d 7?..eformedCathotifi.- athing, & that the fame thing belongs tome: A taine, and to giue alfurancc, i.>ofthe natureof as when'lJa•idfa•d, I lhould haue fainted ex. .faith. Rom-4-20-22· Paul fairh of .Abr.ha;, cept I hadb<ieeu,dtojinh<goodnes oftbe Lordin that he did not doubt ofthe promiji gf Godtho: thelandofthelining,Pfa/.27·t 3-Itisanfiveredroag(J vnbtleefc: b•twM flrcngtbmtd infaith, that in thofe arttcles wee onely profelfe our and,gaueglory to God,beeingfully ajfor<d, that he felues tobelecue remifsion ofGnncs,andlifeewhrch had promtfed was able ro doe it: where uerlafting to be vouchfafcd to the people and I obferue firft, that doubting is made a fruit of Church of God,• .Anfiv. '{his indecde is the vnbeletft: and the!efore vnfallible certainty expofiticn of m,\lly , but it ftands not with and alfurance, bcem.g contrar~ to doubting; cornmon reafon. For ifchat bee alLthe faith muft needs proceed fr<>m true faith: confidethatisthereconfelf~d, the diuellhathas good ring that contrary dfeas come of contrary afaith as we. He knoweth and beleeu<th that ,caufcs: and contrary qufes produrc contrary there is aGod : and that this God impartcth effecls. Secondly, I note, that the.lher:g;h of remifsion offinnes and life euerlafting to his Abrahamsfaith,did ftand infulnesgf·nffi~r•nce: Church. And to the end thatWe being God• for the text faith, he was ftrcngthened in the children, may in faith go beyond all thcdiuels B faith, being fully alfurrd:and againe, Heb.tt. in hell,we mnft further belceue,that remifSion 1-rruefauing faith is faid to bethe ground and offins and life euerla!l:ing belong vnrovs: and fub.(l;lllce of things hoped for: and the euivnle!fc we doepanicularly•pply the faid artiden~:~or demonftration ofthings that are11ot des vmo our felues, we !hall little or nothing feene: bur faith can be no ground or euidence differ from the diuell,in makingconfefsion of ofthings, vnlelfeit bee for nature certainty it faith. felfe; and thus the fir!l: point is manifcfl:. The ObieEl. Iii. We are taugl)t to pray forthe fecod,that fauing f.1ith isaparticular alfurance pardon ofour!ins day by day, Mat.6.t2•and is proceed by this, that the property offaith all this were needldk, ifweecouldbealfured is. to apprthend and apply the promile,and the ofpardon in thisJi(~• .A>if;Thefourth petition thing promifed,Chrift with his benefits,loh,, mon be vndetftood not fo much of our old l2oAsmany,fairh s Iohn,tt6YCUiHedhim,tothem debts orfins , as ofom prefcnt and new fins: h<gauepowerto bethefons ofGod,rMmeiy,to them for as we goe on from day to day, f0 we adde th-. b<ieeoeinhu pame. In theft words, to befin to finne, and forthe pardon of them mun leeuein Chrin, and to receiur Chrifl:, are put we humble our felues&pray" I aofwer again, for one and the fame thing. Nowt<;> receiue , that WC pray for the pardon of our finnes; not c Chrift,isroapprehend andapply him with all becaufe we haue no affirranceiliereof; but behis benefits vnto our felues, as he isoffered in caufe a£furanceisweakeandfmall: wegrow the promifesof the Gofpell. For in the fixt on from grace togracein Chrift, as children chapter following,firfrofallhe fctsforthhimdo to mans e!l:atc by little and little. The heart fclfe not onely as aRedeemer generally, but ofeuery beleeucr islike avelfell withanarrow alfo as the bread oflife, and the water oflife: necke, which being can into the fea is not fil· fecondly. he fors forth his bell: hearers, as ealed at the fir!\: but by reafonof the ftraite tersofhis body a•d drinkers ofhis blood;and palfage, receiuetb water drop by drop. God thirdly he intends to prooue this conclufion,. giueth vntovsin CbrHl:, euen afea ofmercie, that:toeatc his body and to drinke his blood~ but the fame on our parts is apprehended and and to beleeue in him, areall one. Now then, receiued ondy by little and little, as faith ifChriftbeasfood, and iftoeateanddrinke groweth from age to age: and thi~ is the caufe the body and blood of Chrifr, bee to bele.eue why men bauingalfurance pray for more. in him, then mull: there bea proportionbe014rrea[ons to thecontrarie. tweene coring and belecuing. Looke then as therecan be noeatingwithout taking or recei– D uing of meat,fo no bekuing in Chrin without Reafon I. The firft reafon maybeetaken a fpiritualf receiuing & apprehending ofhim. from the natureoffaith,on this manner. True And asrhe body hath his hand, mouth, and faith isboth an vnfallible alfurancc, andapar1\omackewhereby it~akerh,receiueth,andditicular affirrance ofthe rcmifsion offins , and gelleth meate for tl'e nouri01ment ofeuory oflife euerlafting.And ther<foreby this faith, part: fo likewifc, in the foule there is afaith, a man may be certainly & particularly a!fured which is both hand, month, and 1\omacke to ofthe remifsion offinnes, and life euerlafting. apprehend, receiue, and apply Chrill and all That this reafon may bee offorce, two things his merits, for the oourilhmcnt ofthe toule. muft be prcoued: firlt,thattrue faith isa cerAndPau/fairh yet more plainly,G•I.J.I4·'h"t taine aOurancc ofGods mercie to that partie throughfaithwcre~tiuethepremijioftheff"r''• in whom it is. Secondly, 'that faith is a parti· Now as the property ofappteher.din_gand cular alfurance thereot:For the fitft,that faith applying ofChrill belongcth to faith, fo 1t aisacertalt~e affimmce, Chril1 faith to Peter, greeth not to hope,loue, confidence)or ?f'IY oMath.14. 3t.Othouoflitt!efaith,w~mfore dtdthcrgift or grace of God.Eur firfr by farth we defl thon doubt? Where he maketh an oppofimull apprehend Chrill, and apply him to our rion betweenetaith and doubting: thertby gifdues before we can baue any hope or confiuingvs diccaiy to vudert\and , thattobecerdcnce'in him· And thisapplyingfeemcs notto ~~~~~~~~~~~~--~--------~~~----lbcbe~---'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=