rvf (jraine of 8Yfujlerd.jeed. is allcaqged, that if defire to beleeue in our A weakenc£fc be faith indeed; then fome ar~ iu– ftified a•d may be faued wanting a liuely ap– prehenfion and fall perfwafiou ofGods mer· cie in Chri!l. vfnf. Iuflirying faith in regard mitted~ th4t God accepts th~ mdelllio!4r ofthe wh,[eman toobeyfor P"fdlobttlienceitftlfo. THat is, if men endeaoour to pleale God in all rhings,God will not judge their do– ings by the rigour ofhis law : but will accept their little and weake endeauour, to doe that which they can do by his grace, as ifthey had perle<'lly fulfilled the law.But liere rerr.eber,I put thiscaueat; that this indcauour mu£t be in and by the whole man; the v<ry mind, confci. ence,will,& afl'tctions,doing that which they can in their kinds: and thus the indeauour to obey,which is a fruit ofthe fpirit, fhall beedi– fiinguiihed from ciui!l righteouli>effe, which may bficheathenmen, &isonelyintheoutofhis nawre is alwaies one and the fame, and the eifentiall propertie thereof, n, to appre– hend Chrifl with his benefin, & to aifure the very confcience thereof. And therefore with– our fome apprehenfion and al\ilrance, there can bee no iuflification or faluation in them thatf<>r age are ableto beleeue. Yet there bee certainc degrees and mtafures of true faith. There is a ftrong faith, which canfeth a full apprehenfion and perfwafionofGods mercie in Chri!t. This meafure of faith the Lord vouchfafed .Abraham, Dauid, '/'aut, the Pro– phe:s,Apoflles,aod MartyrsofGod. It were a bleifed thing if all beleeuers might attaine to this heightofliuely faith, to fay withPaul, I am perfwaded, thatneither life, nortleath, norauy thingclfe, fhall bee able to feparate B ward,and not in the inward man. The truth of this conclufion 'ppeares by that which the Prophet M•lachi{;ith, M•l. 3· 17. that God will fpare them thatfeare him, as a father (pares hischilde, who accepts the tl:ing done, as well done, ifthe child!hew his good will to ple•fe hi• father, and doe what he can. vs from thclc;>ue'ofGod in Chrifl: but all can· not; therefore there is another degree offaith lower then the former, and yet true faith,cal– led alittleor weake faith,& italfo hath apower to apprehend and apply the promife offal– uation,but _.yet by reafonofweakene!fe, it is infolded(as ir were)andwrapt vp in the hearr, as the leaue and bloffome in the bud. For ft!Ch perfons as haue this weake faith, can fay in· deed,thatthey beleeuetheir finnestobtepar- c donable, &that feriouOy in their hearts they dC:firc to haue them pardoned: but as yet they cannot fay, that they are without all doubt pardoned. And yet the mercy ef God is not wanting vnto them. For in that they doe,and can deftre, and indeauour to apprehend, they doe indcede apprehend; God accepting the defire to doe the thing, for the thing done. This which I fay "'il the betterappeare, ifthe grounds thereof be con£idered. Faith doth nor iufliF.e in refp,elt ofit fel fe,becaufe it is an aaion or venue: or becaufeit is !hong,liuely, and perfell:: but in refpelft ofthe obiell: there– of, namely Chril\ crucified, whom faith ap– prehendeth as hcc is fct f0rth vnto Vs in the Word and Sacraments. It is Chriflthatisthe D author and matter ofour iuflice, and it is hee thatapplieththc !amevnto vs: as for faith in vs, it is but an in!trument to apprehend aud receiue that which Cnri!t for his part offercth and giucth. Therefore if faith erre not in his proper obiell:,butfollow the promife ofGod, though it doe but weakely apprehend, or at the leafl caufe aman onely to endeauour and defire to apprehend,it is true faith, and iu!tifi– eth. Though our apprehenfion be flece!fary , yet our faluation £tands rather in tlhis, that Gods appreheAds vsfor hisowne, then that weapprehendhimforours, Phi/. 3· verfeu. And rather in this, that wee are knowne of him,tben that we know him, Ga/·4•!1• OutofthiHonclujion JPriwgJ another not tobeto• I V-Conclufion. Tofie andfeele in ourftlues the want ofanygr.ce pertaining tofoluation, andtobegrieuedt htre. fore, uohegraceitftlfe. The Expojition. V,Nderfland this conclufion as the for· mer, namely, that griele of heart for the want of any gracem.ceiliuie to faluation, is as much wi.hGod as the grace it felfe. When beeing in difrre{fe, wee cannot pray as wte ought, God .ccepts the very grcanes, fobbes, and fighesofthe p<rplexad heart,as the praier it felfe,Rom. g,>9· W ~.en wee arc grimed,be– caufe wee.cannot bee grieuc::d for our finnts, itis adegreeand meafure ofGodly forrow before God.V{uguftine faithwell:SometinwDHr 'Fcm. 4 .1. prayer Ulu~~ warmeJ or rather eo/de,~ anda!moft r.adSim.. . noprAyer: na)'[ornetime it is altogither no prayer . pfic. in at t~O, ~tndyet lWcann()t R1&thgr.iefeperceiut tbi$1 fine. in OMTfi/ues: for ifweCan bHt griife brcaHfl Wee c11nnot pr11y,weenow pray indeedeJ Hieromefaith Thenwee•r~iuft, whm weedo~ ~ckEorv/edge. ou: ' Lib.r. e/u~s to beJinners. Againe, Thi& i4 the true J ~o7t!~ ,.ifidom<of man ,10 kti•whimftlfnobeeimperfe£f: ,:0~~'· •nd ( rh•t 1may fo JPeakt) the perfe£f,.n of .a iuftmenin the fi.Jhil imperje£f. V{Hglif/ineagaine faith, That thevtrtuewhich i5 mn.p in o1: iuft m11n iuhmfarreforrhprrfeB, th4t vnto the per. efJirm th~reof, there bdongs 4true ~tckEowledg.. rnent, 4nd11n humbleC9nfeJJtrm of the impeifeUion thmof. A broken and acontrite heart after anoftCnce, isas much with .God, as ifthere had boene no offence at all. And therefore ft; foone as Dauidafter his grieuous fall,in heaume!feof heart confeifed ~is finne, fayingin dfel1 but thus much, 1hauefinned, the Prophet •·Som. in the name oftheLord pronounceth the par .I ', '· 'J· don ofhis finne in hcauen, and that prefcnt-~ ly. I ii • Con- .
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