby a sensible [Page 21] lost sinner is enabled to know, and perswaded to receive Christ, 1 Cor. 12.3. as offered in the Gos­pell, (r) and to rest upon him alone for sal­vation; Heb. 7.25. saith (I say) is the gift of God, and yet it is the act of man, it is the gift and act of God, as God inclines and inables the soul to beleeve, Phil. 2.13. it is the act of man as he closes with, Ioh. 1.12. and rests upon Christ, Ioh. 3.16. How faith is the gift of God and the act of man. Act. 16.14. Phil. 2.13. Or (to speak more properly) faith is the gift and act of God, First, as God opens the un­derstanding of a sensible lost sinner to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and to approve of Christ as good and necessary for him; Secondly, as he inclines the will to chuse to be saved by Christ onely and no other way; Likewise faith is the act of man, First as he puts forth the acts of his understanding and endeavours to know, esteem, and to approve of Christ as God gives him to know and value Christ; Secondly as he puts forth the elective act of his will, and endeavours to will, chuse, Phil. 3.12. or to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as an onely ne­cessary sufficient Saviour as God makes him willing to embrace Christ; Thus man is to act for his salvation, and to work out his sal­vation with fear and trembling (otherwise he that made him will not save him) as he is acted and wrought upon by the Lord; and so Gods work of grace is in us, upon us, by us. When one may be said to begin to beleeve, And therefore when God enlightens you to know Chrrst, and inclines, and enables you to come to him by his Christ for salvation in those principles of Scripture where he freely offers Christ to you, and to every one that sees a need of him, and would be saved by him: [Page 22] at that time, God gives you to beleeve: 1 Cor. 12.3. Ioh. 6 65. The privi­ledges of be­leevers. And then, you are in the judgement of charity, effectually called, in covenant with God, Gen 15.6. Luk. 19.5, 6. united to Christ, Eph 5.30 regene­rated, Tit. 3.5, to 8. justified, Rom. 4.22 reconciled to God, Rom 5.1. adopted, Gal. 3.26. redeemed, 1 Cor. 1.30. sanctified, Act. 26 18. in­teressed in all the promises of God; 2 Cor 1.20 yea, and in all the priviledges of the Saints be­longing to this life, and the life to come. Rom. 8.37 1 Cor. 3.20, 23. So as that you have great incouragement to endeavour to beleeve, though of your self you cannot; it is indeed Gods commandment, and so your duty to beleeve, 1 Ioh. 3.23 and though you neither doe, nor ever did, nor ever can beleeve of your own power and strength: yet you may beleeve, being God can give you to beleeve; Ephes. 1.19, 20 For as God said, let there be light: and there was light, Gen. 1.3. So God saies to his, beleeve: and they beleeve, Act. 16.31, 34. And as Christ said to Lazarus, Come forth, and he that was dead came forth, Iob. 11.44. So Christ saith to dead sinners, Hear, and beleeve: and they obey him, Ioh. 5.25. Ephes. 2.5. Thus the Lord Jesus Christ quickens and enables all those that his father gives him to believe, and live, and to doe what he com­mands them. So, as that if God that saith by the spirit of Christ let every one that will come, Rev. 22.17. quicken your dead heart to say, Lord, when thou saiest let every one that will come, my heart saith Draw me, Ps. 27.8. Cant. 1.4. Eph. 2.1, to 7. and I will come, and run after thee: Then the work is begun, and you may be confident that be that hath begun a good work in you, will in due time finish it Phil. 1.6.

[Page 23]8. Quest. What weans ought you to use that you may attain faith, full assurance of faith, and all other graces necessary to salvation?

Answ. I ought to wait upon God in hear­ing that I may attain faith, Rom. 10.14. and in hear­ing, Act. 14.22. praying, Luk. 17.5. and making use of the Gospel Sacraments, Baptisme and the Lords Supper, that I may be confirmed in beleeving, and obtain all other graces requisite to sal­vation. Act. 2.42. 1 Cor. 11 24, 25, 26.

The great God of heaven whose power hath no limits but his own will, You are bound to use means of faith. hath bound us (though not himself) to use means for the obtaining of the mercy and free grace he be­stows upon his; Ezek. 36.37. And therefore he hath appointed you to hear him in the ministery of his word, and not only to hear the word read, Neh 9.3. Rom. 15.4. opened, Luk. 4.21.22. preached, Rom. 10.14. repeated, Phil. 3.1. in private, in publique, at ordinary, and ex­traordinary times: 2 Tim. 4.2 But also to reade the word, Act. 8.28, to ponder of it, Luk. 2.19. to conferre a­bout it, Luk 24.14 and to suffer your self to be ca­techised, and examined in it, Luk. 1.4. 1 Pet. [...].15. that you might thereby be taught the truth of misery, Act. 2.37. and the way to mercy by beleeving in Christ. Act. 16.30. You are to hear both law and Gospel. And therefore you are to hear the law as well as the Gospel; The law to con­vince you of sin, and curse due to you for the same; Rom. 3.20. Gal. 3 10. The Gospel to enlighten you of Gods great love in giving Christ to be what he was, and is, to doe what he did, to suffer what he suffered upon earth, Dan. 9.26 1 Pet. 3.18. 1 Tim. 1 15. and still to doe what he doth in heaven as Mediatour to purchase, and apply salvation to every one that comes to him for it; Ioh. 6.37. But you are especially [Page 24] to hear the Gospel preached, for it is not the law, but the Gospel that works faith; Gal. 3.2. Christ cruci­fied is the obiect of iu­stifying faith it is Christ, whole Christ, and every part of Christ, but especially Christ crucified that is the main object of faith, and the sure founda­tion you are to build upon: 1 Cor. 2.2. 1 Cor. 3.11. yea, it is Christ that died for this very end that sinners might be pardoned, Rom. 4.25. 1 Cor. 15.3. and that now lives to intercede for ever at Gods right hand that you are chiefly to look at, Ioh. 3.14, 15. and to come unto, for to apply that salvation that he hath merited by his by-past death and passion; It is Christ (I say) that you are chiefly to look at in your hearing of the word, and that you are to come unto, that he might be the authour and finisher of your faith; For you doe not nor cannot (neither doth God ex­spect it of you) bring faith to Christ, and to the promise: but the word of faith, and the Gospel of Christ (I mean with the inward workings of the spirit of Christ) begets faith in you, while you are hearing of it, conferring about it, meditating upon it, and upon the promises thereof, and the faithfulnesse of him that hath promised, Ephes. 1.13. Heb, 11.11, And if at, or after your attending the word, you be so pricked in your heart by the spirit in the ministery of the law with the sense of your sinfull cursed estate, When God ma [...] be said to open a door of faith unto you. as that you know not what to do to be saved: And so affected with Gods love in giving of Christ to die for sin­ners, as that your heart is thereby drawn to give up it self to Christ, and to close with him in a word, and promise, with a full purpose of heart to live to him: Then you may be [Page 25] said to have a door of faith opened unto you. Act 2.37, 38, 39, 41. Act. 13.47, 48. Act. 14.27. What means you are to use after your first be­leeving. Neverthelesse you are to use the same means aforementioned for the finishing of your faith already begun, 1 Pet. 2.2. Act. 2.42. and more, for now you may pray for the continuance and increase of your faith, Luk. 17.5, and for a beginning, a continu­ance, and a growth of all other graces that you are to adde to your faith, 2 Pet. 1.5, to 8. and for all things you see your self, yours, and all the Saints to want that is according to Gods will; 1 Ioh 5.14. Eph. 6.18. yea now, you are also to make use of the Gospel-Sacraments, baptisme and the Lords Supper for the confirmation and strengthening of your faith, Act 2.41.42. What a Sa­crament is. for they are signes and seals, not onely for signification: but also, for assurance of the truth of the covenant of grace to them that beleeve, Rom 4.11. and as it were pawns given us from the Lord to make us confident that he will give us what he hath promised; Heb. 6.17, 18. even as pawns are given us of men that we dare not trust; Thus low, doth the most high God condescend to his frail creatures. There­fore make use of your baptisme as often as you doubt whether God will fulfill his word and promise to you concerning the pardoning of your sins, and the saving of your soul; for you are in such cases to make use of your bap­tisme throughout your life; How your baptisme may confirm you in your faith. (though it be but once to be administred) and be confident that you shall as verily (if you beleeve) be pardoned, purged, and cleansed from all sinne, sanctified, and saved by the bloud of Christ: 1 Ioh. 1.7, 8 Eph. 5.26. Ioh. 3.16. as verily as you were sprinkled with water in your baptisme, for you have not onely the word of God to evidence it to you: but also [Page 26] the oath of God, to seal up that evidence unto you Heb. 6.17, 18. And in like manner make use of the Lords Supper, when you are full of fears least you should finally fall away from that grace of God begun in you; Not onely by meditation, but also by actuall receiving of that Sacrament; For that end you should freely and willingly offer your self unto your Minister and the Elders of the Congregation you doe, How you are to offer your self un­to your Mi­nister, and the elders of the Church to be tryed and examined by them. 2. Cor. 8, 5. with Rev. 2.2, 7. or would belong unto for to be tryed and examined by them that you may be admitted unto that holy Ordinance if you be found in any measure prepared for it; Is it not meet and equall that those should know the estate of your soul (and how shall they know it without triall and examination?) that must give an account of it? But your Minister and the Elders of the Church are to watch over your soul as they that must give an account of it, Heb. 13.17. Therefore give up your self unto them (having given up your self unto the Lord) for to be tryed and approved of, by them, 2 Cor. 8.5. And when you receive that Sacrament be not faithlesse but beleeve that Christs flesh shall be meat indeed, How the se­cond Sacra­ment may confirm you in beleeving and his bloud drink indeed, to nourish up your soul to everlasting life, and to perfect the grace begun in you; Ioh. 6.55, 58, 61. beleeve this. I say, as verily as you receive the bread and wine the outward visible signes of that inward invisible grace, For they are visible pawns (though God be out of your sight) to secure you thereof. Rom. 4.11 And if in processe of time you should loose the sense of your faith, after you have been confirmed therein, and so doubt whether you ever did truly [Page 27] beleeve or no, as established beleevers some­times may as well as weak Christians; Isa. 50 10. Ps. 77.7, 8.9. Gen. 15, 2, 2. Matth. 14.31. What you are to doe when you are doubt­full Then begin (as if you never had beleeved before) and goe on to trust in God, Isa. 50.10. and to rely on Christ in a word and promise, where he is unconditionally offered to sinners, for when you are in the worst condition, and in your thinking the most desperate lost sinner, that ever lived on this side hell, Then Christ is as freely offered unto you (if you would be saved by him, and be resolved to live to him) as he is to any sinner in the world; Ioh. 7.37. Rev. 22.17. And if God incline you to follow this advice, I now give you, Then you may with comfort conceive that though the other work of faith was but false and fained, that this work now begun is true, and unfained: Isa. 50.10. Psal. 2.12. Ps. 43.5. Or what was true, and unfained before, (though doubtfull and un­discerned) you may now apprehend and know it, to your more enlarged comfort then ever in times past. Ioh. 14.20. 2 Tim. 1.12. And therefore make use of the Sacraments as afore mentioned, for to confirm you therein.

