The Real Christian, Tract · Chapter 6 (1 of 4)

The Real Christian · Tract · Chapter 6 (1 of 4)

p. 150CHAP. VI. Of Faith in Chriſt. How the Spirit draws the Soul to him.

THe awakened Sinner by this time is looſened and made willing to turn from that term from which he is called. The next thing is to conſider the term to which he is called, to which he muſt turn: Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Acts 20.21. was the ſum of Paul's preaching to the Epheſians. God the proper Object of Repentance, Chriſt of Faith; Chriſt then is the mediate Object of Faith in effectual Calling, God the ultimate. Chriſt, I mean, as Mediatour, as Chriſt, God in our fleſh; for as God he is the ultimate: Who by him do believe in God, 1 Pet. 1.21.

The heart of the Sinner thus prepared (as I have opened) he is now enquiring if there be any way to get out of that ſtate of ſin and miſery, emptineſs of all good, and wants, which he feels himſelf in: the news of a Redeemer is welcome: Is there ſuch a one? Yes. What is he? Is he able to do the work? May one reſt and confide in him? Yes, he is a Saviour and a great one, Iſai. 19.20. Mighty to ſave, Iſai. 63.1. May he be had? Yes, for he calls you. What are the terms upon which he may be had? They are but equal, good, ſuch as when you come to underſtand them, you would not have them changed.

A Redeemer muſt be, that the Soul is convinced of: there is no coming to God, a conſuming Fire, a juſt Judge, a holy God, whoſe Law I have trampled under foot, and that Law curſeth me to Hell; but I muſt have one to undertake for me; beſides, I feel ſuch a hell of filthineſs within me, ſuch rebellion in my heart, that if I be left alone I am undone: Price and Power muſt be, or I muſt p. 151periſh. As then in that term from which the Soul was called, the Spirit let in Light, which diſcovered the evil of that ſtate, Conviction accompanied that light, and fears and ſorrows followed that Conviction; thus the affections with will did avert, fly from, and turn from that evil; but how to help it ſelf it could not tell, feeling nothing but ſin, weakneſs, and emptineſs, no righteouſneſs, no ability in it ſelf: So now in this term Chriſt and God, to whom the Soul is called; the Spirit enlightens the Soul to ſee the Son, (Every one that ſeeth the Son, John 6.40.) to underſtand him in his Perſon, Offices, work of Redemption; it ſhews him the adequate fulneſs in God in Chriſt, to anſwer its deſires and will, the loſs of whatever the Soul ſtuck at, which hindered it from turning from that term from which it was called: the Spirit convinceth the Soul of the truth of all this goodneſs diſcovered; it convinceth the man alſo, that there is a fair probability of his enjoying this Chriſt; yea, convinceth him it is his duty to come to him; and now he will add a worſe ſin to all the former, if he obey not the Command and Call of God. This ſutable and adequate goodneſs being thus diſcovered, and the will renewed, now the will and affections move ſtrongly towards this Chriſt, that by him the Soul may come to this God; there remaining nothing, but propounding of the terms and agreement to them; which the man being thus far prepared, and enlightened to ſee the Goſpel, will renewed, and Spirit ſtill acting, drawing in order of the firſt cauſe, he doth moſt willingly and freely come up to the terms, and takes Chriſt for my Saviour and my Lord. Do not miſtake, Chriſtians, when I ſay my Saviour, I do not ſay the Soul is aſſured that Chriſt is my Saviour. It is one thing for a Soul to receive Chriſt for my Saviour and my Lord, (which all ſound Believers do) another thing to be aſſured Chriſt is my Saviour and my Lord, which many Believers cannot attain unto, at leaſt not till a long time. But of this more fully hereafter.

I ſhall but briefly touch theſe Heads, becauſe they are commonly taught and found in many Books: Only to remove p. 152move a block here; if any ſhould think, you have been a long time upon the work, what, have you more ſtill before we come at Chriſt? Alas, when was this enlightning and conviction now you ſpeak of wrought in me?

Firſt, I pray remember what I ſaid in my firſt Chapter about Preparations in general; how the Lord ſanctifies many in their infancy, and are trained up by Parents, that have any Religion in them, in the knowledge of Chriſt, ſo far as their catechizing can help; and many from their childhood are ſavingly acquainted with the knowledge of Chriſt their Saviour, as they are with their ſinful and loſt condition in Adam.

Secondly, If the Lord wrought upon you, when you were adult; yet living under the clear preaching of the Goſpel, you had the knowledge of Chriſt in the notion; you thought you knew a Saviour ſo well, that you had him pind on your ſleeve, you might have him when you liſt: but as it was in the former work, you knew the notions of ſin and miſery, before the Lords work on you, and it may be there were no new notions let in, but a Divine light, which made you ſee thoſe notions you had before after another manner than ever you ſaw them before, that now your ſin, miſery and creatures appeared like themſelves: ſo you may have the notions of Chriſt, his Perſon, Offices, Redemption, before you could tell theſe truths before: but you never ſaw their truth, neceſſity and glory, as now you do, under the Spirits working. How quickly had the Jaylour the knowledge of ſin, and of Chriſt, and received him? A very few hours, if it were two, is more than I can prove.

Thirdly, Though you have not obſerved, nor can obſerve, the diſtinct times of theſe diſtinct workings, yet the work is done, and ſo done, as we write. You muſt have light firſt to know Chriſt, his perſon, what he is, and his p. 153work, and God in fulneſs and goodneſs; you muſt be convinced of the ſufficiency in Chriſt and in God to anſwer all your wants, neceſſities, deſires; your underſtanding muſt be brought to aſſent to all this as true, elſe you will never receive nor truſt Chriſt, nor will your will and affections ever go out after God and Chriſt: So that whatever you can obſerve for diſtinctneſs of the Spirits working, which is very ſecret; yet thus it is, and we muſt preach and write, as things are in nature, methodically, or elſe we ſhall be wild Preachers.

So that here is no matter of trouble, if the Lord hath enlightned you, and convinced you in the knowledge of Chriſt, no matter when it was, nor how it was: the work is done.

Concerning the nature of ſaving Faith in Chriſt, wherein the eſſence of it lies, great hath been the controverſie between Proteſtants and Papiſts; great the difference between Proteſtants themſelves: Divines of late years have cleared up the nature of Faith more than ever: yet I ſhall make bold to to caſt in my Mite, it being a thing wherein I was exerciſed for many years my ſelf, as to my own ſtate, not being able to find by the Books which then were extant what it was; but if that were Faith, and ſaving Faith, which Mr. Perkins, Mr. John Rogers, and others had deſcribed, and what my godly Father had taught me in my Catechiſm, viz. that Faith was a ſure perſwaſion of my heart, that whatever Chriſt hath done belongeth to me as if I had done it, (he had learned it from ſome of thoſe ancient Divines) then be ſure I had no Faith: When I heard Miniſters preach againſt unbelief in Chriſt, or faith in him, I could not tell what they meant by faith or unbelief; nor do I know to this day, when I hear ſome men, what they mean by unbelief. Doctor Ames in his Medulla Theolog. l. 1. c. 2. Theſ. 14.17. cap. 27. Theſ. 17.19. was the Book that firſt gave me ſome hopes I might have Faith. A reverend Divine (whom I have mentioned in my Epiſtle to the Reader) aſſured me, that what I found, and related to him, was ſaving Faith, It is an ill p. 154thing, that in a thing of this moment the Trumpet ſhould give an uncertain ſound; Miniſters ſhould be clear in their preaching.

As ye have received Jeſus Chriſt the Lord, Coloſ. 2.6. Goſpel-faith, I conceive, is here deſcribed by the object of it. The perſon cloathed with his offices, Jeſus Chriſt the Lord, By the Act received. As ye have received his Doctrine, ſay ſome, there is a truth in that, they do receive his Doctrine who do believe in Chriſt: though Grotius would have the word in the Text, foreign, to be Vox propria diſcentibus, whence he interprets, Jeſus Chriſt the Lord, the Doctrine of Chriſt: Yet in Matth. 1.20, 24. it is twice uſed of Joſeph's taking Mary to wife, where Joſeph took the perſon of Mary, and ſo doth the Soul in its married union with Chriſt, Faith unites the Believers with the perſon of Chriſt: Ʋnion reſpects the perſon, Communion the benefits; Ʋnion is ever firſt. Hence Doctor Davenant well, Here is a great emphaſis in this manner of ſpeaking; for it is to be obſerved, that he doth not ſay, as ye have received the Doctrine of Chriſt, or concerning Chriſt, but as ye have received Chriſt himſelf: for by Faith we do not only perceive the Doctrine of Chriſt, but alſo receive our quickning Saviour, and lay him up in our hearts for our ſalvation: Thus he.

Chriſt cloathed with his Offices; ſo I underſtand the words: thus the Angel, Luke 2.11. there is indeed the Greek word, foreign, not this Hebrew word Jeſus; but yet this Saviour is by the Angel called Chriſt the Lord: The quarrel the Jews had with him was not about his name Jeſus but that this Jeſus ſhould be Chriſt the Lord: Let his name be Jeſus, they had others of that name before; but the name Jeſus, with that Notation which the Angel gave of it and which they ſaw believing Jews and Gentiles did embrace, this they abhorred afterwards, in ſo much that they would not pronounce it; but if they did unawares happen to pronounce it, then they would puniſh themſelves with a blow on their faces, and uſe another word like it, foreign, which by an Apocope they framed out of two p. 155words, foreign, Deleatur nomen ejus, Let his name be blotted out; to ſee the hatred of this poor people againſt the Lord Jeſus, the Lord haſten the removal of the vail. But in the time of his being in the fleſh amongſt them, that which they oppoſed was, that he ſhould be the Chriſt, the Meſſiah; this was ſuch a crime, that whoever did ſay he was the Chriſt, it was matter of excommunication, they put him out of the Synagogue, John 9.22. Others of the falſe Apoſtles would not ſtand much at that, but might yield it he was Chriſt, but not Lord; they would not ſet up him only Lord of their faith and lives, but they ſet up the Servant Moſes with him, he muſt be joyned to him, Non praedicabant Chriſtum Dominum, ſed Moſis conſervum. Davenant ibid.this the Son, nor his holy Apoſtles would endure.: hence we have it ſo often that theſe three are put together, Acts 2.36. God hath made that Jeſus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Chriſt, ſaith Peter: the laſt words were the Controverſie, We preach not our ſelves, but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, ſaith Paul: ſo 1 Cor. 8.6. thus Paul in his Benedictions uſeth the words, The Grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, eight times.

The eſſence of Faith lies in receiving this Perſon in his Offices, Jeſus Chriſt the Lord: John 1.11. we have the word receiving, the ſame Verb, foreign, in our Text, but in the twelfth verſe, foreign, the ſimple Verb: Whence Grotius, Hinc idem eſt, foreign & foreign

To this receiving four things are required, its made up of Acts 4.

