VER.t4. Ephe/1áns;Chap.i. I.s life,andbe rapup at the lafi dty.Nov though the confcience Both tell- fie thisour prefent being in favour, and our future falvation ; yet it doth not this in every flare of a beleever. For firft there is a flare inwhich faith is a fmoakìng weeke, dcfiring that it could beleeve, rather then getting up to feele it felfe beleeve. Againe, though faith be not trou- bled, but Both quietly flay on Chrift, and talk God good in letting them findepeace with him , yet fuch is the infancyof fpirituall under ftanding in Chriftians now firft converted,thatthey doe not returne into themfelves, and judgeof that they doe, andof the great confequence which followeth from that which they doe. Hence it is that they will tell you they findeGod goodto them, and goe on cheerefully in duties for the prefent,but they come not to behold the nobility of their falvati- on for time to come. There is a ftate in which faith is exercifed with temptation,from unbeleefeor otherwife,by which oppofition thefoule is kept fromattaining this certainty,being encountred with doubtfull ap- pearances which it cannot well anfwerand cleare for theprefent. There is a flare wherein faith is now growneup, and either hath out-wraftled, or otherwife is exempted fromknowing fuch temptation; andthe faith- full in this fiate doe perfwade them felves, that Gods mercyand truth, and power fhall carry them through unto falvation. Looke in a Pet.5. v. II. The GodofGrace, whohath through Chrifi called you unto eternaa glory, whenyou havea littlefuffered, heperfetlyou, flablifbyou, flrengtheu you,groundyou fare. Laftly, when now our confciences are come to teftifie through faith and experience, this happy efface, we are fubjetl byneglecting meanes, by falling into fome more grievous finne, by fecrct defertions ere-while to lofe for a time this comfortable perfwafion, the fpirit not (pea- king in us by his light as heretdfore, and our confciences and faith fo hurt and wounded, that the actions ofthem are troubled, depraved, as wcfee the like befall the naturali reafon and fenfes. We feethrough Melancholy what reafon commeth to imagine, how the eye thinkes it fees things yellow and redde, when they are nothing fo; the tafle thingsbitter, when they are fweer; fo the fight of faithandconfcience, when nothing but finne, guilt, wrath, angry defertion over-lay ir, it feemeth to feeevery thing, forthe time, oflike colour to thofethings wherewith it is poffeffed. There things I thought good to fet downe, that we might conceive the natureofthis point more.fully. One thing is to beanfwered which feemeth tome ofgreatefl moment, namely, that this do trine Both leave no place for feare, but breedeth pre-. fumption; but this is utterly denied : for the grace and mercy ofGod beleeved, breedeth loveofGod, and confequentjy true feare, which is oppofed to fenflefîeffupidity and carnali prefumption, though it cafleth out feare, whichproceedeth from unbeleefe. Secondly, fuch who may be certaineoffalvationby faith, they may be fecure, ifthey did not as well fland in this grace by faith,as firft enter into it ; but this we teach with theScripture, andergo ourdottrine doth Phew that thofe who fee this Grace,have Rill need to looke to Chrifi the 0 3 author
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