And if notwithstanding the use of all means you remain in your apprehension a castaway: (as any true beleever may, if once they be left of God) Ps. 30.7. Ps. 31.22. Ps. 88.5, 6, 7. Yet still use the means of faith; For the more sensible you are, that you are in a lost condition, the more need you have of beleeving, and of using means that you may beleeve; and the more sinfull you are and have been, the more confident you may be that Christ came to save you, (if your heart be inclined to cleave to him) being he came into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. For put [Page 28] all your sins and the aggravations of them to­gether that you doe, and have stood guilty of originall, and actuall, of omission, or of com­mission, against God the Father, Son, or holy Ghost, against law, or Gospel, your self or others, they make you but the chiefest of sin­ners: And then you may and ought to apply Christ, as Paul did; For when he was (in his thinking) the chiefest of sinners, then he was the most confident, that Christ came to save him, because This is a faithfull saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. Meditate therefore of t [...] power and faithful­nesse of God that hath said it, and stagger not at it through unbelief, but be strong in the faith, giving glory to God, Rom. 4.18. to 22. by beleeving that God sent his Son to save you, being you are lost, and the chiefest of sinners, and being Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and to seek and save that which was lost. Luk. 19.10. And put forth all the powers of your soul to come to Christ that was once crucified, and that now lives in heaven actually to save as many as come to God by by him for salvation, Rev. 1.18. Heb. 7.25. and venture your soul upon Gods name, Pro. 18.10. (as you would venture your temporall life to get unto a strong hold, Simile. if you were pursued by an enemy) for it is for eternall life: and say, Lord God though I be, a sinfull, unworthy, ignorant, guilty, unsanctified, backsliding creature, and one that ever have been, and am ever like to be sinfull while I remain in the state of corruption: yet I stay my soul upon thee, for to have thee, to be [Page 29] unto me what thou hast proclaimed thy self to be in thy word, mercifull, gracious, Endeavour to under­stand thes [...] Scriptures. &c. Exod. 34.6, 7. Isa. 5 [...]. 7. 2 Cor. 1.3. Rom. 10.12. 1 Tim. 1 14. Isa. 43.25. Hos. 14.4. Iam. 1.17. and for to have thy Christ, to be made unto me wisdom, righteousnesse, sanctification, re­demption, and all in all to save me to the ut­termost; 1 Cor. 1.30. Col. 3.11. Heb. 7.25. Wait untill God give you to be­leeve. And so, commit your self to God, and to the ministery and people of Christ to be resolved, and recommended to God; And thus wait upon God, endeavouring to beleeve untill God give you to beleeve, and to know that you doe beleeve; And in the mean while be of good comfort, for though you should live and die in this condition, yet you would be blessed, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Pro. 8.34. Isa. 64.4. Lam. 3.2 [...].

9. Quest. What manner of life ought you to lead as you are a Christian, and one that professes to beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ?

Answ. I ought to live by the faith that I have in the Son of God, Rom. 1.19 Gal. 2. [...]0. a godly, righteous, and a sober life, Tit [...].12. according to the rule of the word. P [...] 19.9. Gal. 6.16.