Firſt, Knowledge of the Perſon and his Offices, his whole work: what I am to receive I will know; the Soul and Chriſt, by receiving him, enter into a married union; it is myſtical, but real: Will a Woman receive that Man to be her Husband whom ſhe knows not? John 17.3. This is life eternal, to know thee, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent. Men cannot believe in him of whom not heard, Rom. 10.14. Every one that ſeeth the Son, and believeth on him, John 6.40, There is a ſeeing the Son, underſtanding, knowing him well, before there will be any p. 156believing on him to ſalvation. Firſt ſee, then believe. Thus he began in the term from which he called you; thus he doth alſo in the term to which he calls you: the work is rational: no more, only touch it.

This knowledge is of his Perſon, Offices, and work of Redemption; for he muſt be received with all: the Soul ſhall not be miſtaken, let it know what it muſt receive. The Perſon: ſuch as is the Perſon, ſuch is the valor of his Offices, and of all the work he hath done. He who hath his ſtate of ſin and miſery layed open to him to purpoſe, Conſcience awakened, guilt lying heavy upon his Soul, and feels the rebellion of his heart, a hell of corruption within him, will never venture his Soul with one who is but a meer Creature: no power meerly created can do that for him, which he feels muſt be done, or he muſt periſh. God in our fleſh, 1 Tim. 3.16. it muſt be that muſt make a Redeemer for him, or elſe he muſt lye in his bonds for ever. Here the Socinians Jeſus and our Jeſus differ infinitely: what the Apoſtle ſaith concerning his Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15.14. If Chriſt be not riſen, our preaching is vain, and your faith is alſo vain; the ſame I ſay concerning his Perſon, if he be but man, a meer Creature, let him die, and riſe, and aſcend, both preaching and faith are but vain; a meer man is not a Rock, a precious Cornerſtone for Faith to build upon: Fleſh is too ſoft, too ſandy, to lay ſuch a weight, the weight of a guilty captivated Soul, under laid luſts, creatures and devils, upon. The Egyptians uſe men, and not God, and their horſes fleſh, and not ſpirit, Iſai 31.3. What then? They will fail when you come to trial; Wo to them that go down to Egypt, v. 1. They were reproved much, and accounted fools, who went down to Egypt, to put their truſt in men, in fleſh, for outward, temporal ſafety, and ſhall we truſt upon one who is man, and no God, fleſh, and not an eternal ſpirit, for the eternal ſafety of precious Souls?

It were improper for me, conſidering the ſcope of my Book, to enter upon this diſcourſe, though this is the main pillar of our Chriſtian Religion; if this go, all goes: it p. 157is a mercy to weak Chriſtians, that God keeps off Satan from troubling of them here: thouſands go out of this world to Heaven, and never meet with one troubled thought about it: yet I fear this Doctrine ſpreads much, but it muſt be amongſt thoſe who never had the load of guilt and ſin lye upon them, it will not eaſily down with thoſe perſons who have felt them: I ſhall ſay no more about it, only ſuggeſt to the Reader a notion or two which I have had; when I read that Text, John 3.16. God ſo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. when God will ſet forth any of his Excellencies, his Attributes, they appear ſo glorious, that they ſwallow up, they confound the underſtanding of the Creature, it cannot reach them, they ſet him into amazement, and there leave him. If God will ſhew forth his Power, his Wiſdom, his Goodneſs, that God is ſo powerful, ſo wiſe, ſo good, he makes a world, and how are our underſtandings confounded, amazed, when we comtemplate theſe Attributes, appearing in the Creature, they are indeed God-like: Would any man demand a demonſtration of the patience and long-ſuffering of God? Let him but conſider the horrid wickedneſs, Atheiſme, blaſphemy, uncleanneſs, with all the abominations in England, and then tell me, if his patience and long-ſuffering be not God-like. So if God will ſet forth the Attribute of his Love in a gift, and put his ſo to it, that he ſo loved, that gift muſt be ſuch a thing, that his Love therein demonſtrated may be like his other Attributes, God-like, ſuch as confound, amaze, ſwallow up the underſtanding, as do the other Attributes; for if the underſtanding can graſp it, it is but a mean pitiful buſineſs, not at all becoming a God, eſpecially when he puts his ſo to it, ſo loved. Then let us view his gift, and ſee whether this gift demonſtrates Love, to be God like, comparable to his other Attributes. The gift is an Only bigotten Son: But what is that Son, God or man, or God-man in one Perſon? Why? He is but a man, fleſh as we are, only his miraculous Conception of a Virgin, had not our ſinful nature, he lived a holy life, and died to confirm p. 158his Doctrine, and to ſhew, that all who live as he did ſhall be happy as he is; being now riſen, but raiſed by God, not by himſelf, and aſcended into glory. A goodly buſineſs, an excellent gift to ſet out the love of God by; had his Power, Wiſdom, and Goodneſs in the Creation been no more than this, the inviſible things of him, the eternal power and Godhead, Rom 1.20. had never been ſeen to convince a Heathen by the light of Nature. His miraculous Conception, what is in this? Adam's forming out of the earth was infinitely more miraculous: But this Son had no ſin; no more had Adam when God made him; and though he did live without ſin, that is little, the Angels do as much. That he died: ſo have many Martyrs more, as bad deaths and worſe, to bear teſtimony to the Doctrine of God, and God will raiſe them alſo. So that if the gift of God be no more than the Socinians Jeſus, we will never wonder at this love of God: the Text may well leave out the ſo loved, for this is not love, to ſet out a God by; our underſtandings can eaſily graſp this, being a pitiful ſmall gift: this is not as he ſaid, a gift like a thing: I muſt give like a King. But now for God to ſend his only begotten Son (therefore of the ſame eſſence with the Father, as Children are of the Father, elſe no Son) the wonderful, the mighty God, Iſai. 9.6. 1 Tim. 3.16. to take on him (then he muſt have a praeexiſtence, for non ens cannot take) the ſeed of Abraham. Heb. 2.16. to redeem the ſeed of Abraham; that he muſt be made of a Woman, made under the Law, that he might redeem them that are under the Law, being made himſelf a curſe, Gal. 4.4, 5. Gal. 3.13. This is a gift indeed; this argues love like a God indeed. The Creation doth not more demonſtrate his power and wiſdom to be infinite, than this gift demonſtrates his love to be infinite; he may well put ſo to this love: this confounds, ſwallows up the underſtanding, ſets it in amazement, and there leaves it, as do the other Attributes of God; this love bears a full proportion with his other Attributes. The Socinians Jeſus debaſe God, and make his Attributes of love unbecoming p. 159God. The Socinians make great uſe of Matth. 28.18. All power, &c. But that was Gods love to his Son, as he had been a Servant, and done his Fathers work, this is part of his wages; but his love to us is in the gift of his Son, and his dying for us: Rom. 5.8. there look for the ſo loved.

Again in 1 Pet. 1.12. we read, foreign propriae uſitatur de iis, qui ſtudio intuendi, & penitius introſpiciendi ſe inclinant: quique ſumm… ſtudio omnia explorant, ac diligenter fixis oculis intuentur.Which things the Angels deſire to look into: the word foreign, to look into, is uſed of John, John 20.5. and of Peter, Luke 24.12. when they ſtooped down and looked wiſhly, to ſee whether Chriſt were not in the Sepulchre; and in James 1.25. Who ſo looketh into the perfect Law, which the Dutch tranſlate thus, he that narrowly looketh; for ſuch looking the Law requireth; it notes a curious prying into that which hath ſome veiled or ſecret rarity in it. Grotius ſaith the Apoſtle hath a reſpect to Exod. 25.20. where the Cherubims, the repreſentative Angels, were made with their eyes looking down to the Mercy ſeat. What our Lord ſaid to the Multitude, Matth. 11.7. concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderneſs to ſee? ſo may I have leave, with honour to thoſe bleſſed Creatures, to ſay, What is it ye bow your ſelves to ſee? What is it you are curious to pry into, a Socinian Jeſus? You ſee but a man; yea, but he is a man, whoſe conception is wonderful in the womb of a Virgin. But the forming of the woman of the rib of the man, and Adam out of the earth, is a thouſand times more wonderful, than the forming of a man of the ſeed of the woman, which concurs to all generations of men. But he is without ſin: So are ye, and ſo was Adam once, and though now we are fallen, yet conſidering that body of death within, and the temptations that ariſe from thence, and without, from Satan and World, it is a wonder that ſo many Saints walk ſo holily as they do. But he preached the way to Heaven: And this was preached before by Moſes and Prophets, as well as by the Socinians Jeſus: Enoch, Abraham, the Patriarchs, knew the way to Heaven, and were Pilgrims here, Heb. 11.13, 14, 15, 16. But he died to confirm his Doctrine: So have p. 160thouſands of Martyrs. But he was raiſed again the third day: The Socinians Jeſus could not raiſe himſelf; but if God raiſed him, ſo ſhall all the Saints be raiſed as well as he; the time, on the third day, makes nothing; to raiſe the bodies of Saints, dead ſo many hundred of years ſince, is a wonder infinitely beyond the raiſing of a Socinians Jeſus, the third day.

And this wonder is to be performed by our Jeſus, John 6.39, 40, 44, 54. This work is too hard for the Socinians Jeſus, therefore are the Socinians as faulty and erroneous in the Doctrine of the Reſurrection: Corpora haec quae nunc circum ferimus reſurrectura non credimus, ſaith Smalcius. Now where is that Myſtery? where is that manifold wiſdom of God, Epheſ. 3.9, 10. O ye bleſſed Angels, that ye are ſo deſirous to look into, and find out? Here is no ſuch rare Invention in this Socinians Jeſus, to take up the thoughts of a man with admiration, much leſs of Angels. But to ſee God manifeſt in the fleſh, 1 Tim. 3.16. to ſee the ſecond perſon in the Trinity united to that holy thing conceived in the womb of the Virgin, to ſee him made under the Law, yea, made a Curſe, to ſee him made ſin who knew no ſin, that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in him, 2 Cor. 5. laſt. For God to find a way how to juſtifie a ſinful condemned wretch, and yet he be juſt, true and holy, none of theſe Attributes ſuffer, and yet Mercy triumph in ſaving a ſinner; yea, that he ſhould find out a way to give his offended Juſtice greater ſatisfaction, while he ſheweth mercy in ſaving ſinners, than he could ever have received, either by the confuſion or annihilation of them: to ſee him reconciling a world of obſtinate and rebellious enemies unto himſelf; and all this by the blood and righteouſneſs of our Jeſus, God in our fleſh: to ſee him incorporating Chriſt and his Church, things in their own diſtinct natures as unapt for mixture as fire and water: here is a myſtery indeed, here is manifold wiſdom of God indeed, worthy to ſet the bleſſed Angels on work to find out, worthy to ſet heaven and earth admiring: And now we can ſee good reaſon, why it is ſaid, Worſhip him all p. 161ye Angels, Heb, 1.6. But the Socinian Jeſus hath no ſuch matter of wonder, nor any reaſon why Man or Angel ſhould worſhip him.

