Four Sermons, Sermon 3
THE CHRISTIANS THRIFT IN KEEPING: OR TWO SERMONS Preached on 1 Tim. 1. 19.
Holding faith, and a good Conſcience.
THe men of the world are much for keeping, the father preſſeth his ſonne, the maſter his ſervant, the friend his friend, to keepe. They would have them keep their houſes, keepe their land, keepe their ſtockes, keep their credit, keepe ſurely whatſoever 1 Tim. 6. 20.they can get honeſtly. This is among the beſt.
The Chriſtian muſt bee for keeping too. Hee knowes whom hee hath truſted, and2 Tim. 1. 12 would faine have him keepe his ſoule to the day of Chriſt. And becauſe hee keepes not them that do not keep themſelves, and ſave their ſoules Act. 2. 40from this froward generation wherein they live: therefore hee deſires to doe it himſelfe, and to preſſe every member elſe within his reach, to this golden rule, which bleſſed Paul gives to his beloved Timothy, keep, or hold faith, and a good conſcience.
A brave worke, worthy a Chriſtian! If there had beene a better, Paul would have ſet it upon Timothies ſoul. Other things hee preſſeth unto: but if hee give him a thouſand taskes, of divers matters, if this doe not give life and forme to them all, they may doe others good, but they ſhal doe them none: therefore be thou holding, faith, and a good conſcience;
Timothy was a brave young ſparke of grace, blowne up to a great blaze in the church of God. He had ſo well approoved himſelfe to men, and God looked upon him with ſo right an eye, that there went about prophecies of him, for the great uſe the Church ſhould have of him, and the manly ſervice hee ſhould doe to God. Paul thereforever. 18. puts him in minde of them, and provokes him to take ſuch a courſe as may make them good, by holding faith, and a good conſcience.
And to raiſe him up to a greater vigilancy, he ſets before him ſome that had made ſhipwrack of them, together with their puniſhment, andver. 20. end of it.
This is the ſcope then, to provoke Timothy to hold whatſoever may be uſeful unto him, to make his imployment in the church comfortable unto him, he muſt hold.
If you ſay, hee muſt onelyonly Object. have them; for ſo the word Sol. ſoundeth: I anſwer, ſo to have, as to hold. As when (Saint Paul ſaith,) that wee thorough patience and comfort of the ſcriptures might have hope, that is, hold it thorough the whole courſe of life for uſe.
If you ſay, it is enough to Object. Sol. foreign pro foreign. Rom. 15. 4hold them for the preſent. I anſwer, no: it is in ſuch a part of ſpeech, as ſignifieth a continual act, holding today, tomorrow, and for ever. Therefore in Timothies perſon, it commends theſe two ſavoury rules of life unto you; that when yee have faith, ye muſt hold it, and when yee have a good conſcience, ye muſt hold it too.
Yee muſt hold faith. Faith is1 Yee m…ſt hold faith. Gal. 5. 22. 1 Theſ. 5. 19. Apoc 3. 3 of a flying nature in it ſelfe. It is but a fruit of the ſpirit, and wee are apt to quench it. But as Chriſt ſaith to the church of Sardis, remember how thou haſt received and heard, and hold faſt: and to the church of Philadelphia, hold that faſt Apoc. 3. 11which thou haſt, that no man take thy crowne: ſo be you all ſure to hold faith.
I ſhall labour (with Gods1 How yee muſt hold faith. helpe) to cleare theſe two particulars, how ye muſt hold faith, and why ye muſt doe it. Firſt, as hee that would hold his poſſeſſion and inheritance muſt have a good ground of tenure; his right by gift purchaſe,By holding. or deſcent; a good object of tenure, his deedes and evidences; a good act of tenure, to ſay with confidence this is mine; and a good power to uſe it as his owne for his proper benefit. So if yee would hold faith, yee muſt hold
