The Life of Faith, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. An obiection answered, and passage made to the life of Sanctification.
HAppily thou replyest, all this were possible and easie, were it not for that euen amiddest this diligent practise of Faith, euen in the stricktest watch, in many things the best faileth, many knowne frailties will escape, and more escape vnknowne: And how can mirth chuse but bee damped with frequent slips?
The answere is, such an one as keepes the watch of his God, and pretermits no day without the forementioned duties, shall seldom or neuer fall into any foule slough, and dash the ship of his Faith against any dangerous Rocke, and if hee doe, long hee cannot lye, but his Faith will set him on worke to goe out, weepe bitterly, and make his peace presently with his Lord, and Conscience, that he may enioy his wonted repasts: And for his ordinary infirmities it will daily fetch him out a pardon of course, washing and scouring his soule eueryevery morning and eueuing, more duely then any Pharisie his face or hands: and set him on worke eueryevery day as hee runnes into arrerages, to draw the redde lines of Christs Crosse ouer the blacke lines of Gods Debt Booke. And what if as an All-seeing God hee sees our violation of his Lawe, and knowes better then our owne Consciences eueryevery peccant Act of ours in thought, word, or deed? what if GOD looke vponupon the Hand-writing against vsus? Doth hee not see the Billes cancelled with the Pretious Blood of his Sonne and our Suretie? Which for matter of guilt, defilement, and punishment is all sufficient to expunge, couer, nullifie, abolish, and wholly to take away our sinnes, in such sort that he neither sees, will see, nor can see them as sinnes and debts bearing action against vsus, obliging vsus to any penalty; no more then the Creditor who though hee sees the Items in his Booke, and knowes what debts hauehave beene, yet sees them crossed, cleared: And what thought then neede the Debtor take for such debts? Why, but is not this to make Faith a Pandar to sinne? And to make good the Papists and Worldlings slander of Solifidians. that make no more of it, but drinke and take Tobacco; sinne, and beleeue; get a pardon of the olde, and a licence for the new.
Oh peeuish and froward Generation to whom it is not giuen to knowe the mysterie of Faith, which is of the nature of Soueraigne mundifying waters, which so wash off the corruption of the ulcer, that they coole the heate, and stay the spread of the infection, and by degrees heale the same: And of Cordials which so comfort and ease the heart, as also they expell the noxious humours and strengthen nature against them.
These are ministred onelyonly to prepared bodies, these pearles are not for Swine, this Diuinity wee Preach not in Gath and Askelon to vncircumcised prophane ones that will turne eueryevery good thing to their owne destruction: But this belongs to the sealed Fountaine, to the Spouse of Christ alone: which when shee hath washed her feete how loath is shee to foule them againe? When shee hath appeased her Beloued, howe doth shee adiure her-selfe and others by the Hyndes and Roes, not to awaken and offend him againe?
The Text sayeth, Not eueryevery hypocrite, eueryevery profligate professor of Faith that liues as hee listes, shall liue by his Faith, but the Iust or Righteous? Which golden sentence is indeede ambiguously enunciated of purpose by the Holy Ghost that it may either way bee taken, The Iust by his Faith, shall liue: Or, The Iust shall liue by his Faith, yet so as it hath but one right eare to bee holden by, and that is onelyonly for the hand of the Righteous man: Implying, that whosoeuer beleeues, or liues by his Faith, is also and must of necessity bee a righteous man, a Iust man, not onelyonly imputatiuely, but inherently in part: such an one as vnfainedly loueth righteousnesse, studieth the practise of it, denieth and hateth all vnrighteousnesse, endeuoureth eueryevery day to bee more and more righteous, and so deserueth the denomination of righteous.
So that looke how the rationall Soule, includeth and implyeth the animall, so doth Iustification, Sanctification, being indiuiduall.