To conclude, Our Jeſus is he, whom his Father hath exalted to give repentance to Iſrael and forgiveneſs of ſins, Acts 5.31. Doth he forgive ſins on earth, Matth. 9.2, 3. and in heaven too? Doth he give repentance alſo? Then he muſt give a new heart, a new ſpirit; then he muſt take away the heart of ſtone, and give a heart of fleſh, Ezek. 36.26. elſe he cannot give repentance: If he can create a World, Col. 1.16. and uphold a world by the word of his power, Heb. 1.3. If he can create new hearts too in giving repentance, and preſerve them; Jude ver. 1. Preſerved in Chriſt, ſo as none ſhall pluck them out of his hand, John 10.28. then without controverſie our Jeſus muſt be God man; for a Socinian Jeſus, that is but meer man, can never do theſe things.

Let the Reader excuſe me though I have gone beyond my intentions, When I wrote this I did not know the Socinian hereſie did ſpread ſo as ſince I have; that it did ſpread ſecretly I knew, but that it ſhould be openly maintained, and books printed, I heard not till I had done.for I had no thoughts to have written one line upon this ſubject; but that hearing how the Socinian doctrine ſpreads, which ſtubs up our Chriſtian Religion by the roots, I thought it not amiſs to add a few meditations which I have had beſides thoſe I ſaw in Books, and it's poſſible this book may fall into the hands of ſome who are troubled with theſe temptations, and have not other books to help themſelves.

And now I proceed: The Spirit, I ſay, enlightens the underſtanding to know him in his Perſon, Offices, and work of Redemption, whom the Soul is to receive; Phil. 4.9. Thoſe things which ye have learned and received: there muſt be learning before there can be receiving. The high-way-hearer did never receive the Word, which it ſeems the ſtony ground did, Matth. 13.20. Why did not the high-way-hearer go ſo far as the ſtony ground? The Text ſaith, ver. 19. he did not underſtand the word of the Kingdom, which it ſeems the other did, but did not ſet down and conſider what it would coſt, Luke 14.28. Hence John 6.45. who hath heard and learned of the p. 162Father cometh to me. He that cometh to Chriſt receives Chriſt: Now what goeth before this coming? The Father teacheth it ſemes ſeveral Leſſons concerning Chriſt, the Soul hears, and becauſe he hath ſuch a Maſter he learns; then follows infallibly that Souls coming: Iſa. 53.11. By his knowledge ſhall my righteous Servant juſtifie many: by our knowledge of him. Divine knowledge taught by the Spirit, is the firſt thing to make up juſtifying Faith. Verba notititae apud Hebraeos, &c.

But alas how ignorant are the greateſt of thoſe who are called Chriſtians (and muſt be called ſo, elſe they take it in great ſcorn) of the Truths of Chriſt? how little do they know of his Perſon, Offices, or his work of Redeniption? put queſtions to them, what ſad anſwers would they give? Sermon upon Ignoramus.The ſtory which bleſſed Pemble gives us of that fine civil man, who had heard three thouſand Sermons, yet when on his death bed came to be examined about his knowledge, is very famous; how he underſtood Chriſt you may read by his anſwer. Eſſex hath been a famous County for preaching, yet one that I know in my Pariſh, being asked, what is Chriſt? he could not tell; Is he God or man? I cannot tell, but I think a Spirit. Another on his death-bed, about ſixty years of age, when told him what Chriſt was, what he had done, ſuffered, fell a wondering, as if they were things he never heard before; yet catechizing beſides preaching was ſet up in the Pariſh. Little do we know what ignorance is in people.

Secondly, The ſecond thing required to the receiving of Chriſt, is the Aſſent, which the underſtanding gives to all the propoſitions concerning Chriſt, his Perſon, Offices, and works of Redemption, as being trùe: though propoſitions be known, yet if not aſſented to as true, they are not received: I may know abundance of propoſitions or opinions of other men in Divinity, Philoſophy, Phyſick, but if I do not do, not aſſent to them as true, I never receive them: Thus when the Soul gives its aſſent to all thoſe p. 163things as true, Chriſt is received into the underſtanding, the intellectual part; and the ground of this aſſent, being becauſe he who is the Prima veritas ſaith it, becauſe of the authority of Gods Teſtimony, who reveals it, Fides Hiſtorice differt a Fide Hiſtoriarum.this makes that which we call Hiſtorical Faith, or Dogmatical Faith. Though this aſſent alone is not enough to make a ſaving reception of Chriſt, yet it is in ſaving Faith, and that without which it is impoſſible there ſhould be any ſaving Faith: The Spirit convinceth of righteouſneſs, John 16.10. Thus he carrieth on his work by Conviction under the Goſpel; ſo clear and ſtrong in his arguing, that the underſtanding cannot but aſſent to what he teacheth: it is more for the Spirit to convince of righteouſneſs, than to convince of ſin (unleſs of that particular ſin of not believing in Chriſt) for in his conviction of ſin, our own natural Conſciences quickly ſtrike in, and help do the work; but for this Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, natural Conſcience can do nothing in it.

Concerning Dogmatical or Hiſtorical Faith a few words; Divines in their Diſputations againſt the Papiſts have ſpoken not ſo highly of it, as it may be it deſerves, becauſe ſaving Faith differs from it: commonly amongſt us it is very much ſlighted; what a tuſh do many make of it, to my knowledge. Hence ſome, and thoſe not of the lower form of Chriſtians for knowledge, when they heard what books our Divines, Doctor Stillingfleet, and Mr. Baxter, have written in defence of the truth of our Chriſtian Religion, have ſaid, they wonder they ſhould buſie their heads about ſuch needleſs ſubjects: When I read over Alvarez de Auxil. ſome years ſince, and met with his 49. Diſputat. upon that queſtion, Ʋtrum homo per ſolas vires naturae poſſit omnibus myſteriis ſupernaturalibus ſibi propoſitiis & explicatis aſſentiri tanquam revelatis a Dee, aſſenſu certo & firme, ex parte credentis? When I had read his four Concluſions upon the Queſtion, how he denied it, that man could not do it, my opinion then about Dogmatical Faith not being ſo high though never ſo low as I ſee ſome mens is, I a little wondered at this Popiſh Author; p. 164but ſince I have met with that, which doth ſufficiently confirm me of the truth of what he ſaith, and I ſhall ever honour him the more for what I then read in him: while men take all upon truſt, are carried in the croud, ſet quiet, no temptations trouble them, how light do they make of that, which if ever they come to be ſifted, winnowed in the fan of temptations, they will find to be matter of worth: Dogmatical Faith is with them but of little worth, becauſe the Dogmatical Faith of moſt is nothing worth: Let their principles be ſearched into, how little of that Faith will be found to be divine Faith. Lay by theſe principles, that we have been in poſſeſſion of theſe Truths, concerning Chriſt, his Perſon, his Offices, his Redemption, for ſixteen hundred years; this was our Grandfathers and Fathers Religion; it is the Religion of our Nation, all men are of this Faith, our King, Rulers, our Miniſters who teach us are all of this Faith: I ſay, lay by theſe principles, which are too ſhort to make a Divine Dogmatical Faith: What other reaſons of their Faith can the greateſt part of thoſe who are called Chriſtians, and do aſſent to theſe Truths, give you? How do men generally condemn the Jews, I wiſh theſe men would read Mr. Jackson's third Chapter of Sect. 2. of Juſtifying Faith, cry out upon them as the baſeſt people under the Sun, becauſe they did not believe in Chriſt, and receive his Teſtimony, which in their eſteem was the eaſieſt thing, and had they been living then, they would have believed in him? I do not excuſe the Jews, what they might have learned by obſerving the Prophets (which few of them read) and the works which he did, John 22.24. he gave them ſufficient ground for their faith. But though I do not excuſe the Jews, (who yet had a pretty hard work to believe, in my opinion, and I tremble at Gods Judgments) yet thou that canſt thus eaſily condemn the Jews, ſheweſt thy ſelf to be a proud, a fooliſh, an ignorant Gentile: If thou haſt not learned this, That Faith is the gift of God, Epheſ. 2.8. Every Act of Faith, if it be Divine Faith, even this of aſſent to theſe Divine Truths concerning Chriſt: It is p. 165given you to believe, Philip. 1.29. even this very Act is given. Temptations will learn men to interpret Texts. Though the Jews had the Prophets, and Chriſt his preaching and Miracles, yet Chriſt tells us, John 6.65. No man can come unto me, except it were given him of my Father: And in ver. 44. he ſaith, None come unleſs the Father draw him.

Object. You will ſay this is meant of ſaving Faith.

Anſw. I deny it not; but obſerve the next words, They muſt be all taught of God; men muſt hear and learn of the Father before they come, ver. 45. That teaching, hearing, learning, which are before coming, belong to the underſtanding; and this I am ſure is one effect of that teaching and learning, that he cauſeth the underſtanding to give this aſſent: Hence then Dogmatical Faith in thoſe who come to Chriſt, if Divine Faith, is the Fathers gift.

That this Faith is not ſuch a ſlight thing as men make of it, let me ſhew it a little further.

Firſt, What was the way the Tempter took to overthrow our firſt Parents, and us in them? Obſerve it well, you will find he ſtruck at this Faith of Aſſent, this Hiſtorical Faith, Gen. 3.1, 4. Yea hath God ſaid, ye ſhall not eat of every tree of the Garden? He puts the queſtion, and tries their Faith, whether they did believe that which God had ſaid to be true: he tells the woman, ver. 4. Ye ſhall not ſurely die: Juſt croſs to God, this which was the hedge to keep them from the Tree, he labours to pull down, and he doth that by weakning their faith, in giving aſſent to the Threat of God as being true: having once done that, he quickly attained his deſign: The woman could aſſent to him, though not to God,

Secondly, What Faith was that in Peter (for faith it was the Devil aimed at, appears by Chriſts ſpeech to him, Luke 22.32.) that Satan ſtruck at? Obſerve it, and it was this Hiſtorical Faith: Peter, Matth. 16.16. had made p. 166a good confeſſion of Chriſt, Thou art Chriſt, the Son of the living God. So again, John 6 69. Thinks Satan, this Peter is a brisk fellow, very forward in his conreſſions, it I can but get leave of God, to get him unto my ſan, I will try what he is, whether he will hold to this confeſſion, it may be he will not be of the ſame mind, though he thus now confeſs, and profeſs he will dye for him and with him: When Peter followed his Maſter, and ſtood amongſt the Servants, Matth 26.69. to the end; now was the time of winnowing Peter, Luke 22.31. and now is that faith of his to be tried; for ſo ſaith Chriſt, I have prayed thy faith fail not: when the Servant told him, thou waſt with Jeſus, Mat. 26.72. he denied with an oath, I do not know the man: What not know him? This is ſtrange. When Chriſt put the queſtion to his Diſciples, Whom do men ſay that I the Son of man am? Matth. 16.13. and when, ver. 15. he put it to his Diſciples to anſwer the queſtion, were not you the forward man, that anſwered for all, who he was? And at another time, John 6.69. did you not ſay, We believe and are ſure that thou art that Chriſt the Son, &c. it ſeems you did know and were ſure who he was, and what not ſo much as know the man now? If your faith were not ſo ſtrong to maintain your confeſſion of him before theſe, but it flabs, muſt you lye ſo abominably, to ſay you do not know him? and bind it with an Oath and Curſe: So that Peter is far from aſſenting to that truth, which before he confeſſed.