1 The ground of faith.
2 The object of faith.
3 The act of faith, and
4 The power of faith.
The ground of faith, is1 The ground of faith. your ſaving right to it, without which you have nothing to doe with faith to ſave you. And what is that? it is an humbled ſoule: none have right to faith to ſave them but ſuch. To make a looſe and broken ground the foundation of an houſe, is the next way to ſee the ruine of it: but to make a broken heart the ground of faith is the only way to ſee it hold. Come unto me all yee that are weary Math. 11.and heavy laden: if ye be ſuch, then build upon me for the reſt of your ſoules. God carried the Iſraelites fourty yeares thorough the wilderneſſe to Deut. 8. 23humble them, prove them; and to make them ſuffer hunger, and then hee fed them with Mannah. God makes the houſe of David looke upZach. 12. 10. 11. to Christ pierced, and mourne as a woman mourneth for her onelyonly ſonne: and then in that day hee opens a Zach. 13. 1fountaine for the houſe of David, and the inhabitants of Ieruſalem, for ſinne, and for uncleanneſſe. The Holy Ghoſt convinceth the world of ſin, and then of righteouſneſſe, Ioh. 16. 8. 9 10. 11.that Chriſt hath fully ſatisfied, becauſe hee is aſcended: and then of Iudgement, to ſet up a throne and caſt out Satan by degrees. Even as phyſicians do firſt purge to pul downe rebelling humours, and then give cordials: So God firſt whips by the Schoolmaster of the law, and thenGal. 3. 24. brings us to Chriſt: this is the ground of faith.
The object of faith is, the2 The object of faith. deedes and evidences of it, the whole word of God. There are no other deedes and evidences of ſaving faith but there. Theſe are the teſtimonies, and records of God: hee that beleeveth 1 Ioh. 5. 10not God, and his record which he hath witneſſed, hath made him a lyar. This is that for which God lookes to bee credited. A very knave looks to bee credited for his pawne or bond; an honeſt man for his honeſty; a noble man for his honour; a Prince for his word: much more God. Ye muſt therefore looke to the Precepts of God like David: who when he tooke notice ofPſal. 119. 4 5. Gods commandements, given to be kept, hee had an heroicall motion to doe more then hee could, hee prayes that hee might be taught them, that he might keepe them, and bee ver. 48.quickned by them, and reſolves to lift up his hands to Gods commandements, which hee had loved, to doe them. Yee muſt looke to the Judgments and threatnings of God, as the Ninevites, who were preſentlyIon. 3. 2 Chro. 34. 27. in ſackcloth, and Ioſiah who rent his cloathes, with weeping eies, and melting heart. Thus Davids fleſh trembled for fear of God, andPſal. 119. 120. he was affraid of his judgments, yee muſt looke to the promiſes of God as David: who hid Pſal. 119. 11them in his heart that he might not ſinne against him. Whatſoever is in the word, ye muſt have an eie unto. For though they doe not ſo immediately concerne you in the way of life and death (as many Genealogies, Chronologies, Hiſtories, and Prophecies) yet you muſt bee ready to underſtandPraeparatione animi. them and their uſes as God ſhall offer them: yet yee muſt principally hold precepts to direct, threatnings to humble, and promiſes to allure and comfort; ye muſt hold them, by underſtanding what the will Eph. 5. 17of the Lord is, till (if ye can) yee come to all riches of the ful Col. 2. 2.aſſurance of underſtanding. Yee muſt hold them by aſſenting to them: yeelding to all the truth of them, as Saint Luke to the ſtorie of Chriſt whereof he was fully perſwaded. YeeLu…e 1. 1. muſt hold them, by bringing your bodies and ſoules into ſubjection unto them. For in Ieſus Chriſt neither circumciſion availeth any thing, nor uncircumciſion, but faith working Gal. 5. 6.by love. This is the object of faith.
The act of faith, is to ſay,3 The act of faith. this is mine: to adjudge and appropriate father, ſonne, and holy Ghoſt unto your ſelves; without this yee cannot feele any comfort of what you believe. Therefore as David, and Chriſt ſaid, My God, My Pſal. 22. 1. Ioh. 20. 28God: as Thomas ſaid, My Lord, and my God: and as theLuke 1. 47 Bleſſed Virgine ſaid, my ſpirit (that is the quinteſſence of my ſoule acted by the ſpirit of God) rejoyceth in God my Saviour: ſo by way of adherence, (when moſt times ye have no evidence) yee muſt take God in Chriſt as your owne, as hee offers himſelfe. I am the Lord Ex. 20. Ier. 31.thy God, I will bee thy God. This is the act of faith.