The free grace of God that offers salvation to all, doth teach us, to deny all ungodlinesse, and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righte­ously, and godly in this present world; Tit. 2.12.13. and though you cannot live to God, untill you beleeve in Christ, Ioh 15.5. yet, as you are a Christi­an by name you should live so, as becomes the Gospel; Phil, 1.27. and as you are a beleever, you should live by faith: Rom. 1.17. What it is to live by faith. beleeving that you have life, and righteousnesse in Christ, when you have none sensibly in your self, Col. 3.3. and that the whole covenant of grace, Ezek. 36.25, to 28. and all the promises shall be fulfilled and made yea [Page 30] and Amen to you in Christ, 2 Cor. 1.20. yea, that God will make Christ that is the root of sanctifica­tion, by his spirit that is the sanctifier of his, to be all in all to sanctifie you, Col. 1.19. in your whole man, that is the subject of sanctifica­tion; 1 Thes. 1.23. Thus (I say) you are to live by faith, that is the instrument by which we re­ceive of Christs fulnesse grace for grace, 1 Cor. 6.11. Ioh. 1.16. Act. 15.9. You are not only to live by faith, but also to use all means that you may be holy. as if you were required to doe nothing else, but onely to beleeve, and to live by faith: and yet you are to use all means, as private prayer, reading, meditation, conference: publique hearing, praying, receiving of the Sacrrments, exercise of discipline: and extraordinary pub­lique, and private fasting, and thanksgiving, as if all your faith would avail you nothing, See the Directions. The law is the rule of life for be­leevers. Meditate therefore in the law of God, that Christ preached as the rule of life for beleevers unto the end of the world, Ps. 19.4, 9. Mat. 5.17. to 48. Iob. 22.22. (For although beleevers be delivered from the morall law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are nei­ther justified nor condemned: yet they are not freed from it as it is a rule of their obedi­ence, Rom. 7.25. Rom. 7.25. ) And endeavour first to knovv the generall meaning of every command­ment, Ps. 119.15, 16. what duties are therein chiefly re­quired, and what evils are chiefly forbidden, that you may know in some measure how to carry your self daily towards God, your self, and others; Afterward make it the businesse of your life (next to beleeving and constant immediate acting of faith on Christ alone for justification, salvation, and ability to know, and doe and suffer the will of God in every thing.) Particularly to know your duties to [Page 31] God in all respects, and to men in all relations, for this very end, that you may glorifie God in the performance of them: Psal. 119.9.11, 18, 27, 33, 34: 35, 36, 40, 47, 48, 72. and so manifest your thankfulnesse to him, for your redempti­on through the bloud of his Son. Luk. 174, 75. And if in processe of time after your first beleeving, (which you may partly know if you have not been very negligent in the observation of Gods work of grace in you) You finde upon strict and impartiall examination of your self, that you are of wicked, (before the love of God was shed abroad in your heart) become, out of love to God again, 2 Cor. 5 14 How your sanctificati­on witnesses to you the truth of your faith and justification. powerfully godly in your desires and endeavours, or of meerly morall, and civill, truly spirituall, and holy, or of formall, and hypocriticall, really sincere, and upright: Then you may comfortably conclude, that you have a lively faith, Gal. 5.6, 22, 23. Iam. 2.14, to 26. even the faith of Gods elect; that you are in Christ, Ioh. 15.1. to 10. and Christ in you, Eph. 3.17. 2 Cor. 13.5. making you more, and more like to his, and your fa­ther in holinesse; Eph. 4.24. yet rely not so on your graces and sanctification, that is an evidence of your justification: as to neglect Christ, that is the authour and finisher of our faith; Phil 3.8, 9. Ioh. 15.1, to 9. What you are to doe if you be doubtfull (after the triall of your faith by its effects) whe­ther your sanctificati­on be a fruit of faith, or a peece of meer morall righteousnes But be incouraged by it, to begin afresh, with a double strength (as one that hath sped well already in the work of the Lord) to act faith on Christ, that you may further know the truth of your adhering to him, and abiding in him, by bringing forth more fruites to Gods glory. Or if you be scrupulous whether you doe or ever did truly beleeve in Christ or no, and so be doubtfull whether your new obedi­ence, love, repentance, self-deniall and the [Page 32] change of your inward and outward man be a work of true sanctification which flows from faith in Christ, or a piece of morall righteous­nesse that may be in one that is in the state of nature, who may have something like every grace in a beleever: Then lay aside this doubt­full work observing what it is, and when and how it was wrought in you; And begin to beleeve immediately in the Lord Jesus Christ (taking speciall notice of the time and the oc­casion thereof) that is to understand, know, and to approve of Christ and of his wisdom, righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption as a necessary sutable good for you, and to chuse Christ to be all in all to teach, pardon, sanctifie, rule, and save you; And, if after this renewed act of beleeving you receive life from Christ to live to God, and in some mea­sure to doe and suffer his will in every thing out of love and thankfulnesse unto him for his Christ: Then you may conclude that this is a true work of sanctification, and a piece of evangelicall righteousnesse, because it is an effect of faith which works by love, and you may have better evidence by this of the other work then formerly you had; However rest not in your graces and in your inherent righte­ousnesse but on Christ alone and in his ever­lasting righteousnes; And doe not neglect acting of faith upon Christ one moment of time, no not in the time of your trying the truth of your beleeving: But beleeve more that you may more and more out of love shew forth the vertues and graces of Christ who lo­ved you and gave himself for you: That you [Page 33] may more and more glorifie your heavenly fa­ther by your holy conversation: That you may more and more know the truth of your belee­ving; For faith, or a full purpose of heart to cleave unto Christ, is the most constant evi­dence of salvation (saving the testimony of the spirit) that a poor soul can have; What you are to doe when you are tempted to question your faith. 1 Pet 5.9. There­fore when you are tempted to question your faith doe not reason with Satan, but resist him: Doe not cast away your confidence, but en­deavour to beleeve that you may know out of question that you doe beleeve, And say Lord, I desire to beleeve because thou commandest me to beleeve, help me to beleeve and com­mand what thou pleasest; When you may be said to beleeve, and to be Married un­to Christ. And truly if you doe desire to beleeve, you doe beleeve, for faith is not absent from those whose under­standings are opened to know Christ, and whose wills are regenerated and made willing to receive him; Yea, if when God saies in his word, Ho every one that sees a need of my Christ, and that is willing to be governed, ru­led, and sanctified by him as well as pardoned and saved, and that will take up his crosse and follow him, let them come and they shall have him: Your heart say, I, Lord, am lost with­out thy Christ, and would have him as well to free me from sin as from hell: as well to work heaven in me as to procure it for me: as well to be my King, as Priest and Prophet, though I suffer the losse of all things for him; Then the spirituall match is made, your soul is mar­ried to Christ: Then Christ and your soul are one spirit, and Christ and all that is his is yours, and you are his: And whereas you might be [Page 34] cast down to despair, in the sence of your ma­ny failings, and daily transgression of the law, you are to know that though you ought to en­deavour to be perfect as God is perfect, Mat. 5.48. None can perfectly keep the law. yet neither you, nor any Christian living can perfectly keep the law; Isa. 64.6. Iam. 3.2. 1 Ioh. 1.8, 10. Nay you are so far from living perfectly, as that there is no kinde of sin, but the blasphemie against the holy Ghost, but you, or any true beleever may commit it, if you be left of God, and gi­ven up to Satan, and your sinfull selves; Mat. 12.31. 1 Ioh. 5.16. Rom. 7.15. to 25. Notwithstanding this, you ought to beware of all manner of sin, (for neither God the Father, Son, nor holy Ghost, Hab. 1.13. Lev 11.44, 45. 1 Ioh. 5.7. nor law, nor Gospel, nor old, nor new Testament allowes you any liberty in any sin;) 1 Pet. 1.13, to 17. Mat. 5.48. Tit. 2.12, to 15. 1 Ioh. 2.1. You ought to renew your repen­tance and faith as your sins are re­newed. and to re­new your repentance, (which is a branch of sanctification) and faith; as the sins of your life, and corruptions of your nature are re­newed; Luk 11.4. 1 Ioh 1.9. Rev. 2 5, 16, 22. for the oftner you sin, and the more apt you are to fall, through the weaknes of your faith, as young children through the weaknes of their limbs, the more need you have of renewing your godly sorrow, Rom. 7.24 and especially your faith on Christ in the promises of humbling, pardoning, purging, and strength­ening grace; Ezek 36.26, 27. 1 Ioh. 1.9. 1 Ioh. 1.7. Rom 6 14. being you can neither be rightly humbled for sin, nor receive pardon of it, nor power against it, to forsake it (which is the truth of repentance) without renewed acts of beleeving in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ioh. 15.5. And if at any time in the following part of your life, you should loose the sence and sight of your faith, and of all other your by past and present graces, (for the best Saints may lose the [Page 35] sence of their grace, Isa 10.10 Ps. 88.5, 6, 7. Lam. 3.18. You cannot finally fall away from true grace. though not the grace it self,) Ps 37.24. Ier. 32.40. Mat. 16 18. Ioh 10.28, 29 Phil 1.6. What you should doe when you have lost the sight of your faith. and so be lest of God to walk in darknes, not knowing what God will doe with you, whether he will justifie you or con­demn you, damne you, or save you: Then meditate of the folly, (though you be vile, yet you will wax worse and worse through un­belief) danger, and disadvantages of unbe­lief, 1 Ioh 5.10. Ioh. 3.36. that you may take heed of it; Heb. 3.12. surely you can neither give glory to God, nor receive any good to your self by giving way to unbelief: Heb. 10.38, 39. Nay you cannot more dishonour God, 1 Ioh 5.10. nor more grieve the Spirit of God, Heb. 3.17, 18. nor more pierce Jesus Christ, Heb. 6 6. nor more wrong your own soul, Pro. 8.36. then by departing from God through an evil unbelieving heart; Heb. 10.38, 39. it is like the desperate act of a guilty condemned traitour, that studies mischief in his heart, and attempts the killing of his Judge, and all that have had a hand in his just condemnation, and afterward the murdering of himself; Medi­tate (I say) of the evil of unbelief, so, as to eschew it: And call to remembrance that there is free grace, and mercy enough with God, Eph. 2.7. 1 Pet. 1.3. that there is merit, righteousnesse, and grace enough in Christ, Ps. 130 7. Dan. 9.24. Col. 1 19. Heb. 7.25. You are a creature capable of mercy. that you are a creature capable of it in that you are not a devil, Ioh. 3.16. He. 2.14, &c. and in that you have not blasphemed against the holy Ghost if you penitently fear it: Heb. 6.4. That you cannot any way glorifie God more then by beleeving; Act 13.48. Rom. 4.20. And begin with all your might (as if you never had begun aright before) to trust, and rely wholly upon the mercy of God, and the merits of Christ, for justification, sanctification, salvation, and for [Page 36] all things thereunto belonging; Resolve to trust in God. Isa. 50.10. Ioh. 14.1. and say, Lord, I have deserved eternall death, and dam­nation, as often as I have transgressed the law, Gal. 3.10. Rom. 6.23. The very act of trusting on the mer­cy of God, and the righteousnes of Christ is true faith. I lie at thy mercy, I am thy creature, I leave my lost soul with thee, doe with me what thou pleasest, though thou kill me, yet I will trust in thee, and so endeavour to give glory to thee; And if God perswade and in­able you so to doe, then you may be said to have as true a faith, (though not as strong a faith) as the most established beleevers have; Iob 13.15. Ioh. 3.16. Ps. 2.12. Neverthelesse, make use of the word, and Sa­craments, and signes of faith, as you have been already directed, for to establish you in belee­ving; And endeavour while you live to glo­rifie God here by beleeving, and living so, as he would have you in his word, Rom. 4.20 Matth 5.16. and so, as one that doth verily hope, and expect to live with the Lord hereafter in glory. 1 Thes. 4.17. The more holy you are the more communion you will have with God, the more evidence you will have of your salvation: The more glory you will bring to God here, and the more glo­ry you will receive from the Lord hereafter; Iob. 14.23 15.8. 1 Cor. 15.40, 41. And on the contrary the more you neglect sanctification (though you be a true beleever) the more God will chastise you temporally and spiritually, and the lesse communion you will have with God, the lesse assurance of salvation, the lesse glory you will give to God in this world, and the lesse glo [...]y you will receive from the Lord in the world to come; Heb. 12.6, 7, 10 2 Cor 6 14. 1 Pet. 2.12. 1 Cor 15.41. You cannot be too holy, nor live too strictly, being you must give a strict account of all your words and works, and be accordingly rewarded. [...]ev. 22.12. Rom 14.12.