Thirdly, What Faith was it the Author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrews did ſo fear, leſt the Hebrews ſhould fall from it? Obſerve it well, and you will find it to be this Hiſtorical Faith, concerning Chriſt, his Perſon, his Offices, his Sacrifice, that he was the body, the ſubſtance of all the ceremonial legal ſhadows, which doctrine they had aſſentted to, but under temptations were in danger to fall from it; and ſo all perſecutions in the Church did ariſe from their Dogmatical faith; perſecutions did all endeavour to evercome that Faith, in all ages and perſecutions of the p. 167Church. If Dogmatical ſaith once fall, ſaving Faith cannot ſhand: therefore Satan ſtruck ſo at this Faith in the Hebrews, and all the Churches. Hence again thoſe whiſperings of temptations, not in times of perſecutions, but at other times, Titubabit ſides ſi vacillat Scripturarum Divinarum Authoritas. Aug. de Chriſt. doct. l. 1. c. 37.Are thoſe Scriptures you read the Word of God? Are you ſure of it? Is there a God? Are you ſure of it? Chriſtians at firſt ſtartle to meet with ſuch motions, theſe are horrid things indeed; at the firſt on-ſet it may be Satan draws of, not follows too hard, afterward comes again, and follows his motions a little more; at laſt, not only from Satan, but from the unbelief and atheiſine of our own hearts, the Soul comes to be ſo peſtered with them, that they make him almoſt diſtracted; and now he that before made a tuſh at Dogmatical faith, is fain to pray hard that God would hold his faith to the Scriptures, and ſtrengthen his poor battered Hiſtorical faith, and can now tell by experience, O I ſee all Divine faith is the gift of God.

Theſe thoughts have made me move this queſtion with my ſelf.

Queſt. Whether there be not a great difference between the Hiſtorical faith of a true Child of God and other men? The Child of God gives his aſſent, and the man, who is not a Child of God gives his aſſent to the ſame Propoſitions which the other doth?

Anſw. I have determined in my ſelf, certainly there is a great difference, though both give the aſſent to the ſame Truths.

Firſt, Becauſe the Child of God was taught by God his Father, John 6.45. It is another kind of teaching he hath than others have; the Spirit, as the Spirit of the Covenant, inſtructs him: Now as by this teaching he ſeeth thoſe divine Truths after another manner than others do, ſo he aſſents to them after another manner; he hath ſtronger Convictions than others have: Where there is a different efficient in this point, there will be a different effect.

p. 168Secondly, The Child of God doth experience, and preſſeth ſtill daily more and more for his experiencing of thoſe Truths to which he doth aſſent: So his experience returns this, an addition of ſtrength to his aſſent.

To conclude this Head: Chriſtians do not make light of Hiſtorical faith, O pray that God would give you more of this faith, and ſtreng then it mightily; by that time you have payed as dear for it as ſome others have done, you will value it at a great rate: Pray, I ſay, read good books that may help you; but above all, let me commend this as the ſureſt and moſt approved way to help you, labour to experience Chriſt in all his work of Redemption; the more you grow here, the ſtronger grows your faith of aſſent; you will be more able to ward and bear off Satans blows, and anſwer the Objections which ariſe from thy unbelieving Atheiſtical heart: you may find Arguments, and help your ſelf to deal with an Atheiſt, by reading of books, and in that you will do well: but you will never be armed ſufficiently againſt Satan, the unbelief and Atheiſme of thine own heart without this. When I was a Boy, I never cared to play at Cudgels with him who was left-handed, and looked a ſquint with his eyes, I could not tell where to have him, I might receive a blow where I was not aware of him; for others I did not much care, unleſs too big for me to beat my Cudgels to my head. For Atheiſtical men, you may make a ſhift to hold up the Cudgels againſt them, by what Arguments you can invent, and read in Authors, though ſometimes they are ſo impudent, bold and ſubtle in arguing, that they would ſeem to beat your Cudgels to your head; but from my own woful heart, and ſquint-eyed, left handed Satan, I have felt ſuch blows come, that no Atheiſt without me could ſtrike; I may read books long enough before I ſhould find an anſwer to theſe Arguments: when a man hath experienced the Redemption of Chriſt, the Promiſes, the new Covenant (for there are the blows given, not about the Commandments, for there is a light within, our Reaſon, p. 169which helps to confirm the equity and reaſon of the Command) this man hath a Weapon both for defence and offence: of this experimental feeling of the power of Chriſts Redemption, I can ſay as David to Ahimelech, 1 Sam. 21.9. when he had asked Ahimelech for a Sword, he told him, he had none but the Sword of Goliah; David ſaid, There is none like that, give it me. So ſay I, there is no Sword like this to enter into the field againſt Atheiſm, Lord, give it me: our High-Prieſt Jeſus muſt give it us. I ſhut up this Head with this Rule. That man who hath the Goſpel written upon the fleſhy-tables of his heart by the finger of Gods Almighty Spirit, that man hath the beſt Argument to prove to himſelf, that the Goſpel written in paper withink, is the Word of God.

Thirdly, The third thing required to the reception of Chriſt is, the approbation of him as good, the beſt good, ſuch a good as exceeds all that good which the Soul found in that term from which it was called, Chriſt is not propoſed as an object of bare and naked truth to be aſſented to, but as a ſoveraign and ſaving truth, to do good to men: The deſire of all fleſh, Hag. 2.7. When the Soul was called from the term in which God finds it, it was called from good; ſo it apprehended it, and approved it; were it the pleaſure of his luſts, this was bonum jucundum, this held him faſt: was it profit, this was bonum utile: good there was, be it true, be it falſe in it ſelf, it was ſo to him, and this held him faſt, made the work ſo difficult, ſo ſtrange to him why he ſhould be called away, he is well where he is; now the Soul muſt have ſuch good in Chriſt (to whom he is called) laied open to it, as do counterpoize, nay, out-bid and excell all that good which he found in the term from which he was called, and the Judgment, the practical Judgment (not only Abſolutum, but Comparatum) muſt approve of it to be ſo too, elſe the Soul will never be ſoundly taken off from that term from which he is called, nor ever cloſe truly with Chriſt, never receive him to whom he is called. Chriſt muſt come into the will, he muſt be received there, elſe he is never ſavingly received; p. 170but if he comes there, the will muſt be certainly informed that he is good, and ſo good, to anſwer whatever he calls for there, or elſe he ſhall never be admitted there: Who will ſhew us any good? Pſal. 4.6. It is not only the queſtion of wicked men in the good they ſeek after, but it is the queſtion of every man as man, every mans will is enquiring after good, Medul. Theol. l. 2. c. 5. Theſ. 13.14.one good or other. Doctor Ames ſaith true, Objectum materiale Fidei eſt immediate aliquod Axioma ſub ratione veri: ſed illud in que principaliter terminatur Fides, de quo & propter quod aſſenſus praebetur illi axiomati per fidem, eſt ens incomp exum ſub ratione boni. Principalis igitur terminus in quem tendit actus credentis, eſt res ipſa quae in axiomate praecipue ſpectatur. Let the underſtanding aſſent never ſo much to all theſe things concerning Chriſt as true, if the Judgment doth not approve of them as good, and beſt good, Chriſt will never be truly received. God in his working maintains the faculties of the Soul in their actings, as he made them. Approbation belongs properly to the intellectual part; for before any man can will a thing, it is preſuppoſed that he eſteems it to be good, in the judgment of his underſtanding, and this is to be approved. That the will muſt be renewed, I do not at all queſtion, whether the Lord doth it immediately or mediately by the underſtanding; I had rather feel the renewing, than diſpute which of theſe two wayes God doth it: but ſure I am, if he renews the will, then he renews a rational Creature; If his people be willing in the day of his power, Pſal. 110.3. Yet the day of his power is not a day of forcing the will, which cannot be done by God himſelf; it muſt ceaſe to be a will then. Poſſum, volo, malo, have no Imperative Mood; then to be ſure the underſtanding and judgment muſt go before. To fancy, that by the Spirits renewing of the will immediately, Chriſt ſhall come to have the chief room in the heart, though the practical Judgment did not (with all circumſtances and things conſidered) approve of him as the chiefeſt good, is but irrational. When then the Spirit doth ſhew to the underſtanding, in a Covenant and ſaving way, the excellencies of p. 171Chriſt, the fitneſs of him to anſwer the ſtate in which the Soul now ſeeth it ſelf under ſin, miſery, emptineſs and guilt, which moſt affects the Soul, to ſee one ſo fitted for him to help him, and enough to ſatisfie him; when he ſheweth him the Table ſpread in the Goſpel, and ſet with thoſe diſhes, which ſutes his hungry Soul, as ever did Feaſt ſute his ſenſitive appetite, (Iſai. 25.6. Prov. 9.1.2, 3, 45.) the Judgment immediately approves, and the Spirit in that very inſtant in the will inclines it as the firſt cauſe, and the will determines as the ſecond cauſe, as freely, as if there were no preſence of God there, for it acts according to its nature. To think that God works only upon the Underſtanding and Judgment, and lets the will alone; or that he works upon the will alone, and not at the ſame time upon the Underſtanding, are notions which no rational man will receive.

The fourth and laſt Act that compleats this receiving of Chriſt, and makes it ſaving, is, the will conſenting, chuſing, or embracing of Chriſt, as God propounds and offers him, that is, Chriſt his Perſon cloathed with all his Offices, and compleat work of Redemption. Thus and no other wayes is Chriſt propounded and offered; thus and no other wayes muſt and doth the will embrace him, in conſenting, chuſing, I embrace him.

God doth not offer Offices and Redemption without a Perſon, nor a Perſon without Offices and Redemption, nor a Perſon with one or two Offices, and part of Redemption, but compleat, as he hath appointed him a fit Saviour, as fit as can be: leſs will not ſerve, more is needleſs: who receives Chriſt his Perſon with Offices right, receives him with compleat Redemption; or to receive Chriſt with his compleat Redemption, is to receive him with his Offices; ſo that here is no cauſe of ſtumbling. Thus then you have it:

Firſt, The Spirit enlightened the loſt ſinner, to underſtand and ſee Chriſt, in his Offices and work of Redemption, how fit he is, how ſutable for ſuch a Soul in this condition.

p. 172Secondly, The Underſtanding being convinced, aſſented to all this as true.

Thirdly, The Judgment approved of Chriſt thus offered, as not only good, but the beſt good for me, all circumſtances conſidered.