The power of faith, is to make uſe of the riches of itThe power of faith. Pſal. 32. Pſal. 45. Rom. 4. Act. 15. Mal. 4. Eph. 3. Heb. 6. 2 Cor. 4. 13. for thy owne proper good. Great is the power of faith, and it prevaileth. It covereth our ſinnes by the garments of Chriſt our elder brother, and ſo is imputed to us for righteouſneſſe. It cureth our ſinnes, bringing Chriſt, who hath healing under his wings, to dwell in our hearts by faith. It brings forth a world of the labour of love, wee having the ſame ſpirit of faith, believe, & ſpeak, and thinke, and doe. For byEph. 2. 10. faith we are Gods workemanſhip created in Chriſt to good workes, to walke in them. And this affirme conſtantly that they that have believed in Tit. 3. 8.GOD, be carefull to maintaine good workes. This is the power of faith.
Now, this ground of faith,2▪ Why yee muſt hold faith. this object of faith, this act of faith this power of faith, you muſt hold upon theſe five Grounds.
Firſt, faith is our life; wee live by faith, not by ſight; and1 Faith our life. 2 Cor. 5. Hab. 2. every juſt man muſt live by his faith. Not efficiently: for ſo, in GOD we live, move, andAct. 17. have our being. Nor meritoriouſly: for ſo ſaith Chriſt, I am the way, the truth and the life. Nor by way of immediateIoh. 14. application: for ſo the holy ghoſt is a quickening ſpirit, as Adams ſoule was the1 Pet. 3▪ 18. Gen. 2. breath of life. But as a prime inſtrument of our life in Chriſt, without this wee cannot have life, either before God or in this miſerable world. ThisRom. 1. 17 Heb. 10. 38 unites us to Chriſt, and receives a quickning ſpirit (as the vertue of Chriſt), from the ſpirit of Chriſt, in the meanes of ſalvation. As men ſay of their trades, and hands, under God, they are my living, take away theſe, and take away my life: ſo ſay wee of faith: it is your life: therfore hold it.
Secondly, faith is our power 2 Faith is our power of working.of working, to doe us our beſt good. In a naturall man, his reaſon is his power. Hee is borne naked, with abundance of bodily weakneſſe; a beaſt hath a great deale of bodily ſtrength: and if a lyon rationally knew how to uſe his pawes, a dog his teeth, a bullock, or buck his hornes, or an horſe his hoofes, how few men would there bee in the world? But let man come in with his reaſon, and hee ſubdues them all. But in a believer his faith is his power: and what is the power of reaſon to this? As Chriſt ſaid of miraculous faith, it pulls up trees by the rootes, and removes mountaines, it makes ſunne ſtand ſtill, and go backward: ſo much more of this ſaving chriſtian faith in another kinde. It covers more ſinnes then heaven and earth can cover. Get the heavens to cover them: our ſinnes are more then the ſtarres, and are come up above the heavens. Get the ſea to cover them: the ſea can cover the ſands at a full tide, but our ſins are more then the ſandes of the ſea. Get the earth, and all the creatures to cover them: our ſinnes over-top them all, and makeRom. 8. the whole creation groane under the burthen. But get faith, and as love covers a multitude of ſinnes in others, ſo faith covers all ſinnes in our ſelves. It brings the garments of Chriſt, and then wee cannot Apoc. 16. Phil. 3. Dan. 9.bee naked. It brings the righteouſnes of God, the everlaſting righteouſneſſe to dwel amongſt men, and then, God cannot but be there, where his righteouſneſſe is, to give grace and Pſal. 84: 16glorie, and every perfect gift. It is your power to doe your beſt good, and therefore hold it.
Thirdly, faith is your workman. 3 Faith is our workman.Set faith about any work, and what can it not doe? Art thou at GodsGen. 12. word, to goe a great journey, thou knoweſt not whither? Faith did it for Abraham. Art thou to fight againſt lyons,Heb. 11. Gen. 22. beares, Philiſtims, and other puiſſant enemies? Faith did it for David, Sampſon, Gideon, Barach, and their fellowes. Art thou to doe what nature abhorres? Faith did it for Abraham in the ſacrifice of his ſon. Art thou to cleanſe the uncleane ſtables of ſinne? Faith will take Chriſts ſpirit, and arguments, and doe it. It cries out, ſhall I that am dead to ſinne yet live Rom. 6:therein? Shall I ſinne that grace may abound? God forbid: I will mortifie the deedes of the Rom. 8.fleſh by the ſpirit. Art thou to ſuffer perſecution?