[Page 37]10. Quest. What will become of you, at the hour of death, and at the day of judgement, if you beleeve in Christ and shew forth your faith by a god [...]y life?

Answ I living and dying in the faith, my soul shall goe to heaven, and be with Christ, Eccl. 12.7. Phil. 1 23. my body to the earth, untill the day of judge­ment, and then it shall be raised again, united to my soul, and so, I shall be ever with the Lord in glory 1 Thes. 4.16, 17. .

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath of his good pleasure prepared an heavenly kingdome for his elect from the foun­dation of the world: God hath prepared a kingdom for beleevers. Mat. 25.34. so, as that if you have the faith of Gods elect, when, where, or how you die, you will die in the Lord, and so be blessed: Rev. 14.13. for your soul shall go to God that gave it, and be with Christ: Luk. 23.43. your bo­dy indeed shall go to the earth from whence it came, but it shall be in mercy as to a resting place; Isa. 57.2. The blessed estate of be­leevers. And when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangell, and with the trump of God, Then your dead body among the dead in Christ shall be raised again, united to your soul, made like to the glorious body of Christ now in heaven, and so you shall be ever with the Lord in glory; 1 Thes. 4.16, 17. Phil. 3.21. 1 Ioh. 3.2. seeing him face to face as he is, and partaking of those joyes for ever­more that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard of, nor heart conceived 1 Cor. 2.9. There are unconceiva­ble torments prepared for unbeleev [...] .

But know, and take notice, that as God hath prepared for his an inheritance eternall in the heavens: So he hath out of his infinite justice prepared eternall torments for all sorts [Page 38] of ignorant, impenitent, unbeleeving reprobate sinners; Mat. 25.41. Rev. 21.8. Profane mo­rall, and for­mal Christi­ans declare themselves to be unbe­leevers and reprobates. so as that, if you should live, and die wilfully in ignorance not knowing God, or desperately in unbelief, not obeying the G [...]spel, or presumptuously, in professing and faining to have faith, and yet living either o­penly prophanely, meerly civilly, and morally, or secretly formally, and hypocritically: then, though you be a Christian by name, and a be­leever by profession, yet you will thereby de­clare your self to be a reprobate indeed: Tit. 1.16. 1 Ioh. 3.10. Act. 15.9. The cursed estate of un­beleevers. and so be cursed here, and hereafter: Here in all conditions and relations; Deut. 28.15. to 68. Ioh. 3 36. Hereafter both in soul and body for ever, For as soon as your last breath goes out of your nostrils, so soon will your soul be in torments: Luk. 16.23 and though your body shall go to the earth untill the day of judgement, yet it shall be in wrath; and shall be by the power of Christ as an offen­ded Judge, raised again in dishonour, Luk. 5.28, 29 united to your soul: and so you shall be judged by Christ and the elect Mat. 25.31, 32, 33, to 46. Mat 19.28. to go into ever­lasting torments prepared for the devil and his angels. Mat. 25.41. Behold I have set before you, life and death, heaven and hell, salvation and damnation, Note and as it were two eternities, eter­nall blisse, and eternall curse: If you know God, obey the Gospel, beleeve in Christ, and live to him, you shall have (through free mercy) life, and heaven, and salvation, and everlasting joyes: Ioh. 17.3. Ioh. 3.16 26. Ps 16.11. If on the contrary you be wilfully ignorant of God, 2 Thes 1 8 or desperately depart from God through unbelief, Heb, 10, 38, 39. or presume that you do beleeve, and yet neither shew forth your faith by works of holinesse to God, nor [Page 39] works of righteousnesse to men, Iam. 2.26. Then you will die in your sins, Ioh. 8.24. and will be (through the just justice of God) cast into hell, Rev. 21.8. Vnbeleevers shall be pu­nished with pain of losse and punished for ever, not onely with pain of losse of the glorious presence of God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, of holy Angels, of sanctified Saints, and of heaven it self, and the joyes thereof: Mat. 25. [...] 41. Luk. 13.27, 28 But also, with the pain of sence in suffering the torments of the damned in hell, where you shall see nothing but darknes, Vnbeleevers shallbe pu­nished with pain of sence. devils, and damned creatures: Where you shall here nothing but the blasphemies, and dreadfull curses, and yellings of your self, and fellow-cursed creatures: where you shall taste and feel nothing but hellish torments un-by-any-phancy-conceivable both in soul and body for ever, and ever, and ever. Mat. 24.51. Mat. 25.41. O eternity! eternity! eternity! Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Ps. 50.22. And think of the fear­full effects of unbelief so, as to take heed of it, Heb. 3.12, 19. Consider how preci­ous your soul is, and for whatend God gave it you. even as of hell it self: accounting it a worse, and a more wofull thing to commit sin against God, and to crucifie Christ afresh through unbelief: then to be vexed with the miseries of hell; And remember that you have an immortall soul, a soul that must be as an Angel in heaven, Mat. 22.30. or as a devil in hell after this life: Mat. 25.41. a soul that is better then a whole world, Mat. 16.26. The chief work God requires of you, is, that you should beleeve in his Son. which God hath given you for this very end that you might seek his glory and the salvation of it, by beleeving in his Son; For this is the work of God (that he chiefly re­quires of you while you live) that you beleeve on him whom he hath sent. Ioh. 6.26. 1 Ioh. 3.23. O then so­lemnly [Page 40] set upon this work of God while it is called to day, for the night cometh when no man can work; Ioh, 9.4. How you are to improve Christ and all means to further you in beleeving and by how much the more you have neglected it for time past: by so much the more be diligent in it for time to come; For this end study Christ and the whole mystery of Christ from his divine nature unto his incarnation, and so to his exaltation; Cor. 2 2. The more you know of Christ the more you will be incouraged to beleeve in him; Ioh. 4 10. Rom. 10.14. Ioh. 17 3. 1 Tim. 1.15 The more you beleeve in Christ the more you will be enabled to live to him; Ioh. 6.57. Phil. 4 13. And the more you know of Christ the more you will be provided for against doubts, desertions, temptations, the troubles of the world, and the depths of sin, and Satan; Rom. 8.31, to 39. Ioh. 16, 33. Therefore I counsell you to studie the great mystery of god­linesse: God manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, beleeved on in the world, received up to glory. 1 Tim 3.16. And improve Jesus Christ, and not only Christ, and the spirituall meaning of his conception, birth, natures, offices, life, death, resurrection, ascention, and intercession at Gods right hand for ever: But also the most powerfull ministery, holiest company, best books, all means of grace, all Sermons, all Sab­baths, both the Sacraments and all holy duties at all times in all places both in publique and in private, for the furthering of your self to give glory unto God by beleeving; Ioh 6.28 29. Happy were you that ever you were born, if you should exercise your self in the duty or work of be­leeving all your daies, if you could but thereby attain the faith of Gods elect! Ps. 2.12. Ioh. 3.16.

Objections answered whereby people are either kept from, or hindred in beleeving.

BUt you may object and say as you are one that have never beleeved aright in your thinking to this day.