Fourthly, Then ſaith the will, I chuſe him, give me him, thus and no other wayes, for in Chriſt thus offered I am ſatisfied.

This Soul hath rightly received Jeſus Chriſt the Lord. What deceits there may be in this, I ſhall touch in its proper place.

I put in conſenting or chuſing, if any ſhould quarrel with me about conſent, as if it did properly pertain to the underſtanding and not to the will, as ſome of late had rather call this act complacentia than conſenſus. I would nor trouble my ſelf about it, only becauſe conſent hath commonly by the School-men, and other Learned men, been appropriated to the will, therefore I put it in; as appears by Aquin. (a)(a)Sam. 12. q. 15. a. 1.Vaſquez (b)(b)Ineandem quaeſt.Valentia and (c)(c)De cauta Dei, p. 741.Bradwardina, that the will doth come in to make up a ſaving reception of Chriſt, this I aim at; and ſure I am, that choice, election, belongs to the will, if conſent doth not; but it was wont to be ſaid, aſſent to the underſtanding, conſent to the will.

That Chriſt can be received ſavingly, and not into the will I think will hardly go for ſound and ſaving doctrine: And if ſo, then ſure I am he cannot come there but by chaice or conſent. I know Vaſquez, though he be peremptory that conſent Subſtantialiter belongs to the will, yet makes a difference between conſent and election, ibid.

**Exercit. Eth. 16.Herebord, in anſwering to an Argument which ſuppoſeth Faith to be only in the mind or underſtanding, tells his Adverſary, that Ameſius, with other famous Divines, eſpecially the Engliſh ††Ames Medul. Theol. l. 1. c. 2. Theſ. 2, 3.2 Thess 2:3Divines, do place Faith in the will, and make knowledge and aſſent but conditions of Faith that went before it: but the common opinion of moſt, place (ſaith he) Faith both in the underſtanding and the will. Mr. Jackson, who will not own any real diſtinction between p. 173the underſtanding and will, and ſo doth not appropriate Faith to the underſtanding or will, yet ſaith he, Such as do acknowledge a real diſtinction between them, Juſtific. p 35.or in their acts, ſhould rather place it in the will, becauſe the objects of it are rather moral than meerly ſpeculative; nor can we ever underſtand them aright, but we muſt underſtand them as good to us. With this agrees that which I quoted before out of Ameſius: Objectum Fidei eſt immediate ſemper aliquod axioma ſub ratione veri: ſed illud de quo & propter quod aſſenſus praebetur illi axiomati per fidem eſt ens incomplexum ſubratione boni. In the next Theſis he gives the reaſon: Actus enim credentis non terminatur ad axioma ſed ad rem, fatentibus Scholaſticorum clariſſimis. Ratio eſt, quia non formamus axiomata, niſt ut per eade rebus cognitionem babeamus. Principalis igitur terminus in quem tendit actus credentis eſt res ipſa, quae in axiomate praecipue ſpectatur. See him alſo in Medul. Theol. l. 1. cap. 2. Thoſ. 2.3.

Firſt, Let us conſider the ſtate the Soul is now in, it is under the ſenſe of the greateſt evil that a Creature can be; it is not the aſſenting to truths which doth heal him and remove his evil: Let him receive a thouſand truths, be they never ſo ſpiritual, they leave him under his evil ſtill; but it muſt be an object that is good, conquering and removing all that evil which he feels that heals him; then Faith doth not heal him, but as it brings in this good object, and it muſt then be brought into the will if good, and as good.

Secondly; Faith is ſet out by coming frequently, John 6.44, 45, 65. &c. men do not uſe to go on their heads; but ſurely the will muſt come, elſe there will be no coming to Chriſt: Let him that is a thirſt come, and whoſoever will, let him drink of the water of life freely, Revel. 22.17. You will not come to me that you may have life, John 5.40.

Thirdly, Faith is ſet out, by truſting, coſting, leaning, ſtaying to and upon another; foreignall theſe we ſhall find belong to the will, to the vital part, and not the intellectual properly; p. 174all of theſe implying it is ſome good, they truſt, reſt, ſtay, lean upon another for. I do not quote the Texts, they are known to him who obſerves and underſtands the Scriptures.

Fourthly, Faith is the great condition of the new Covenant of the Goſpel, we are juſtified by Faith, ſaved by Faith. Shall a man be intereſted in the Goſpel, ſhall he be juſtified, faved, by an Act which concerns the intellectual parts only, and leave out the Will, the vital part? That Chriſt may dwell in your hearts by faith, Epheſ. 3 17. With the heart man believeth unto righteouſneſs, Rom. 10.10. I know the heart doth often expreſs the whole ſoul; and ſo it doth here, but not the underſtanding, without the will. Faith hath a great room in mans Soul, which produce ſuch great effects.

Fifthly, By believing the Soul is married to Chriſt: Married union is made up by Faith: this marriage is often mentioned in the Goſpel, Rom. 7 4. Revel. 19.7. Epheſ. 5.32. 2 Cor. 11.2. But can Marriages be made without the wills of both parties conſenting? Is not that queſtion firſt put, Wilt thou have this man for thy wedded Husband? Doth ſhe not anſwer, I will, or elſe no Marriage? This is as true in the ſpiritual Marriage. There can be no union without the will receives him.

Sixthly, God offers Chriſt, a Perſon with Redemption: Do we receive a thing offered with our underſtandings or wills? With the will ſure.

As to that Objection, One Grace cannot be ſeated in two diſtinct faculties; I intend not to trouble my ſelf about it, ſince it muſt firſt be proved, that theſe faculties are ſo really diſtinct, which Scaliger **Exerc. 307. ſect. 3, 4, 15. Vind. Gra p. 201. 205., Durandus, with many others, deny: Hence bleſſed Pemble, being of the ſame opinion, againſt the diſtinction of theſe faculties (as was Mr. Jackſon) ſaith, We do not appropriate Faith either to the underſtanding or the will, nor yet refer it to both as unto two diſtinct faculties; but we place it immediately in the whole intellectual nature, whether of mans Soul, or of Angels. If theſe faculties be found and proved by Philoſophy to be p. 175diſtinct, whence is the impoſſibility of one grace being in two faculties proved? Not from Scripture I am ſure, for that gives faith to the whole Soul. And why muſt it be thought abſurd in Philoſophy to ſay, the ſame thing may in divers reſpects be referred to divers ſubjects, as theſe ſubjects are not altogether ſeparated, but conjoyned among themſelves? What ſaith Bonaventure, quoted by Vaſquez, of conſent? Bonavent. exiſtimat conſenſum eſſe, concordiam quandam actus intellectus judicantis, & voluntatis praeoptantis, & adutramque facultatem intellectus & voluntatis pertinere. If conſent may belong to two faculties, why may not faith as well? 12. q. 15. a. 1.Vaſquez concludes well of conſent: Conſenſus denotare videtur, concurſum voluntatis cum intellectu, ad ſentiendum idem, quod intellectus ſentit. Nor doth Aquinas deny, but that one vertue may be in two faculties, or powers, accordingly he tells us how it may be **12. q. 56. a. 1. Quaeſt. Diſput. pag. 314.. B. Auſtin ſaith of Liberum arbi…ium, that it is, Facultas voluntatis & rationis: So it belongs to both faculties. **12. q. 56. a. 1. Quaeſt. Diſput. pag. 314.Aquinas anſwers, that Auſtin ſaith ſo becauſe, Ad Actum liberiarbitrii homo ordinatur per utramque potentiam, licet non immediate: Agreeable to what others ſay, Libertatis ex…r…itium & uſus eſt radicaliter, vel directive in intellectu, formaliter in voluntate. But however this Objection hath nothing in it, of divine ſtrength, to weaken what we have affirmed.

Fides qua creditur eſt habitus

Intellectuus.

Voluntatis.

Doctor Ward, Detem. p. 180. See Leyden Profeſſion, Synopſis Diſp. 31. Theſ. 15.16.

To leave theſe knots, and come to our plain work; we have left Faith ſeated in the will: this is the thing which is contended about, who ſhall have the will, Luſts and the Creature, or God and Chriſt? I have ſeen a practiſe at many dinners made at Marriages, after the Offerings are made, the Brides Gloves are thrown upon the Table, and then two of the young men, who will ſhew their gallant ſpirits, offer for the Gloves; one offers ſo much, the other offers p. 176more; the other offers again, and out-bids him; ſo they go on till one layes down ſo much that the other will not out-bid him, then he that offers moſt carries away the Gloves in triumph, the ſtanders by applauding him; the Gloves not worth a quarter of the money that he hath layed down, only he hath ſhown his gallantry, got ſome credit, a friend to the Bride, this contents him. This ſomething reſembles the way of God and Chriſt with the will, in oppoſition to Luſts and the Creature: Fleſh and Chriſt offer for the will, who ſhall carry it: the Soul being prepared, as before we have ſhewn, there is a great advantage which Chriſt hath in his offering for it why he ſhould carry it. Pleaſures, profits, riches, honours, are the great things with liberty and eaſe from troubles, which Fleſh doth offer for the will: Yea, ſaith Chriſt, but who ſhall ſave thee from that wrath which is coming upon thee, and which now thou art ſenſible of will befall thee, for being a ſlave to thy fleſh, thy luſts, the creature ſo long? that wrath being infinitely more evil, than is that good which Fleſh offers: I offer them deliverance from wrath to come, 1 Theſ. 1. laſt ver. this is fair bidding for the will, that lieth under the fears of this wrath, if God doth but cut aſunder the thred of life: But if this be but only prirative, and you muſt have poſitive good to ſatisfie your hungry appetite, let Fleſh offer: Fleſh offers fair promiſes, and what it doth is more by promiſes than performances. Chriſt, who is the Yea and Amen of all promiſes, 2 Cor. 1.20. he offers, exceeding great and precious promiſes, 2 Pet. 1.4. and will perform all to a word, as he did to Iſrael, Joſhua 23.14. 1 Kings 8.56. Fleſh offers pleaſure, Chriſt offers Redemption from fleſhly pleaſures, thy Soul ſhall not any more be a ſlave to it, I will make thee free indeed. John 8.36. Thou ſhalt feel what a pleaſure it will be to have theſe chains taken off, and to be above thy luſts. Thou ſhalt drink of the rivers of my pleaſures, Pſal. 36.8. even the pleaſures of my Love and Grace: ſtay but a while with patience, and pleaſures for evermore, Pſal. 16.11. Fleſh bids eaſe and liberty from trouble, Chriſt bids Peace p. 177in Conſcience, peace in Heaven, pardon in boſome, John 14.27. and 16, 33. Fleſh bids riches, Chriſt bids unſearchable riches, Epheſ. 3.8. Fleſh bids the love and favour of great Perſons, Chriſt bids the love of his Father, and his love, John 14.21. To conclude, to beat Fleſh quite out, ſaith God, I give thee my ſelf, I give thee my Chriſt, whatever Fleſh bids, make the beſt, it is but temporary, what I bid is eternal, 2 Cor. 4 laſt. The Soul being under the work of the Spirit, is enlightened to ſee all theſe things in their reallity, and enabled to underſtand the glory and good of them, and thus the Lord carries away the will in triumph; he hath out-bidden the Fleſh; the bleſſed Angels, they rejoyce at this work, Luke 15.10. There is joy in the preſence of the Angels of God over one ſinner that repenteth. But what haſt thou gotten, ſweet Saviour, that thou art ſo pleaſed in thy victory? Pſal. 110.3. What? I have got thy will: A huge booty, Lord, not worth the taking up, nor worth the ten thouſand part of what thou haſt offered to win it; thou haſt but pulled trouble upon thy ſelf in getting it; now thou haſt a ſinful, wretched, guilty, peeviſh, froward, polluted wretch to pardon, to cleanſe, to take care of, one that will try thy patience; ſmall reaſon why thou ſhouldſt triumph in thy winnings: Be it ſo, yet my Father hath the glory of his Grace and Mercy, I have the glory of my Love and Redemption, I ſee of the travel of my ſoul, and I am ſatisfied, Iſai. 53.11. To eternity then, let thy Fathers Grace and Mercy be adored, thy Love and Redemption admired.