Faith will ſuffer it for thee in goates-skinnes, and ſheepesskinnes, Heb. 11.in the craggie wilderneſſe. Art thou to overcome Death, and Hell? Faith will doe it too. Faith receives Heb. 11.the dead to life; and ſends a defiance to the greateſt enemies of it, O Death, where is 1 Cor. 15:thy ſting? O Hell, where is thy victory? Thankes bee to God for Ieſus Chriſt, the Captaine of my ſalvation. O who would bee without faith! It is our workeman, hold it.Rom. 7. 4 Faith is our beſt light here.
Fourthly, faith is all the comfortable light, yee have in the world. Without the ſunne the earth would be an Aegypt, and without faith we are in a region of darkeneſſe. The wiſemenMath. 4. Math. 2. came out of the eaſt and worſhipped Chriſt, offering alſo gold, frankincenſe, and myrrhe: why? what did they ſee in him? They ſaw a child, not a man: they ſaw him in a ſtable, not in a throne, in ragges, not in robes, crying in a cratch, not thundring in the clouds; how then came it about they now worſhipped? Faith ſaw God in him, for the heavens waited upon him in his ſtarre. Faith ſaw in him a prophet, a prieſt, a king, and their oblations were anſwerable. The thiefe upon the croſſe cryes out unto Chriſt, Lord remember mee when thou comeſt into thy kingdome? was he a Lord that was dealt with like a ſlave? had hee a kingdome that was diſgracefully thruſt out of the world? Could he remember him, that would not remember himſelf, when they cryed, come downe from the croſſe, and ſave thy ſelfe? Faith caſts away theſe miſts, and ſaw glory in ſhame. Yee know what the Centurion ſaid, verily this man was the ſon Mat. 27. 54.of God, what? a man, and the ſonne of God too? The ſon of God, that could not have the favour to live, or dye ſo well as the ſonne of man? Surely, ſome ſparke of faith ſaw life in death, light in darkneſſe: It is your light, hold it.
Laſtly, faith makes earth5 Faith makes earth heaven. Math. 13. Gen. 28. Eph. 2. heaven unto you, and the church the kingdom of heaven, the houſe of God, the Gates of heaven, and ſets us on the ſeats of heaven heere below. Before we come to the proper place and manſion, which Chriſt hathIoh. 16. provided for us, by faith wee ſit with Abraham, Iſaack and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven. Put caſe wee hope for it, wee ſee it not: faith is the ground of things hoped for, the evidence Heb. 11. 1. foreign.of things not ſeene. It ſtands under the waight of the whole world, and yet ſayes, heaven is mine. It ſees nothing but earth, and ſinners, and beaſts, and trees, under the canopie of the ſtarrie heaven, and yet ſayes, heaven is mine, as if it had it already. O the world of grace and glory that is in faith! therefore hold faith.
Oh that I now knew howApplication. to ſcrew my ſelfe into your ſoules to ſearch whether yee hold faith! How many thouſands have it not, and cannot hold it? How many thouſands have it a little, and know not whether they hold it or no? yee are to bee married to the lambe, and till that day come,Annulum ſponſalem. yee have but the wedding-ring of faith, to have and to hold, firſt for promiſe, then for fruition. Tell me then:
Doe yee hold the ground of 1 Try the ground of faith Rom. 8.faith? Then yee are humbled ſoules: yee have paſſed thorough the ſpirit of bondage, whereby yee have been ſhut up in priſon under Moſes, till the ſonne hath made you free, Ioh. 8.and yee walke humbly ever after for feare of looſing this eſtate. This laies the foundation of faith deepe enough. Hymeneus and Alexander 1. Tim. 1. 20.built upon the ſands, and ſo they ſhip-wrackt againſt the rockes of the world. Therefore you muſt downe lower, under the ſands, earth, rockes, to the gates of hell, and then, Out of the depths have I cryed Pſal. 130. 1unto thee O Lord. Are yee thus in ſome meaſure, or other, according to your ſinnes? Say it if yee love faith and your ſalvation. Are yee convinced Ioh. 16. Act. 2.of your ſinnes? are yee pricked at the heart for your ſinnes? Are yee ſo all this, that yee are at utter enmity with all ſinne? Then keepe this ground of faith.