Object. 1 If I be not elected I cannot beleeve, But I fear I am not ordained unto eternall life; and therefore I fear I cannot attain the faith of Gods elect by any means I have used, doe, or may use.

Answ. 1 First, You have no warrant from the wordto fear that you are not elected, therefore you ought not to fear it.

Answ. 2 Secondly, Election is a secret thing belong­ing unto God, Deut 29.29. therefore you ought not to meddle with it, but to look to the revealed will of God, namely that all that beleeve in Christ shall not perish, Ioh. 3.16. Ioh. 6.29. and unto your main duty therein required, which is, that you should beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart.

Answ. 3 Thirdly, The will of God about election was no more known unto the Saints before they beleeved, then it is now unto you: For the will of God is no more revealed for ones electi­on then anothers; But those that have for­merly beleeved, were not hindered from belee­ving by their not knowing the will of God a­bout their election, therefore you ought not thereby to be kept from beleeving; being e­lection is not revealed in the word to the end to hinder you or any from beleeving; For that were against Gods goodnes and mercy revealed.

Answ. 4 Fourthly, The ordinary way to know thatyou are elected is to beleeve, therefore endea­vour to beleeve that you may knew that you [Page 42] are ordained to erernall life by your beleeving Act. 13.48. .

Object. 2 I fear the day of grace is past, in that the means of grace doth me little or no good, and in that I grow old: So as that I am afraid it is too late to begin to beleeve.

Answ. 1 First, Your being afraid that the day of grace is past, is an evidence unto you (if your fears make you now willing to yeeld unto mercy, and to obey Christ and the Gospel) that the day of grace is not past but present. Phil. 2.13.

Answ. 2 Secondly, Your sensiblenesse of your sin of not profiting by the means of grace, is a graci­ous work of the spirit, if it make you inquire after salvation; Ioh. 16.8, 9, 10. with Act. 2.37. Therefore you may rather conclude by it that the day of grace is present, then past.

Answ. 3 Thirdly, Though you wax old, and though you have not solemnly looked after faith unto this day: yet you may savingly beleeve in this your last age, as they did who were but called to beleeve at the eleventh hour. Mat. 20.6. That God that gave saving faith unto the thief on the crosse at the last hour, Luk. 23.40, to 44. can give saving faith unto you in your last age; Therefore be in­couraged to endeavour to beleeve, and leave the successe of your endeavours unto God; It is possible to beleeve the pardon of seventy years sins in one moment: This I say, not that you might delay your beleeving, and so presume and sin that grace might abound: But that you might hasten to beleeve, and so despair, doubt, and sin no more least a worse thing befall you.

Object. 3 I cannot think nor beleeve that God will be mercifull unto me a sinner, because I never read nor heard that ever such a great and grievou sinner was pardoned and saved as I am and have [Page 43] been; If you knew my own and my other mens sins, and all the aggravations of them as I doe, you would say as I think that I have a thousand times more cause to say my sins are too great to be pardoned then Cain had.

Answ. 1 First, God may have thoughts of mercy to­wards you though you can neither for the pre­sent imagine it, nor beleeve it. Isa. 55.8, 9.

Answ. 2 Secondly, If you knew what manner ofsinners God hath pardoned through free mercy in Christ: as Adam that caused you and all the world to sin; Rom. 5.12 Manasses that caused all Israel to sinne; Mary Magdalen, Paul, the wicked Corinthians, &c 2 Cor. 6.9 10, 11. You would not say that God never pardoned such a vile sinner as you are.

Answ. 3 Thirdly, Suppose you doe not know of any that ever was pardoned that was so vile as you are: yet you may be pardoned, Mat. 12 31. For the pro­mise is that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, Heb. 6.1, to 7 but the blasphe­my against the holy Ghost, and you have not blasphemed unpardonably if you be afraid of it; Besides put all your sins together they are but finite in that they are but the sins of a crea­ture that were committed in time, and Gods mercies and Christs merits are infinite; Ps. 103.11, 12. Isa. 55.8, 9. you may as well think your sins are too few, as too many to be pardoned.

Answ. 4 Fourthly, Suppose you have ten thousandtimes more cause to despair then Cain had: yet you ought not to say or think your sins are too great to be pardoned; Heb. 3.19. For put all your sins into one, your unbelief expressed on that wise is greater then them all; Therefore be advised to endeavour to beleeve, least you die [Page 44] in your sins for not beleeving; Ioh. 8.24. And be in­couraged to beleeve by the greatnes of your sins; for your sins should drive you unto, and not keep you from Christ; 1 Tim. 1.15. the greater your sins are and have been, the greater your faith should be; Ps. 25.11. The more sinfull you are and have been, the more need you have to beleeve, and the more you beleeve the more you will mag­nifie the free grace and mercy of God. Rom. 4 20

Object. 4 I am not humbled enough for my sins, nor trou­bled enough about them, neither doe I repent for my sins as I ought, and therefore I neither may nor ought to beleeve.

Answ. If you be so convinced of, and humbled for or under sin as that you loath your self for sin, and doe see your self lost by reason of sin, and so as that you see an absolute need of Christ to save you notwithstadding any means you have used, doe, or may use to save your self: And if you be so troubled about your sins, and doe so repent of them as that you are weary of them, and willing to come to Christ for pardon of them, and power against them: Then you are humbled as much for your sins, and troubled as much about them, and doe repent as much for them as Christ would have you before your first beleeving, Mat. 8 11 11.28. and the first thing you ought to doe in this condition is to beleeve in Jesus Christ. Act. 16.30, 31.

Object. 5 I doe not know whether I am bidden to beleeve or no, For Christ died not for all, and If I be one of them, if I should beleeve that Christ died for me, I should beleeve a lie.

Answ. 1 First, What God saith in his word, that you are bidden to beleeve: But God saith that who­soever beleeves shall be saved, therefore you are bound to beleeve it. 1 Tim. 3.16. Ioh. 3.16.

Answ. 2 [Page 45] Secondly, Although Christ did not die for all, Ioh. 10.15. yet you have no warrant from the word to conclude that Christ did not die for you, therefore you ought not to suppose or imagine it so as to be kept from beleeving by your supposall of it. Ioh. 3.16.

Answ. 3 Thirdly, Although all men are not com­manded to beleeve that Christ died for them: yet you and every one to whom the Gospel is revealed are commanded to beleeve on the name of Christ for life and salvation; 1 Ioh. 3.23 and if Christ did die for you you will at one time or another beleeve it, and so you will beleeve a truth and not a lie: And if Christ did not die for you, you cannot beleeve it, though you en­deavour it, and so you cannot beleeve a lie: Neverthelesse you are bound in conscience to endeavour to beleeve that you may be saved, and to beleeve that you shall have life and salvation by Christ if you doe beleeve in Christ Ioh. 3.16.

How should I beleeve whenas there is never a promise in all the volumes of the Scriptures that belongs unto me.

Answ. 1 First, The promises of eternall life belong properly unto Christ; For God said Ps. 89.19. as it were unto Christ from eternity, I have loved a remnant of mankinde with an everlasting love, I know they will sin and corrupt them­selves and so become enemies unto me, and li­able unto eternall death: Now thou art a mighty person able to doe what I require of thee for them: If thou wilt take upon thee their nature and sins, and undertake to satisfie my justice and the law, and take away that hatred that is in them towards me & my law, and make them a beleeving holy people, Then I will [Page 46] pardon them and adopt them in thee for my sons and daughters, and make them coheirs with thee of an incorruptible crown of lift. Tit. 1.2. 2 Tim. 1.1. Then said Christ Heb. 10.7, 9. Loe I come to doe thy will O God, and did as it were strike hands with God (I beleeve there was such a like covenant made between God and Christ from eternity, Heb. 7.22 though I know not how to expresse it) to take upon him the nature and sins of man, and to doe and suffer for him whatsoever God requi­red of him; So as that the promise of pardon, acceptation and life, belongs primarily unto Christ in the behalf of the elect. Tit. 1.2.

2 Secondly, The promises belong unto them that beleeve in Christ, and that are one with Christ by a reall spirituall union. 2 Cor. 1.21.

3 Thirdly, The absolute promises, or the ge­nerall declarations of Gods good will unto mankinde expressed in, Ioh. 3.16. and in Rom. 10 8, 9. belongs as much unto you as unto any of mankinde.