Thus it is Chriſts out bidding of Fleſh and the Creature which ſtrikes the main ſtroke in the anſwering of the Call. And now the will being renewed, and the Spirit preſent in this work, to make clear to the will, the will comes off moſt ſweetly, freely, never acted more freely, with more ſweetneſs than now, though ſtill there lye a corrupt old Adam, that is croſs to this, but at this time it is ſo overpowred with Grace, that it appeareth not in the actings of it; and the dominion of it is for ever broken.

p. 178Janſenius moves this Queſtion, Janſen. Aug. tom. 3. l. 4. c. 1. Caeleſtis quaedam & ineffabilu ſervitus, &c.Quid fit medicinale Chriſti Adjutorium ſecundum Subſtantiam? Or thus: Wherein lyeth the efficacy of that which the Schools call gratia efficax? What is it that makes it ſo? He anſwers in bleſſed Auſtin's words, Victrix delectatio, an overcoming, a conquering delight: or thus in his own words, It is nothing elſe but a certain heavenly and unſpeakable ſweetneſs, or ſpiritual delight, by which the will is prevented and bowed to will and do whatever the Lord commands it to will and do. He ſpends eleven Chapters in proving, that this conquering delight, and heavenly ſweetneſs, which the Lord lets in to the Soul, is that which makes Grace to be efficacious in Converſion, and in overcoming any temptation: he that reads his Chapters will find how experimentally he writes: Now if by this conquering delight, and heavenly ſweetneſs, he underſtands the joy, the reſt, the ſweetneſs the Soul finds in poſſeſſing the Object which it loves and deſires, as when God ſhines upon the Soul, and gives it to know his Love; this is rarely found in the firſt Converſion now, though in the Goſpel-Converts it was known, to commend the Goſpel, in the firſt preaching of it, to fit them for ſufferings for it. The Apoſtles being to travel up and down, could not abide fixed with them to help them; but yet a conquering, an out-bidding Good, having a pleaſing ſweetneſs attends it, the Lord doth preſent to the will, which draws the will ſweetly after it, and makes Calling to be effectual, and without it there can be no ſound Converſion; by this the Soul ſeeth a reaſon to move to this term, unto which it is called; for all that pretended good, which held the Soul faſt in the term from which it was called, is all anſwered, out bid, and conquered.

This Victrix delectatio, B. Auſtin makes ſo much mention of, becauſe he had found it in his own experience, how the Lord took him off by it, when he was under that great Conflict how he ſhould part with his luſts; Chriſt threw them out, Confeſſ. l 90.12and cameſt in thy ſelf, more ſweet than all pleaſure, then, ſaith he, of a ſudden how ſweet was it for me p. 179to want the ſweetneſs of thoſe trifles; and thoſe which before I feared to looſe, it was now my joy to let them go.

Thus Stella interpreting thoſe words, Luke 14.23. Compel them to come in, ſpeaks moſt excellently: How doth the Lord compel men to come in? Two wayes, ſaith he.

Firſt, By ſhewing to the will ſuch good, that the will cannot but deſire it.

Secondly, By removing and hiding all evil; and whereas the object of the will is good, God can repreſent to the will ſo much good, that the will cannot but love that good which it ſeeth; and this is no compulſion of the will: Quia voluntas naturaliter fertur in bonum.

Thus we have the two laſt things which I opened, as required to a true receiving of Chriſt, proved: and here let me only leave this word to many Chriſtians, who when they read of ſuch a mighty power that God puts forth in the day of Converſion, or of Faith cloſing with Chriſt, Pſal. 110.3. Epheſ. 1.19, &c. they apprehend God puts forth ſome ſtrong Act, whereby he bends or bows their wills, and makes them by mighty power of his, as it were by force, to come up to his terms in offering of Chriſt, and they have not felt ſuch a force or powe, but have found their hearts ſo willing to accept him upon thoſe terms, and bleſſing God for ever, may they but have him for their Jeſus, and God for their God, it is the beſt bargainn that ever they made: hence not feeling ſuch a power as they imagined, their faith is not found. Now this is a groſs miſtake, yea, though God wrought upon thee when thou wert adult, and hadſt played the Rebel againſt him before in thy life, following thy vile luſts, when God hath been preparing of thee before, and thy will renewed (whether mediately, by working on the underſtanding firſt in order of nature, though in order of time together, or whether immediately, I diſpute not, though I incline to the firſt) thy heart comes up moſt freely and ſweetly to thy cloſing with Chriſt, as if there were no power at all put forth p. 180upon the will by God, becauſe by out-bidding of all thy luſts, and ſetting before thy hungry will, ſuch a Goſpel-Feaſt (as I mentioned before) and helping of thy underſtanding clearly to ſee it and taſte it, though he doth ſtill concur with the will, it comes off as freely as ever it did in making of a bargain in which thou wert ſure to gain a thouſand pound, without any ſuch ſenſible reluctancy and reſiſtance at that time: That thou wilt find rebellion and reluctancy enough afterwards, againſt the wayes of Chriſt and holineſs, I deny not, and too much, enough to make thee groan; yet ſtill thy will holds the ſame towards Chriſt, who deſtroyes the dominion of that rebellion, though he doth not remove the trouble of that rebellion.

As for that mighty power which the Goſpel ſpeaks of in thoſe who did believe, let others judge as they pleaſe, yet for my part I do not think it is meant only of that power which God puts forth upon the will, but upon the underſtanding alſo, in cauſing that Faith of aſſent, which ſo many Chriſtians make light of; for to have the Jews, who had been trained up above a thouſand years (that Church) under Moſes Diſcipline: all thoſe things commanded by God, and they bound to obſerve them; to have ſo many Scriptures ſpeak as if that Adminiſtration ſhould be for ever; and to ſee Chriſt in the fleſh ſo low in his ſtate of Humiliation, crucified, &c. for theſe to lay by all the ceremonial worſhip, to entertain this low deſpiſed perſon, to look on him in whom they could ſee no beauty why they ſhould deſire him, Iſai. 53.2. not only as man, but God in our fleſh, (the Jews underſtood him right, John 10.33. and Matth. 9.3. and had not Chriſt been God, he would have rejected it with abhorrency, as being a horrible ſin, as bad as the Jews made it, for one to make himſelf God, who was not ſo) to renouce their own righteouſneſs, and venture their ſouls only upon him For the Gentiles, Epheſians, &c. who had alwayes been nurſed up under dumb Idols, but their forefathers Religion, upon the preaching of a plain fellow, Paul, and other p. 181Apoſtles, to believe on the true God, renouncing their falſe gods; and not only ſo, but which is much more, to believe on one Jeſus Chriſt, a deſpiſed crucified perſon, one whom they never ſaw, to believe him to be God-man, to fly to his righteouſneſs and blood, venture their immortal ſouls and ſalvation upon him: So to believe theſe Truths, to aſſent to them, which were the ground, why they left Idols, Luſts, and embraced Chriſt and holineſs, in ſpight of perſecutions: though the Jews and Gentiles did ſee miracles, which did help to confirm the Doctrine of Chriſt, yet I muſt ſay, it was a mighty power of God, to make them aſſent to and believe theſe Truths, being ſo ſupernatural, ſome ſo much above, though not contrary to reaſon, and alſo croſs to fleſh and blood. Though I will not contend about the queſtion, whether the power of God were more in making their underſtandings to aſſent (I ſpeak of thoſe who were ſound believers, not others) to thoſe Truths, or their wills to conſent and embrace the goodneſs held out in thoſe true Propoſitions? Yet I will affirm, it was a mighty power of God; and well might it be ſaid, It is given you not only to believe, but to ſuffer, for thoſe Truths, which you do believe and aſſent unto, Phil. 1, 29. Neither was this the mighty power of God only then, but it is now alſo; and ſome have felt it under temptations, though moſt make nothing it, becauſe it hath been a Religion owned above ſixteen hundred years, our Fathers Religion, and all the Nations hereabouts of the ſame profeſſion; all which are poor grounds to make up Divine faith. The firſt news I had of this temptation was, when above twenty years ſince, being about the Mediterranean, and lay in danger of Turks, who then were exceeding ſtrong and buſie: In caſe I ſhould be taken by the Turks, what have you for your Religion to make you give aſſent to your Goſpel? The Turks, and thoſe who profeſs the Mahometan doctrine, are far more numerous than Chriſtians are; have been in poſſeſſion of it a thouſand years, and much of this ſtuffe was ſuggeſted; whence I ſaw preſently, and have ſince many times learned by experience, p. 182that thoſe grounds upon which moſt Chriſtians go, will ſignifie little to bear up a man in day of temptations: and ſtill I muſt and will ſay, to work up a Soul to ſuch an aſſent, as is Divine faith, in a day of temptation eſpecially, there is required a great power of God. It is true, God doth not let many of his weak (as to Intellectuals I mean) people be tried here, yet the Truth is real, although God ſpares you, and do not ſlight it.

If then after this diſcourſe you ask me, What is ſaving Faith in Chriſt?

I ſhall anſwer: It is that Grace whereby we receive Chriſt as he is offered to us in the Goſpel, and ſo reſting upon him Salvation.

By receiving I intend that Act of the Will, which I mentioned in the fourth Head, yet including the other in the underſtanding, I ſhall open it by a plain Similitude preſently. As he is offered, &c. he that receives him not as he is offered, doth not receive the Chriſt that God in the Goſpel offers, but a Chriſt of his own making. I ſaid, it was the Perſon of Chriſt cloathed with all his Offices, or compleat Redemption. This reception makes the union. Having thus received him, now reſt upon him for ſalvation: by ſalvation is underſtood all the benefits of Chriſt, which are ſalvation begun, prepare and make fit for ſalvation to be compleated in glory: thus we reſt upon him, for pardon, juſtification, peace, holineſs, mortifying of corruptions, ſupport againſt all temptations, grace to perform duties, and perſeverance in all theſe: There are abundance reſt upon Chriſt, or truſt to him for ſalvation, therefore I ſaid, ſo reſting: How is that? As you received him: How did you receive him? As God offered him: This muſt be looked to, elſe your reſting upon Chriſt is but in vain. But this ſo reſting takes in communion.