Doe yee hold the object of2 Try the object of faith. faith? This nouriſheth and keepes faith alive. It is like oyle to the lampe, like fewell to the fire, and like ſap to the tree. Have you full aſſurance of the knowledge of the ſcriptures? Can you ſay, Ile pawn my life, body, and goods, and ſoule, that, though I cannot conceive all, yet all in the ſcripture is true? what I know is true, and I reſolve to learne more: what I know not is true, and I will doe my beſt to comprehend that too. Have ye a free aſſent to all the truth of it, and to that alone for ſalvation? Do ye not come off baſely as Agrippa, almost thou Act. 26. 28perſwadeſt mee? Have yee a beliefe to all the precepts, promiſes and threatnings of the ſcriptures? Doe ye ſay all the commandements are true, & I muſt do them: all the threatnings are true, and if I live inDeut. 32. ſinne, I muſt undergoe them, even to burning in the nethermoſt hell: all the promiſes are true, and I muſt relieve my flagging and drooping ſpirit with them, in deſpite of my unbeleeving heart? Doth thy faith in the knowledge of them change thee, as it did David▪ who when hee couldPſal. 40. ſay, that in the volume of thy booke it is written of mee preſently cries out, Loe I come, to doe thy will? If it be thus, hold faith. But doeſt thou not rather hate the being of the word in thy underſtanding? Thou knoweſt it will ſtrip thee of all thy luſts. Doeſt thou not therefore ſay as thoſe miſcreants, depart from mee, I deſire Iob. 20.not the knowledge of thy lawes? doeſt thou not hate the nature of the word, to will as that wills? Heare that curſed voice, and feare to finde it in thy ſelfe, I will doe as I have done, Ier. 44.whatſoever the word of God ſaith. Doeſt thou not hate the rules of the word? Art thou not ſorry they are true: Wouldeſt thou not they were falſe? Can a fleſhly-man love that, fleſh and bloud cannot inherit 1 Cor. 15.the kingdome of heaven? Can an old ſinner love that, the childe ſhall dye an hundred Eſ. 65. 20.yeares old (ſo ripe ſhall hee bee for God) and the ſinner being an hundred yeares old ſhall bee accurſed? Can an uſurer love that, hee is not for Gods tabernacle, and holy hill, thatPſal. 15. 5 putteth his mony to uſury? Can an whoremonger love that, whoremongers and adulterers Heb. 13.God will judge? or any of thoſe ſinners that, bee not deceiued; neither fornicators, nor 1 Cor. 6. 9 10.idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abuſers of themſelves with mankind, nor theevs, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortiouers, ſhall inherit the kingdome of God? If they love not the nature, being, and rules of the object of faith, this is not to hold faith.
Doe yee hold the act of3 Try the act of faith. faith? Doe yee reſt with confidence upon the promiſes of God in Chriſt? ye pule and crie in the ſorrow of your hearts (even when your ſorrow hath turned you to God) and ſay, I know not what to doe. This yee doe; but yee looke not upon the new and everlaſting covenant, and ſay, God is mine, Chriſt is mine, the holy Ghoſt is mine, and I Object. am his. Alas, ſay you; I am Sol. not worthy. Surely there ſhould not have beene a ſaint in heaven, nor out of hell, by this argument. Though your willfull unworthineſſe will diſcard you, yet God tyes not himſelfe to you by your worth, but his owne. Oh therefore hold faith, as Iacob did God, I will not let thee goe Gen. 32. 26. Ruth. 1.except thou bleſſe mee: and as Ruth did Naomi, whitherſoever thou goest, I will go with thee both in life and death.
