:z.o8· vi Commen arze "Rf(Jn Chap.7.. Lord ~own tlu )Jta] of the righttoHJ, rhat is,.A knowes &approoues lt,z. Tlm.z. r9.Th~Lord kpai"PCJ who ttre hU,thlt ii,he knoweth&choo~ feth·them. Ioh. 17.z. Thuueurnal/ lifc,to~•"" tbutb~ sn~IJ GtJd,that is,to know and acknow~ ledge thee for our God. If this bee true m worJsof knowledgc,thcn much more words of belecuins lignifiethegood motions, and the alliance of the heart. Thus to belceue Chri[lto be the Sonnc'of God, in the places before-named, is to bclecuethat hceis God, and wtthallto fixeouraffianceon him:other· wife the diuels belceuc rhus much. When Tho»whadpur his finger in the GdeofChrill, hcfaid,MyLord,andmy Gad,Ioh. zo.z8.And to this fpeech ofbis,Chri!l faith, Thou h.jl ftme and belermd. This th.en is true faith,not B onlyto bdecuerhar Chn£\ is God, bur alfo rhat he is our God. Iu;1ifying faith in rruc monner is defined rhus:lt :.o a ~ifi whtreh; wt apprchmd Chri/f ~tnd bisbmrfitJ,!oh,I.lZ.tObclceucin Ciuilt,and to rccciue Chti!l,arc put both for onc,loh. G. faith isrhe mouth of the foulc, wbercby wee e~te the Ac01 ofCr,ri£l,and drmke Ius blood, Ion. 17.8. Torcceiuctheword of ChriO, to ·a~)inpwledgclt, and to bclccueit, atepurall forono. Paul faith, thatthc Gentiles did ap· prehcndthe tuj/tce "'hich it by faith, Rom. 9_- 3o.Agalnc,t hat !Ur~ceiuethepr()mift ofthe Sp1· rit b; f•it/,,Gal.J.I4. This apprchcnlion £l•nds in two things. -The fir f! is,to know Chrilliuhe~prQpaunds C himfelfein the word and.Sacram<w.mJ'hcfc– .ccnd is, To apply him pndhis .benefirs vnto 'cur-.fclucs. Th" applicationi~111adebyafu-.. lP~' r,aturall act ofthe v;1der£laq(iing,when we lbelccue, rhat Chrifl with his b~pcfirs isreally ou1s, I1 may bee obicC!cd, that faith is a cer– t\lil'e<;onfidenccwhcrbywe bcleeuc in ChriU: and fo it is defcribcd <uen in this rext. An[. I. Fa;th and con6dc~cc, properly arc dillir>ct . gifrs,of Gcd: andconfidenc~istheetfcct or fruit of fairh. For Pasd fairh)that we ha,e m– tra~feto(jodwithconfidmce by faitb,Eph.).I z. 1 4.'a~ rea[on declare~ as much, for~ man can~ iqqt-pqt hiscon~dcnce in Chri£l,rill bee be af. [tired thar.Chri£\with his benefits are his.We -. dJ0e~ot reO on his goodne!Te, o_f whl'fe lout D ;~e,d<:.ubt. Secondly,I anfwer,rhatconfidepce b~eiqg a.mollnorablc effect of fairh, is often in. Scripture put for faith, and faith is defcri– b~d by it (as it is in this place,)aad yet for n~= ture,thcy arc not one, but mull beedtllingui· 01ed. , \.. FUtthcriuorc,. ~hegrounds of apprehenfi· on mull bee conlidercd. For fpeciall faith, m~fl hauc a fpedall, and infallible ground. Th~grorlndsarct!mc. The firO is this: In t!1cGofpcl God hath propoundedgenerall pro.mlfes of r~miflion ef finnes,and Jifceuer– '!aqmg by ChriLI: aud witholl bee bath giucn acommaundcmcnt to apply the faid promi· festoour felues;) z.Iuh. 3· 23. ThU Utlucom· m.-ur.~(ment o['flod,that yehtleme in the namt of bu S••nele{tu Chrifl: and w~ecannot beleeue in Chrill, tillwee beleeuc Chrillto bee our Chri£!. Now thena generall promife, with a commaundemenr to apply the fame ro our felues,i•in ctfettas muchas afpecial promi(e. The fecondg~ound is this,Rom.8.r6.TheSpi· "'of qod te;1•peth togethtr wit/; ••rJPiriu, th•t voe_arcthefonnesa(G•d.In this reGimony.,foure thmgs mu£! be obfcrued. The firll, tba.r " 'is fu!lictcnr to cerrifie &allure vs of ourfoluati– on. Forifotbctdlimony<>f twoorthrccwit· nclfes ellablilh a rrurh among men;the much morethcrc01monyof God, Tilefecondis that_ th1Stellimony moy be certainly kncwn: elfen1s not~fhmonyy-ntovs. The thirqls, that this tefhn;ony i¥ tound and percciued iri thevfe ofthe word,praycr,Sacramcnrs. The Iall is,rl:at 1t IS cfpeCJally giuen and felt in the rime of grcatdaogcr and affi1tii0n.Forwhcn byrcafon oftmf(Cic and trouble,we know not eo praya~weeougbr,thcn the Sp;rit mak.!s re~ queftfor vsJ.vith gro~tnu thllt CISpnot ~(evtttred, Kom.8.zG, And in afrlidions P•ul faith the loue of God Hjludde tfbrMdin our hearts./ Now then, if God giuc to them thatturne vnto him a tdlimopj~ that they arc the cluldr~n of God: thCY,-for fheir parrs, are by fpecj– all fatth to bclceuc it. 1 ,hphird ground io rim: A fp~ciall faith may bcgarhered,.parr– ly vpon th111gs generally rcu<aled in the ''ord of God, andparrlyvponfcnfe, obferuation, and experience: the Came thing!beeina re– ucalcd generally in theword, and parric~lar· ly by experience. Vpon this ground may we truly conclude the forgiucncllc of out liQnes, and the faluarron of our foules, on this ma.Q· ner: Hee which bcleeuerh, bath tbeforgiue: -nelfc of his fir.ncs; bur I bcleeue in Cbri£\ (faith be which bele<u<th) therforc myfinncs are forgiucnJUC. Tl1cmawror firR part,iscx– prclTedin the word; theminor or[econd part IS found 1ru~- by expcricncc,andby thereqJ. monyof theconfcience, which iu certiine tcllimony. For Pa•l faith, Thw u "'l r~iDJcingJthcteflimotp'eof m1 C..M{cience, :.CorintQ, I.U. Andtheconclulion, is rhecunclufion offpeciall f~ith, If this bee not agood and fufficicntground, there is almoGno fpeciall faith io tbc world. Lamy; Vu•• ~re 10 cc;m'C:~erthe degreesof Appreheil,lio~, :and they are two: there;. a weaicf appr(h,nfio•, and ther,e is a flro•g appre– henfion, as rhere is awcake and allrong fa11h. The weake faith and apprehcnfion is, when we endcauour toapprehend. This endeou_our is, when wee bewalie ourvnheleefe, lhiuc a· gain£\ our nianifoldc do~btjngs, wdi to b~- ' Jeeue wi!h~n honci! he~rJ, ~cfire to herecon· died to God, and conll.ntly vfc the good meanes rc)beleeue. For Ood acceprsthcwrll to belceue for faith it fclfe,& the wilro repent for rcpentanc~.:rhe reafog hcrcofisplain.)l,– ucryfupcmatvralad prefuppofeth afupcr~a· turail powcr,or gilt:andthcreforethewill ~o belceucand repent, prefuppofeth the power and
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