4 Fourthly, Though the promises doe not be­long unto you while you are in the state of unbelief: Yet they will belong unto you as soon as you do beleeve, and you may beleeve in Christ though there be no particular promise that as yet doth belong unto you: Isa. 55.1. Matth. 11.28. being our first beleeving is as it were the closing of our souls with Christ in a word or promise, whereby the promises of life and salvation doe belong unto us; Therefore endeavour to be­leeve in Christ that the promises may belong unto you though for the present they doe not belong unto you; Faith intitles us unto Christ and gives us an actuall interest in him: And Christ intitles us unto the promises and gives us a propriety unto them.

Object. 7 [Page 47] The Gospel terrifies me as much as the law, for I must beleeve or perish, and I am as unable to beleeve as to keep the law.

Answ. What the Gospel or the covenant of grace reguires, that it gives: it requires faith, repen­tance, new obedience, and the like, and it gives the same unto the elect of God: Ezek. 36.25, to 28. Rom. 1.16, 17. with Eph. 1.13 The law indeed saith Do this and live, and doe it not, and thou shalt die the death, and it gives no power to doe what it calls for: Rom. 8.3. But the Gospel saith Beleeve and live, and enables the soul to beleeve; So as that you have no just cause to be terrified by the Gospel at all, For the Gospel threatens death and damnation to those that doe not beleeve, not to terrifie you or any that here of it, but to take you off from unbelief: Rom. 11.20, to 23. Even as it promises life to them that beleeve, to incourage you and every one that hear thereof, to endeavour to beleeve; Ioh. 3.16. Besides you are not to look upon faith as a work of your own, as if you were to beleeve of your self or your own strength or else to perish: But you are to look up unto Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith for power to beleeve; Heb. 12.1, 2. Though you cannot beleeve, yet Christ can give you to beleeve, therefore be perswaded to endeavour to beleeve.

Object. 8 I am afraid if I should now come unto Christ, that Christ would refuse me in that I am and have been an enemie unto him, and in that I have re­fused to come unto Christ when he hath called me.

Answ. 1 First, Jesus Christ that died for sinners when they were enemies, Rom. 5.8. will not refuse sinners that come unto him, though they be enemies, if they come with a resolution to be so no more Ioh. 6.37. .

2 Secondly, Jesus Christ that calls and invites [Page 48] sinners unto him by his spirit in his word, doth not onely call once and away, but stands and knocks at the doors of their hearts to see if at any time they will hear and obey him; Rev. 3.20. Cant. 5.2. So as that if you doe but now after so long a time come unto Christ, he will in no wife refuse you; you have the word and promise of Christ for it, which is security enough to satisfie your self; Ioh. 6.37. Christ is more willing and forward to save sinners, then sinners are to come unto him to be saved. Luk. 15.20. Mat. 23.37.

Object. 9 How should I beleeve whenas I know not what it is to beleeve, nor what God requires of me when he saith Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Answ. 1 First, When God requires you to beleeve he would have you (to speak properly) not onely to put forth the acts of your understand­ing, that is, to know and understand that there is no salvation to be had but onely by Christ, and to approve of Christ, and salvation by him as a necessary sutable good for you: Act. 4.12. Mat. 13.44, to 47. But also he would have you to put forth the elective act of your will, that is to chuse to be saved by Christ and no other way; Ioh. 5.40. Mat. 23.37. And when God opens your understanding to know Christ to be the Son of God, and that salvation is to be had by him alone, and inclines your will to receive Christ for your King, Priest, and Prophet, and, for to be all in all to pardon, sanctifie, and save you: Then God opens a door of faith unto you; Mat. 16.16, 17. Phil. 2.13. And as you put forth the acts of your understanding and will time after time in the like manner as before mentioned, then you may be said to renew your faith.

2 Secondly, Look what kinde of naturall acts [Page 49] your eye puts forth when you look of one thing you dislike for to behold another thing that is pleasing unto the eye: your hand when you let go a staffe that would fail you to lay hold upon another that may stand you in stead: your foot when you go from a sandy place that is ready to sink under you unto a rock or sure place where you may safely stand: your sto­mack or appetite when it loaths one kinde of meat, and hungers and thirsts after another: yea, and tasts, and relishes it: your soul and the powers or faculties thereof when you trust your friend with, or for any thing: as your Lawyer with your estate, your Physitian with your body or the like; Look I say, and seri­ously consider betwixt God and your own soul what kinde of naturall acts you put forth with the parts of your body and the faculties of your soul in the parti­culars aforesaid: And the like spirituall acts God would have your soul to put forth when he requires you to beleeve; As for example, He would have you to look off your self, and your own services, and to look up unto Christ as the onely necessary, sufficient Saviour of souls: Isa 45.22. Zach. 12.10. Act. 4.12. He would have you to let go your own opinions, tears, humiliations, repentances, and righteousnesses as if you could be justified by them and to lay hold upon, or to receive Christ alone for pardon and salvation: Io. 1 12. 1 Tim. 6.12. He would have you to go from your own waies, and off your own bottoms, and to come to Christ as to a sure rock and foundation for to bottom, lean, and rest your soul upon: 1 Cor. 3 11. Mat. 11.28. Isa. 10.20. Psal. 22.8. He would have you to loath and abhorre your own righ­teousnesse, Isa 64.6. Phil. 3.8. and to hunger and thirst after [Page 50] the righteousnes of Christ, yea, and to fee [...] upon his flesh and bloud by faith: Mat. 5.6. Ioh 6.53. to 57. He woul [...] have you to trust none (I mean neither you [...] self, nor men nor Ministers of grace Psal. 146.3, 4, 5. Isa 26.4. bu [...] Christ alone with, and for the salvation o [...] your soul; 2 Tim. 1.12. 1 Pet. 4.19. with Act. 4.12. Ps 22.8 Psal. 10.14. Prov. 3.5. And indeed when God inclines and enables your soul to put forth such-like spirituall acts, Then he gives you to beleeve: Eph 2.1, 4, 5, 8 And when God perswades you to renew those acts over and over, then he gives you to renew your faith; Therefore do not stumble at the fi­gurative improper expressions of Scripture that set forth the spirituall acts of faith by the natu­rall acts of the body and minde, as of seeing, ap­prehending, receiving, coming, trusting, and the like: Ioh 6.40. Phil. 3 12. Ioh. 1.12. Mat. 11.28. But be thankfull unto God for them; For some know by them that they be­leeve, that know not well by proper expressions what it is to beleeve.

3 Thirdly, You may beleeve though you doe not well know what it is to beleeve; For faith is more known by experience then by expressi­on; 1 Io. 5.10. None know experientially what it is to beleeve but they that doe beleeve; 2 Tim. 1.12. Rev. 2 17. There­fore endeavour to beleeve that you may know by experience what it is to beleeve.

Object. 10 Though I desire and endeavour to beleeve, and know now in some measure what it is to beleeve: yet I cannot beleeve.

Answ. 1 First, If you be so convinced of sin as to ab­horre and condemn your self for it, and so as to see your self absolutely lost by reason of it: And if you be so convinced of righteousnes as to see Christ to be able to save you, and so as to be willing to be governed and sanctified by Christ as well as justified and saved by him: [Page 51] Then you doe, in my judgement, already be­leeve, Ioh 6.8, to 11. Phil. 2.13. and I speak it unto you as one that looks to give an account of my judgement herein un­to Jesus Christ.

2 Secondly, Suppose you cannot beleeve, and that you have an evil unbeleeving hard heart within you as you mistrust your self to have: yet you have no ground to despair, and to cease to desire and endeavour to beleeve; For if you be in unbelief you are but in the same condition that beleevers were in before they did beleeve, and that God that took away their stony un­beleeving hearts from them, and that gave them beleeving hearts, can doe the like for you; Ezek. 36.26, 27. Gen. 18.14. Mat. 19.26. Therefore wait humbly and patiently on the Lord, desiring and endeavouring to beleeve un­till God give to beleeve, and to know that you do beleeve; The least degree of saving faith is worth seventy years waiting for.

Objections answered whereby weak Chri­stians do suspect the truth of their faith, and whereby they are kept from per­severing in the faith. The second sott of ob­jections an­swered.

Object. 1 BUt you may object and say, I cannot deny but I have been so convinced of sin, as to see an absolute need of a Saviour: Of righteousnesse, as to see Christ to be fully willing and able to save sinners: of the necessity of faith, so as to see it im­possible to please God without faith; And God (if I know my heart) hath given me to undervalue all things in comparison of Christ: To hunger and thirst after Christ: To purpose in my heart to trust in Christ, and to cleave unto him: To make my request unto him in Christs name, by praier [Page 52] and supplication with thanksgiving: To be so affected with his love in Christ, as to desire and endeavour out of love and thankfulnes to serve him in holines and righteousnes all my daies: Yet these works have been wrought in me outwardly by such means, to wit by the history of the Scri­ptures and my own reasonings upon the same, and for such ends, namely more immediately for my own salvation then for Gods glory: as that I fear they are but delusions of Satan, and deceits of my own heart, and that I have not attained the faith of Gods elect unto this day.