Doe yee hold the power of4 Try the power of faith. Rom. 16. Iames 2. faith? Say then, what doth it make thee to doe? Shew the obedience of faith: ſhew me thy faith by thy workes. It is as the plummet on the clockline which makes you ſtrike. It will make you looke upon ſinne which pierced Christ, andZach. 12. mourne for it, and caſt it out (as Agar the bond-woman) with a, Get thee hence. It is in thee as in the ſea, there is that Leviathan and creeping things innumerable: ſo there are inPſal. 104. 25, 26. thee, maſter ſinnes, and creeping luſts innumerable: but let faith looſe upon them, and then as when God made man after his Image, he ſaid, let him have dominion over the fiſh of Gen. 1. 26the ſea, and every creeping thing: ſo doth God ſay to faith, bee it unto thee as thou believeſt, evenMath. 15. againſt the whole hoaſte of ſinne. It will make you looke upon Chriſt and love him above all, and delight in all that belong unto him, the word of faith, the prayer of faith, the ſeales of faith, the houſhold of faith, for it will not let you ſtroake the head, and ſtrike the body: yea, it will make you deſire the appearance of the Lord Ieſus, that yee may be with him for ever: you will ſtay his leaſure, but with winged deſires▪ O make haſte my beloved, and bee like the Roe: come Lord Cant. 8. 14 Apoc. 22.Ieſus, come quickly. It will make you look upon God the father, and depend upon him for all things, (for faith reaſons thus, if he have given mee Chriſt, how ſhall hee not Rom. 8.with him give us all things alſo?) yea, and ſubmit unto him in all things, (for the children of Abraham, will doe the workes of Abraham; Iohn 8, Gal. 3. 7and they which are of the faith are the children of Abraham): yea, and goe boldly to the throne Heb. 4. 16of grace, that yee may have his ſtrength to doe all obedience, and to truſt in him in hardeſt Iob. 13. 15times. It will make you look to God the holy Ghoſt, and ſubmit to his worke of conviction, and converſion, yea, and to do whatſoever he enableth unto. Hee is the great maſter of faculties, who helpeth Rom. 8.your infirmities: you take his help by faith and doe it. It will make you looke upon your ſelves, and worke the worke of God upon your ſoules with power. The fowles pick-up the good ſeede ſo ſoone as it isLuke 8. ſowne, becauſe it is not mixed with faith: but the wordHeb. 4. 2 1 Theſ. 2 13. workes effectually in you that believe. Yea, it will make you fight the battels of God inſuperably. When Paul came to Epheſus, there aroſe no ſmall ſtirre about that way: ſo whenAct 19. 23 Math. 2. faith in Chriſt comes, Herod is troubled, and all Ieruſalem: but faith makes you like the houſe of David, grow stronger and 2 Sam. 3. 1ſtronger, and ſin like the houſe of Saul, grow weaker and weaker: It makes you like Rachel, Gen. 30. 8who wreſtled with the wreſtlings of Chriſt, and prevailed. Let the world fight againſt you: this is your victorie, 1 Ioh. 15. 4 1 Pet. 5. 8even your faith. Let Satan come; reſiſt him, ſtedfaſt in the faith. Let the fleſh come; as thoſe beaſts had their dominion Dan. 7. 12taken from them, yet their lives were prolonged: ſo faith ſpoiles the fleſh of her Kingdome, though it muſt live as a Iebuſite. Let God himſelfe deſert and forſake thee, yeth faith ſaith, though Iob. 13. 15thou kill mee I will truſt in thee. Laſtly, faith will make you looke upon your brethren, and fill you with mercy and Tit 3 8. Eph. 2 9, 10good workes. When Dorcas believed, ſhee made coates and garments to cloath the naked.Act 9. 39 When Tyrus was to believe, ſhee would nor treaſure up merchandiſe, but get it for them that dwell before the Lord, Eſ. 23. 18.to eate ſufficiently, and for durable cloathing. When the diſciples were taught to forgive their brethren, they cried out, Lord increaſe our faith; as ifLuke 17. 4 they ſhould ſay, faith will doe it: the more faith, the more mercy; for if you believe your owne ten thouſands forgiven, you will forgive others tens: yea, when you looke upon your brethren, faith will move you to draw them to Chriſt. It ſets you upon the high mountaines, which doe make the vallies fat with the drops that deſcend from them, when Luke 22.thou art converted, ſtrengthen thy brethen, ſaith Chriſt to Peter. If Andrew have found Chriſt, hee calls Peter; If Philip have met with him he calsIohn. 1▪ Nathanael. If thou thus have the power of faith, hold it: If thou have it not, be humbled in time, get faith and hold it,
It may bee thou wilt ſay,What wee muſt do to hold it. what ſhall I doe to hold it? if then thou wouldſt have all in a word, ſtop thine ears againſt the enemies of faith; I was In hac fide natus ſum. Auguſt.born in this faith, is a loſe plea, it is the gift of God. Heare duely the friend of faith, the preaching of the Goſpel. Pray the praier of faith in the name of Chriſt. Vſe the ſeals of faith, the ſacraments. Keepe experience to nouriſh and fatten faith. Buy faith, but ſell it not for a thouſand worlds: part with al domineering ſin for it; they that ſet not this price upon precious faith, ſhall never have it, nor ever hold it. Thus doe and thou ſhalt give glorie to God, and bring comfort to thy own ſoule for ever and for ever,
Amen.