To open this by a plain Similitude of marriage. Such a perſon firſt offers himſelf to a Virgin, ſeeks her good will and conſent to take him for her Husband; the perſon p. 183being not well known to her, ſhe tells him, Sir, you are but a ſtranger to me, though I have heard of your name, yet I have no ſuch knowledge of you as to give anſwer to ſo weighty a queſtion; give me time to enquire after you, that I may know whom I marry, if I ſhould give conſent: This is but reaſonable, ſaith he, and bids her do ſo, She ſets her wiſeſt and moſt faithful friends on work to enquire after him, for his eſtate, temper, converſation, &c. The buſineſs is, what good ſhe is like to have in taking him: if thoſe whom ſhe intruſted, being wiſe and faithful, bring in full and clear teſtimony, that the man is, for perſon, temper, education, eſtate and converſation, ſuch a one as ſhe may be happy in; now ſhe hath knowledge of him, now ſhe aſſents to the truth of what her friends report to her, being wiſe and faithful, and aſſured that he is true and real in his offer, he doth not mock her; her judgment approves of him, as one fit to make a good Husband: Then her will conſents and takes him. When the publick Miniſter (as it ought to be and was in Commonwealths well governed, and Churches) comes to marry them, his queſtion is, Wilt thou have this man, &c. She anſwers, I will: Then he ties the marriage knot. Here is union, they twain now are become one fleſh; he hath taken her, and ſhe hath taken him into marriage covenant and union. She now being united to him, reſts upon him, truſts to him, goes to his purſe for whatever ſhe wants, ſhe lives upon him, this is communion in his goods.

Thus it is in the ſpiritual Marriage; the poor awakened ſinner hears that Chriſt offers himſelf unto it: if it be one who never heard of Chriſt, as Jaylour, and thoſe Chriſtians converted from Heatheniſme, then Paul muſt ſpeak to him the Word of the Lord, Acts 16.32. If others have heard the Name of Chriſt, have general notions of him, while they read the Goſpel, or hear it preached, the Spirit joyns with it, as it did with Paul, and teacheth the Soul the knowledge of Chriſt; that the Soul ſeeth Chriſt and knows him ſo as it never knew him before, though it knew ſome of the ſame notions. The Spirit teacheth the p. 184goodneſs of Chriſt, this the Soul needs; the ſame Spirit aſſureth the Soul of the truth of what he teacheth, and draws the underſtanding to aſſent to all this Doctrine as true. But if the queſtion be, Is Chriſt reall and true in his offer to ſuch a vile wretch as I am? He aſſureth the Soul, from the Offer, Call, Command and Promiſe of Chriſt, that he is true, and doth not mock it. Aſſent is given here alſo. The Judgment approves of Chriſt exceedingly, no good to him, I am happy for ever in having him; now the Soul having thus heard and learned of the Father, John 6.45. both the excellency, goodneſs, and truth in all: now the Will comes off freely, take him? ay with all my heat. The door is opened to Chriſt, who ſtood knocking, Rev. 3.20. He hath opened the heart of Lydia, Acts 16.14. The will thus taking him, and giving up it ſelf to him as thus offered, union is made; Chriſt and the Believer are become one myſtically; upon this follows communion; the married believing Soul reſts upon him, truſts to him for all its wants, till Chriſt hath brought the Soul to his Fathers houſe, and to himſelf in glory.

This is Faith, Chriſtian and ſaving Faith, that which will carry thee through if thou haſt it, and improveſt it, daily ſpending upon Chriſt his Stock, who hath never the leſs, do you and all Believers ſpend what you can. Whether thou haſt attained as yet to that aſſurance, that this Chriſt and all his benefits are thine; If thou haſt a ſtormy and dark Voyage, and canſt not ſee the Sun, many ſad fears I know thou mayeſt have, and ſorrows enough, yet this faith will carry thee ſafe to Heaven at laſt. It is by grounded aſſurance that thou art comforted, but it is by this faith thou art ſaved. Which that I may make good, let me prove, that this ſaith, which I have deſcribed, is Goſpel or ſaving faith. And before I come to that, let me ſpeak to one Queſtion, which will help to the clearer proof of what I have affirmed, if that be removed.

Queſt. Whether the eſſence of ſaving Faith doth lye in a particular perſwaſion and aſſurance, that Chriſt with all p. 185his redemption is mine, that I ſhall have life and ſalvation by his means?

Or aſſurance of Gods favour to me in particular, and forgiveneſs of my ſins?

Thus we have been catechized, thus we read in eminent, holy men, maſter-builders, againſt whom though we may argue, for Truths ſake, and for the ſupport of thouſands of true believers, yet for their abilities, holineſs, Goſpel ſimplicity, ſpiritualneſs, I fear few of us ſhall ever reach them: their memory is precious. Definitions give the eſſence, or elſe they tell you nothing. The queſtion lies in that particular perſwaſion, aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, that my ſins are forgiven, as our ancient Divines have affirmed: our later Divines have ſpoken exceeding well to it: yet give me leave, upon the Reaſons I before mentioned, to caſt in my Mite.

That the eſſence of ſaving Faith doth not lye in that particular perſwaſion, or aſſurance, that Chriſt is mine, and my ſins forgiven, I thus prove.

Firſt Argument. That is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith which Goſpel-Miniſters cannot preſs all men to, but they muſt preſs moſt to believe a Lye.

But to preſs all men to particular perſwaſion, or aſſurance, that Chriſt is theirs, forgiveneſs theirs, is to preſs moſt men to believe a lye.

Ergo, Particular perſwaſion or aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, forgiveneſs mine, is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

The Major is plain: Goſpel-Miniſters, who preach the Goſpel of Truth, and him who is the Way and Truth, and cannot lye, Tit. 1. muſt not preach that, or preſs people to believe that, which if they do believe, as they are preſſed, they muſt moſt of them believe a lye; this were horrible. Now Goſpel-Miniſters are to preſs all men who hear the Goſpel to believe in Jeſus Chriſt: This is the p. 186Commandment of God: For this they are threatened, if they do not believe in him, with the wrath of God. Chriſt is offered to all, whoſoever believe in him. The Texts I have given before.

Object. Miniſters are to preſs all men prepared to belive in Chriſt.

Anſw. Firſt, But what if not prepared? Is it not therefore their duty? If it be not their duty, then I confeſs all men muſt not be preſſed to believe in him; but then I hope unbelieſ in them is no ſin, becauſe faith is not their duty, becauſe not prepared: So unbelief in Chriſt ſhall condemn only thoſe who were prepared for Chriſt, but did not believe in him.

Mr. Shepherd gives this as the fourth general Reaſon of mans ruine, Sincere Convert, p. 266.falſe Faith. Of this I doubt not, falſe faith in Chriſt is the cauſe of the deſtruction of many Chriſtians: but for thoſe words of this reverend Author, We cannot rap off mens fingers from catching hold on Chriſt before they are fit for him, need a little examining; for ſome poor Chriſtians will ſoon apply this to themſelves: Catching hold of Chriſt, is meant faith; this is plain from the thing it ſelf, and the Head he is upon. Some men ſhould have their fingers rapped off from catching hold on Chriſt, but Miniſters cannot do it: What is the reaſon their fingers ſhould be rapped off? Not the error in their catching hold, but becauſe they are not fit for Chriſt: then it ſeems they ought not to catch hold on Chriſt, it is not their duty; for if it be, then their fingers muſt not be rapped off, but guided and helped in laying hold. Secondly, Till they be fit: But what is that fitneſs? Is it not preparedneſs? And when prepared? Is it not when made willing to lay hold upon him, and take him as he is offered? becauſe they will not elſe come to Chriſt for life, John 5.40. By this expreſſion he plainly ſhews, that it is not mens duty to believe in Chriſt till they are fitted: which upon the former Reaſons I deny. I ſee not one Scripture or Reaſon given to prove what he infinuates: what men will do is one thing, what men ought to do p. 187another. Beſides, the end of preparing is to make men come to Chriſt, and lay hold of him; if now the Soul will venture upon Chriſt, catch hold of him, take him as God tenders him, (then they are fit I think) why muſt their fingers be rappped off, if their error be in catching hold? that they do not take Chriſt right, let the falſeneſs of their faith in catching hold be diſcovered; but not ſay it is not their duty, becauſe not fit: For fit, or not fit, is every mans duty to whom the Goſpel is preached, to believe in Chriſt, as much as it is his duty to repent.

Secondly, I anſwer to the Objection: if a man be prepared for Chriſt, yet if there be no neceſſary connexion between preparation and ſaving faith, as Doctor Ames, Mr, Pemble, and many of our able Divines affirm, then it will not follow, that becauſe men are prepared, therefore they ought to believe Chriſt is theirs, forgiveneſs of ſin theirs.

It is one thing for a man to be prepared, to lay hold on Chriſt, another to be ſo prepared, to ſay truly, Chriſt is mine: between preparation for Chriſt, and the Souls ſaying Chriſt is mine, there muſt come in another Act, as the ground of this, ſuch an Act, as Chriſt will own this Soul to be his, and that is, the reception of him upon his terms; if Chriſt will ſay, this Soul is mine, then may that Soul ſay, Chriſt is mine; but not elſe to any true comfort.

The Minor needs no proof: for Miniſters in preſſing all men to believe Chriſt is theirs, forgiveneſs theirs, is to preſs moſt men to believe a lye, is ſo evident to them that look on their Congregations, that it doth not deſerve Arguments ſo much to prove it, as tears to lament it.

Second Argument. That which makes the eſſence of ſaving Faith to lye or ſubſiſt only in an Act of the underſtanding, that is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

But to make the eſſence of ſaving Faith to lye in a particular perſwaſion, or aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, forgiveneſs p. 188mine, is to make the eſſence of ſaving Faith to lye, or ſubſiſt only in an act of the underſtanding.

Ergo, The particular perſwaſion or aſſurance Chriſt is mine, &c. is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

The Major I proved before, in proving that ſaving Faith takes in the will: the heart, that is, the will is the ſubject of it, according to ſome Divines. If the whole Soul, as Mr. Pemble and others, to be ſure the will is included, that cannot be ſhut out; for the reception of Chriſt into the will, is that which chiefly denominates Faith ſaving.

The Minor. But this particular perſwaſion or aſſurance, that Chriſt is mine, and forgiveneſs mine, is but an Act of the underſtanding giving an aſſent to this Concluſion or Propoſition as true, upon ſuch Premiſes layed; but here is no act of the will, ſuch I mean, as we have opened in the reception of Chriſt; there may be an act of the will indeed, as the will may move the underſtanding to aſſent; as we ſay, You may believe me if you will; but that act of the will terminates there, and is not ſuch an act as we have mentioned: Our ancient Divines uſe to oppoſe doubts to faith commonly; but to what faculty doth doubting pertain, I pray, but to the underſtanding?