Answ. Some of the Disciples of Christ that had faith and a work of true grace wrought in them, did think and fear that the appearing of Christ un­to them had been a delusion, Luk. 24.37, to 40. and were tempted to suspect their faith, and to cast away their confidence after they had attained faith unfained. Luk 22.32. 1 Th. 3.5. As Satan endeavours to make those think that they doe beleeve that doe but pre­sume: So endeavours to make those think that doe beleeve, that they do but presume; 1 Pet. 5 8. so as that if the works of grace afore mentioned have been inwardly wrought in your heart by Gods Spirit though they were outwardly wrought by the means and for the ends afore­said: Then you ought not thereby either to fear that they are delusions of Satan, or deceits of your own heart (being they are both above, Iam. 1.17. and contrary thereunto, Luk 22 31 32. 1 Pet. 5.8. ) Or to que­stion the truth of your faith; For the work of Gods grace is in, upon, and by a rationall crea­ture, and in a rationall way; God gives the soul to know inwardly by his Spirit, and out­wardly by the history of the Scripture that all have sinned, Rom. 3.23.5.18. and that condemnation is come upon [Page 53] all, ( [...]) and so to reason it self to be a sinner li­able unto condemnation; He gives the soul to know that God so loved the world, that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternall life, Ioh. 3.16. and so to reason a possibility of its salvation: He gives the soul to know that without faith it is impossible to please him, that he that beleeves shall be saved, that he that beleeves not, is con­demned already, Heh, 11.6. Ioh. 3.18. and so causeth it to reason it self to beleeve by thinking of the necessity, and benefit of faith, and of the dangers and disadvantages of unbelief, or the like: He gives the soul to know that all things are but dung and losse in comparison of Christ, Mat. 13.46. Phil. 3.8. and so causes it in a rationall way to prize Christ, to trust in him, and to cleave unto him: He gives the soul to know that sinners may come boldly unto the throne of grace through Christ, Heb. 4.16. and so to reason that then it may have accesse unto him through Christ: He gives the soul to know that he is glorified in the salvation of souls, and that they give glory unto him that beleeve and live so as becomes the Gospel, Ioh. 15.8. Rom. 4.20. and so to reason that it seeks Gods glory in seeking its own salvation, and so it comes to passe that it seeks its salvation more immediately then Gods glory; What Saints can say (I challenge the whole world of Christians) that they have alwaies sought Gods glory more then their own salvation? Happy are those self-seeking souls that seek Gods glory in their salvation!

Object. 2 I am not sanctified, for corruption remaineth in me, warreth against me, and oftentimes over­comes me; so as that I am afraid I have not a justifying faith, in that I have not a sanctifying faith.

Answ. [Page 54] The people of God both in the old and new Testament that were true beleevers were in part unsanctified, Isa. 64.6. Ioh. 17.18, to 21. and had remainders of sin and corruption in them that warred against them, and that did at times overcome them; Rom. 7.15 to 25. 1 Pet 2.11. So as that whatever your corruptions are and have been, if you doe not allow of them, but strive against them by complaining humbly un­to God of them in your praiers, and by acting and exercising faith on Jesus Christ for that end that you might have victory over them: Then you have no just ground to suspect the truth of your justifying faith by reason of the remain­ders of sin and corruption, or want of sanctifi­cation; Rom 7.15, 24, 25. Ioh. 17.19. It is not corruption but grace that discovers corruptions or sinfull workings and warreth against them. Gal 5.17.

Object. 3 I have sinned so often both presumptuously and secretly since I first begun to endeavour to beleeve, as that I cannot but doubt whether I doe truly beleeve or no.

Answ. The Saints of God both before and since the coming of Christ were overtaken after their first beleeving in many grosse and grievous sins, Gen. 9.21. 1 King. 11.3, 4, to 11. 2 Sam 12.7, to 13. Luk. 22.56, to 62. both against the light of nature, and the Scriptures; 1 Cor. 5.1. yea against their knowledge and resolution of better obedience; Mat. 26.33, 35. So at that whatsoever your sins are and have been since your first beleeving, and how often soe­ver you have sinned them over and over, though seventy times seven in a day: Yet if God give you ordinarily to order your life according un­to his word, and in some measure to eschew all evil, and all appearances of evil, and to renew your faith and repentance as your sins are re­newed: Then you ought not thereby to be [Page 55] scrupulous about the truth of your faith; Gal. 6.16. 1 Thes. 5.22. Luk. 22 62. Rom. 7 24, 25. If one beleever be to forgive another upon repen­tance seventy times seven in a day; Mat. 18.21. with Luk. 17.4. How oft then will God forgive a beleeving penitent in a day? Even so oft as he sinneth, and saith I have sinned and it profits me not. Iob 33.27, 28.

Object. 4 Though I desire to perform every duty (if I know my heart) that I know God requires of me: yet my heart is so unheavenly and indisposed unto holy duties, and I am so formall, hypocriticall, negligent, rash, irreverent, secure, cold and un­spirituall in the duties of Gods worship both in publike and in private; as that I think if I had true faith it would not be thus with me, and that God will never accept of such like performances.

Answ. Some of the people of God both in the old and new Testament that had true faith were both indisposed unto holy duties, Psal. 129.25, 37.40. and neg­ligent and secure in them; Mat. 16.40, 43, 45. Yea in many things in the duties of Gods worship they did offend all; Lev. 5.15. Isa. 64.6. Iam 3.2. And I am perswaded all the Saints of God on this side heaven doe some­times finde the like indispositions of heart unto, and distempers of soul in holy duties as you have even now complained of; So as that if you doe not wittingly and willingly allow of them, nor rest securely in them, but dislike them, and call upon God to quicken you; and to help you against them, and to give you a better heart, more affections, zeal, and fervency to serve him withall: And after that perform ho­ly duties as well as you can, and look for ac­ceptance of your performances onely through Jesus Christ: Then you have no just cause ei­ther to think your faith is not right, or that your performances are not acceptable unto God [Page 56] in Jesus Christ by reason of your indispositions unto, or want of affection, zeal, sincerity or the like in holy duties; Rom. 7.15 16, 17. Ps. 119.25, 37. 1 Prov. 23.26. 2 Pet 2.5. A beleeving sincere humbe heart, is not alwaies in a lively, holy; zealous, spirituall temper; Rom. 7.19, 24. They are hea­venly-minded, and in some measure disposed unto holy duties that give up their hearts unto God when they draw nigh unto him in the du­ties of his worship, to be put, and kept in a heavenly frame; Prov. 23.26. When a beleeving soul saith, I would O Lord, but I cannot serve thee as I ought: Then God saith I will accept of what thou wouldest doe for well done in and through my beloved Son in whom (with thee) I am well pleased. Mat. 3.17.

Object. 5 I am so ignorant, forgetfull, and unprofitable under the means of grace as that I fear my faith is not right.

Answ. Some of the Disciples of Christ that were ac­counted beleevers by Christ himself were so ig­norant, forgetfull, and unprofitable under the Ministery of Christ, as that they neither knew, remembred, learned, nor beleeved such things as were necessary to be known and beleeved unto salvation; Luk. 24.1. to 53. Mat. 16.7, to 13. Heb. 5.12, 13. Heb. 5.9. Therefore if you so profit by the means of grace as to be convinced of your unprofitablenesse for time past, and so as to use the means of grace for the present that you might profit thereby for time to come, Then you ought not to doubt of your faith by reason of your unprofitablenesse under the means of grace; Ioh 16 8, 9, with Luk. 17, 8. Prov. 8.35, 36. Heb 5.12.6, 7, 8, 9. If God should say unto his people, have you learned, beleeved, and practised some­thing out of every part of my word you have read, or heard read, opened, preached, and re­peated at any time? He would thereby either [Page 57] make them speechlesse, or humble acknow­ledgers of their unprofitablenesse; They truly profit by the means of grace, that thereby learn Christ, belief in him, and obedience unto him. Heb. 4.2. Ephes. 4.19, to 25.

Object. 6 I doe not grow in grace, nor go from faith to faith, neither do I bring forth much fruit, there­fore I fear I have no faith, and that I am no true Disciple of Christ.

