572 / 772
5
'14
O
f
the
meaner
whereby
our
faith
may
fie
flrengthened.
beleeue
the
Gofpell.
and
1.
Ioh.3.23.
This
then
is
his comman-
dement,
that
we heleexe
in
the
name
of
his
fonne
lefur Chr
ft,cc.
Now
to
beleeue
in
Chria,is not
onely to beleeue
that
he
is
a
Sauiour,
for
this
euen
the diucls beleeue allo,
but
to
beleeue
that
he
is
our
Sauiour,and
to
refl
wholly
upon
him
for
our
faluation,& to
fay
with
the
Apofile Paul,
Ga1.2.2o.
Iliueóy
Gal.
t.a
the
faith
in the
Tonne
of
God,who
bath
lottedme
and
giuen
himfelfe
for
me.
And
to
the
end
that
we
may
be
armed
againa doubt-
ing,and
enabled
to
performe this commandement, it
hath
Hcb.6.i3.
pleafed
the
Lord
to adde vino
his
word
his
oath, that
by
two
immutable
thing,
wherein
it
is
impoffible
that
God
fhould
lie, wee
fhould haue
fl
rong
confolation, as
the Apoflle fpeaketh,
Heb.6.
i
S.Yea,he
hath
allo
vnto
his
word
and
handwriting
annexed
his Sacraments
as (cales,
that
there
might be
no
place
left for
doubting.Seeing therfore
the
Lord hath
exprefly
comman-
ded
vs
to
beleeue,&
vfed
al
meanes
to
enable
vs
to performe
his
commandement, let
vs
not now
difpute the
quellion,
whether
we are
worthie to beleeue
or no,
or
whether
fuch
grieuous
(inners are
bound
to
this
duty,but letting
al
excufes
afide,let
vs
beleeue
in
obedience
to Gods
commandement.
Thethird
Thirdly,
we
mull not
alwaies fet
before
vs
the innumera-
tueanes,
ble multitude and huge
waight
ofour
fins,
but
withal
cal
to
our
remembrance
the infinite mercies
ofGod
and merits
of
Chrifi, who
bath
offered
vnto
his
father
a
propitiatorie
facri-
fice,and
full
fatisfaaion
for
al
our
/innes,and not
for
surs only,
John
but
for
the/ïnnes
of
all the world,
as
the Apoflle
fpeaketh, z,
Ioh.2.i.
Seeing therefore our
debt,
how
great
foeuer
it be,
is
already
difcharged;
and our
fumes,
how outragions foeuer
they
be,
are fully
punifhed
long
agoe in our Sauiour
Chrifi,
and
fecing
God
himfelfe
who bath receiued this
debt,and ta-
ken
this
punifhment,
is
of
infinite iutlice
and mercy,
why
fhould we now
defpaire
of
pardon
?
Nay,whv
should we
not
moil
certainely be allured
that
the roll
and
reckoning
ofour
iins,how long
foeuer
it be,is quite
blotted
out
and
cancelled,
fo
as
they
(hall neuer againe be
laid
to
our
charge?
1.
Se
.4.
Fourthly,
wee are
to
confider,
that
defperation
it
felfe is
a
The
fourth
-moli
hainous and
outragions
finne,
for
it
caufeth men to de-
.meanes to
CO?
-
nic
Gods truth
in his
promifes
&
to
account him
a
liar,as the
.ikpofile