Third Argument. That which is not croſs to the corrupt heart of man, nor doth directly empty a man of himſelf, that cannot be the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

But the particular perſwaſion that Chriſt is mine, the aſſurance my ſins are forgiven, is not croſs to the corcupt heart of man, nor doth directly empty a man of himſelf.

Ergo, The particular perſwaſion and aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

The Major is plain. The works of Faith, or the grace of Faith, is as croſs to the corrupt heart of man, as any p. 189Grace required; the ſecond branch proves it; for it doth ſo empty a man of himſelf, it empties him of his evil-ſelf, and empties him of his good-ſelf, which other Graces do not ſo directly, (I mean as to good-ſelf) and what hath a man more to be emptied of? Were not Faith ſo croſs, it ſhould not be called ſo much the gift of God; nor the faith of the operation of God, Col. 2.12.

The Minor. But this particular perſwaſion and aſſurance Chriſt is mine, &c. Is,

Firſt, Not croſs to corrupt nature. For it is that which any carnal wretch, that owns there is ſuch a one as Chriſt, and that he is a Saviour, would have: Chriſt is mine, forgiveneſs mine, who will refuſe it? Nay, we find men are aforehand here with the Miniſtry: Doth the Miniſter preach of Faith? People have it: How hard a matter is it for Miniſters to unbottom men from their falſe grounds? When you have preached one Glaſs out, turn it again, preach another, yea, and twenty hours more if you will, you ſhall never move them from this good hope and perſwaſion that Chriſt is theirs: it were well if men could be taken off from theſe groundleſs perſwaſions and aſſurances: ſo that to be perſwaded and aſſured that Chriſt is theirs, this is not croſs to their nature. And if Mr. Shepherd had meant this, in mens catching hold of Chriſt before they be fit, that is, their perſwaſions and aſſurances Chriſt is theirs, then would I heartily have joyned with him, that mens fingers had need be rapped off from catching hold of Chriſt, in this ſenſe, till they be fit.

Secondly, Not doth it directly empty a man of himſelf. By conſequence a man may gather ſuch a Truth, or Propoſition; If Chriſt be yours, then you are emptied of ſelf, i. e. of that ſelf which ſtands in oppoſition to Chriſt, becauſe faith in Chriſt doth thus empty a man of this ſelf; but the particular perſwaſion and aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, doth not empty a man directly of this ſelf; for obſerve many of theſe who have this aſſurance (as they conceive) and whom you cannot beat p. 190off from their deluded and deluding perſwaſions, they do not know what it is to be emptied of ſelf, but are under the dominion of it.

Fourth Argument. That is not the eſſence of Faith which is not found in all ſound Believers.

But the particular perſwaſion or aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, is not found in all Believers.

Ergo, It is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

The Major is plain. What it is that makes Faith ſaving muſt be found in all thoſe who are ſound believers, elſe they are not ſound believers, it is impoſſible they ſhould be ſound. Definition tells you, quidres ſit, what is the eſſence of a thing; where the Definition is not found, the Definitum cannot be found. Man is Animal rationale (if you will have it, as **De origine errat. c. 3. de ſalfa Sap. l. 3. c. 10. de …ra Dei c. 7.Lactantius, he is Animal Religioſum; he ſeemed to doubt, whether the common definition would ſerve turn, that he is a Rational creature, becauſe he ſaw ſo many ſparks of Reaſon in other Creatures: And truly if that definition he true, abundance of men, and thoſe who ſeem to have in their own eſteem moſt reaſon, are no men, for they are no Religious Creatures, but plain Atheiſts) but to keep to the common definition, then a reaſonable Soul muſt be found in all that are men, elſe it is impoſſible there ſhould be a man. This definition agrees to the Child in the Cradle, as well as to the Judge on the Bench, to Solomon in his Nurſes arms, as well as to Solomon on the Throne, though then his Acts of Reaſon were high. So muſt this aſſurance or particular perſwaſion that Chriſt is mine, be found in all believers, though Infant-believers, if ſound, elſe they are no believers.

The Minor is too clear; this aſſurance is not found in all ſound believers. He that will cut off all from being ſound believers, that have not this particular perſwaſion and aſſurance that Chriſt is theirs, muſt, as David ſaid in another caſe, Pſal. 73.15. If I ſay, I will ſpeak thus, p. 191behold I ſhould offend againſt the generation of thy children; ſo muſt theſe cut off the greateſt part of the generation of ſound believers; they are but few in compariſon of the unſound, take them all in; but if you exclude them who have not the aſſurance, you will leave a pitiful remnant indeed. This our holy ancient Divines ſaw in their experience and trading with Souls; hence they were forced to make diſtinct ſizes of Chriſtians, and degrees of Faith: as Mr. Richard Rogers makes ſeveral degrees of Faith: 1. The weakeſt and leaſt meaſure, The ſeven Treat. p. 71.when there is no aſſurance in the believer, and yet inſeparable fruits and tokens of Faith. 2. When there is ſome aſſurance wrought in the believer at ſome time, but in a weak degree. 3. Hath aſſurance for moſt part accompanying it, though not all alike. Yet in page 23. he had ſet out Faith by aſſurance, and ſaid, that is the Faith which uniteth to Chriſt. Now how can theſe things poſſibly hang together? when as he, and ſo holy Perkins, will own many for ſound believers, in whom there was no aſſurance, and yet it is that aſſurance, as he ſaith, by which men do apply Chriſt to themſelves, and which uniteth men to Chriſt: where there is no aſſurance, there can be no application of Chriſt and his benefits, no union with Chriſt; it is as poſſible, as there can be a man, and yet no reaſonable ſoul. Hence no aſſurance, and yet a believer is near a contradiction; for aſſurance makes a believer; yet here is a believer and no aſſurance.

Fifth Argument. That cannot be the eſſence of Faith, which muſt have another Act of ſaving Faith to antecede it, before it can exiſt.

But this particular perſwaſion or aſſurance, that Chriſt is mine, muſt have another act of ſaving Faith antecede it, before it can exiſt.

Ergo, It is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

The Major is plain. For that is but the conſequent of another act, which muſt have another act antecede to its p. 192exiſtence; or it is but an effect of it: then we muſt have our eye upon that act which gives the exiſtence.

The Minor is plain. Before this particular perſwaſion or aſſurance can exiſt in any man, that Chriſt is mine, there muſt antecede this act, That I have received and embraced Chriſt, as God doth offer him in the Goſpel. If this act doth not antecede, and be true, all my particular perſwaſions, that Chriſt is mine, are but ſo many deluſions. So that this particular perſwaſion is but a conſequent, or an effect of ſaving Faith, which was in the heart before.

Sixth Argument. That cannot be the eſſence of ſaving Faith, which is not alwayes conſtant and abiding, ſo long as man is a Believer.

But the particular perſwaſion and aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, is not alwayes conſtant and abiding ſo long as I am a Believer.

Ergo, It is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

The Major is plain, For the eſſence of a thing cannot poſſibly be miſſing, and yet the thing be, the eſſence muſt be conſtant, though there may be many changes in the thing. Let a man be never ſo ſick, or let him have ſuch ſore eyes, that his ſight is ſo impaired that he cannot read, yet he is a man ſtill, his eſſence is conſtant: So though a believer may fall very ſick ſpiritually, as God knows we have ſickly times, let his eye be ſo dim that he cannot read his evidence, Chriſt is mine, but concludes the contrary, thinks verily he reads other lines, God hath written bitter things againſt him: Doth he therefore ceaſe to be a believer? No verily, that which is the eſſence of faith will be found in him at that time; eſſences are not fluctuating, come and gone, but abiding ſo long as the things eſſentiated by them are.

The Minor is too plain: Acknowledged by our ancient holy Divines; ſenſe hath proved it, and doth prove it, to Chriſtians ſad experience, they cannot alwayes ſay, Chriſt p. 193is mine, my ſins are forgiven, ſome ſcarce all their lives; they tremble, they dread to ſpeak it; yet ſuch as have truly received Jeſus Chriſt the Lord, if they can ſay it to day, ask them to morrow, they cannot ſay it then, yet as ſound a believer now when cannot ſay it, (though not ſo comfortable a believer) as when he could ſay it.

Seventh Argument. That cannot be the eſſence of ſaving Faith, which is not pure Faith, but at beſt a mixed act of faith and ſenſe.

But the particular perſwaſion and aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, is not pure Faith, but a mixed act of faith and ſenſe.

Ergo, It is not the eſſence of ſaving Faith.

The Major is plain. Faith and ſenſe differ much, Bleſſed are they who have not ſeen and yet believed, ſaith Chriſt, John 20 29. Faith leans upon a Divine teſtimony, a Revelation of God, meerly, it bottoms upon that; but ſenſe looks into a mans ſelf what it finds there; therefore theſe being ſo different, cannot make up the eſſence of faith: The eſſence of Faith is not extracted out of a Syllogiſme, made up of a divine teſtimony and my ſenſe.

The Minor is plain: For whence riſeth this particular perſwaſion and aſſurance that Chriſt is mine, forgiveneſs mine? Is it not the concluſion ariſing from two premiſes that went before, of which one muſt be made up of ſenſe, ſpiritual ſenſe: He that believeth in Chriſt is juſtified, or is united to Chriſt, Chriſt is his. This indeed is de fide, we know it by revelation, we have Gods teſtimony for it.

But I believe this minor propoſition; how do you know that? It muſt be by a mans retiring into himſelf, and there taking a view of his own heart, examining what God hath done there, how he hath drawn the Soul to Chriſt; which I know, the mind of man, illuminated, ſanctified this Spirit of man, the candle of the Lord, ſearching all the p. 194inward parts of the belly, Prov. 20.27; with the Spirit of God helping of it againſt all thoſe darkning Objections which Satan and his own timerous heart raiſeth, may experience find out, and that certainly, and ſo draw up this concluſion, therefore Chriſt is mine, my ſins are forgiven; the concluſion is certain, that Soul is not deceived; there may be a firm aſſent given to this concluſion. If ſo, then ſaith learned Ward, De fide juſtific. cap. 33.Rectiſſime dicitur aſſenſus-fidei ſpecialis, cui nec ſubeſt aliquando, nec ſubeſſe poteſt falſum, non minus quam fidei Catholicae. Here I ſhrink, certainty I acknowledge, not a wavering conjecture; but to have it, ſpecial Divine faith, and to be as certain, as this propoſition, That he that believeth in Chriſt is juſtified or pardoned, of which I am ſure it is true, non poteſt ſubeſſe falſum, this is hard to yield to. The minor is certain, with the certainty of experience, or experimental knowledge, he ſaith, experience and faith are different things: How then is the concluſion certain, with the certainty of Divine Faith.