Answ. The Disciples of Christ that had faith did not immediately after their first beleeving, go from faith unto faith, Luk. 24.25 Ioh. 15.1, to 5 nor sensibly grow in grace and bear fruit, being they are compared unto branches in a vine which may grow and not bear fruit, nor be discerned to grow: which may grow and bear fruit, and yet come short of others in growth and fruitfulnesse: which may grow and bear fruit and yet not unto ex­pectation and means; So as that if (as you are a babe, or new born babe in Christ) you de­sire the sincere milk of the Gospel that you may grow and bear fruit thereby: If (as you are a middle aged Christian) you can discern that you have grown for time past in the knowledge of Christ, and in your desires after him, and that you have brought forth any fruit at all, and endeavour for the present to abide in Christ that you might grow and bear fruit for time to come: If (as you are in the last age of Chri­stianity) you grow in the purposes of your heart to cleave unto Christ, that you might bear much fruit, though you decay in your bo­dy, parts, common gifts, and in the exercise of speciall grace: Then you doe causelessely que­stion your faith about your not growing in grace, and not bearing of much fruit, 1 Pet. 2.2. Iam. 2.25. Ioh 8.31 15.5, 8. whether you be a childe, a young man, or a fa­ther [Page 58] in Christ; 1 Ioh. 2.12 to 16. If you be in Christ and do abide in him by faith then you do grow in grace though you know it not; If you grow in grace then you are ingrafted into Christ, and you will bear fruit in due time: branches out of the vine doe not grow; If you have grown in grace though for the present you rather decay then increase in grace, yet let not your heart be troubled within you: old-aged Christians may be twise children in Christ.

Object. 7 I am so afflicted with poverty, sorrow, sicknes, pains, aches, losse of friends, goods, good name, and many moe such like crosses and calamities: as that I am doubtfull whether I be the childe of God by faith or no.

Answ. Those whom Christ calls brethren, and whom the Apostle Paul saith the world was not worthy of, and therefore they were the children of God by faith, were hated, reviled, persecuted, imprisoned, cruelly dealt withall, Heb, 11.36, to 40. and so poor as that they had neither house to cover their heads, not beds to lye in, Heb. 11.38 nor apparell to cover their nakednesse, nor where­withall to eat and drink: Matth. 25.34, to 46. Yea they were sick, and lived as miserable sad a life, and died as lamentable cruell a death as poor creatures of mankinde could doe; Heb. 11.37. So as that what­soever your afflictions are or have been, if your heart be drawn neerer unto God by them, or kept closer unto God in them, or any way made be [...]ter by them: Then you doe without cause suspect your adoption and faith by reason of your afflictions; Heb. 12.6, 7, 8, 11, 12. There is no outward mise­ry in life or death that ever any of mankinde met withall, but an elect beleeving childe of God may meet with the like: Eccl. 9.2. onely here is [Page 59] the difference, as all things work together for the eternall good of beleevers: 1 Cor. 2.9. So all things work together for the just condemnation of unbeleevers; Iude 4. Those afflictions are out of love and in mercy, and doe as it were seal up unto you your adoption that give you an occa­sion to say It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Ps. 119.71 Heb. 12.8.

Object. 8 I have so little joy in beleeving, and my soul is so filled with the terrors of God, and my heart is so troubled within me, as that I conceive if I did truly beleeve in Christ I should not be left thus comfortlesse as I am.

Answ. Some both old and new Testament belee­vers had the terrours of the Almighty so upon them, and the light of Gods countenance so hid from them, Ps. 88.3. to 18. Iob. 19.11. Isa. 45 15. Iob 23.8, 9. Cant. 5 6. and their hearts so troubled within them, Ioh. 14.1. as that they had little, or no joy in their beleeving; Ps. 51.11, 12. Ioh. 14.1, 16, 17, 18. So as that if you endeavour when God hides himself from you and leaves you comfortlesse to finde out the cau­ses of, and reasons why God leaves you, and lets in his wrath upon you, and (having found them out) endeavour the removeall of them: And, if in the mean while you fear God, and do what you can in the use of all means to glo­rifie God by trusting in his mercy, and in his Christ for the salvation of your soul whatever be the issue of it: Then you ought not in any wise to think or imagine that you do not truly beleeve by reason of the terrors of God upon you, or want of joy in beleeving; Ps. 88.11. to 16. Iob 34.31, 32 Isa. 50.10. They truly beleeve that can say when the terrours of the Almighty are upon them, I am O Lord, thy creature, if thou doest fight against me as an enemie thou maiest soon kill me, and though [Page 60] thou slay me, yet will I trust in thee; Iob 13, 15. They shall be saved that beleeve though they have no comfort in beleeving: Ioh. 3.16, 36. But God will not long withhold his face from those, whose hearts cleave unto him; Isa. 54.7.8. Can a father alwaies withhold his countenance and favour from that childe that saith unto him, Father, I confesse I have offended you so as that I am no more worthy to be called your childe: yet I purpose to doe so no more; I beseech you pardon me and be not alwaies angry with me? As a father pittieth his children: so the Lord pittieth them that fear him. Ps. 103.13.

Object. 9 I do not live by faith upon the promises, for I fear death, and that I shall want the things of this life before death, and that I shall at one time or another dishonour God by falling away and so pe­rish for ever: Therefore I fear that I have no lively faith.

Answ. The Disciples of Christ that had a lively faith though but a little of it, did not live by faith without distrustfull cares and fears, either for this life, or the things thereof, Mat 6.28, to 34. Mat. 10.28. neither did they trust Christ in his promises without doubting and trouble of heart, either for his spirit here, or for heaven hereafter; Ioh. 14.1, 2, 26. So as that if there be but a little of a new-beleeving heart in you that opposes the old, fearfull, evil unbeleeving-heart, and that saith unto it, God is faithfull in his promise, therefore I shall ne­ver perish, nor lack any thing in this life that is good for me: And if you side with the better part of your heart, and humbly complain of the worse part of it unto God that is able to take it away, and doe resolve in the strength of Christ that it shall be your care and endeavour while [Page 61] you live to trust in the Lord for everlasting life, though you cannot live upon his promises (as you ought) for temporall life, and the things thereunto belonging: Then you ought not to question the livelines of your faith by reason of your not living by faith; Rom. 4.18, 24, 25. Rom. 7.15.19, 24. Iob 13.15. A Saint of God may trust Christ for eternall, and yet not all­waies and in all respects, for temporall life; Mat. 14.30 They beleeve and live by faith, and shall be blessed for ever that trust in the Lord for their souls, and for their eternall well-being in the world to come, though they cannot live upon God by faith without all doubting and distrust­full cares and fears for their bodies, and for their temporall and spirituall well being in this world.

Object. 10 I neither have nor ever had assurance of faith, therefore I am doubtfull whether I have any true faith or no.

Answ. Some of Gods people in the new Testament that did truely beleeve on the name of the Son of God, did neither know that they did beleeve, nor that they should have eternall life upon be­leeving; 1 Ioh. 5.13. Mark. 9.24. Luk. 24.25. Therefore if God have given you so to know and acknowledge Christ to be the Son of the living God as to beleeve on his name, and so as to desire to trust in him, and to rest and rely upon him alone for salvation: Then you ought not to suspect your faith of adherence for want of full assurance of faith, Mat. 16.17 Mat. 5.6. Ioh. 3.16. God knows how little knowledge of Christ, and how little faith in Christ will save a soul! This I know that they are blessed that beleeve without sence and feeling as well as those that beleeve with full assurance of faith; Ioh. 20.29 Assu­rance (to speak properly) is not the act but the [Page 62] effect of beleeving, and the testimony of Gods Spirit in beleevers telling them that they doe beleeve; Rom. 8.16 1 Cor. 2.12, 1 Ioh. 5.10. They are blessed that truly be­leeve in Christ though they neither know it in their life nor at their death that they doe be­leeve; Ps. 2.12. Rom. 4.6, to 13. We enjoy Christ by faith, and not by feeling. But as God hath formerly given beleevers to know the things that were freely given them of God: 1 Cor. 2.12. So you may comfortably conceive that God will give you in due time (if he hath given you to beleeve) to know that you doe beleeve; Least any carelesse Chri­stians, wicked Protestants, and temporary pro­fessors should presume upon my answers unto the later sort of objections: Caution. Therefore I would have all to know that I apprehend and conceive the second sort of objections to be the doubts of those that have such a like work of grace be­gun and continued in them as is mentioned in the first objection.