WEE haue seene in the opening of this clause which concerneth the weakenesse of the Prophets faith, first what things they are where­vnto the faith of sounde beleevers doth assent: secondly wherefore al men assent not thervnto: and third­ly why they that doe, doe it many times with small assurance. Now because nothing can be so truly spoken but through misvnderstāding it may be depraved; therefore to prevent if it bee possible, all misconstruction in this cause, where a small errour can­not rise but with great danger, it is perhaps needful ere we come to the fourth point, that something bee added to that which hath beene alreadie spoken concerning the third.

That meere naturall men doe neither knowe nor ac­knowledge the things of God wee doe not marvell, be­cause they are spiritually to bee discerned: but they in whose harts the light of grace doth shine, they that are [Page 2] taught of God, why are they so weake in faith? Why is their assenting to the law so scrupulous, so much ming­led with feare and wavering? It seemeth strange that e­ver they should imagine the lawe ro faile. It cannot seeme strange if wee waigh the reason. If the things which we beleeue be considered in themselues, it maie truely bee saide that faith is more certaine then any Sci­ence. That which we know either by sense, or by in­fallible demonstration, is not so certaine as the princi­ples, articles, and conclusions of Christian faith. Con­cerning which we must note, that there is a certainty of evidence, and a certainety of adherence. Certaintie of evi­dence we call that, when the minde doth assent vnto this or that, not because it is true in it selfe, but because the truth is clere, because it is manifest to vs. Of thinges in themselues most certaine, except they be also most evi­dent, our perswasion is not so assured, as it is of thinges more evident although in themselues they be lesse cer­taine. It is as sure, if not surer, that there bee spirits, as that there be men: but we be more assured of these then of them, because these are more evident. The truth of some things is so evident that no man which heareth them can doubt of them: as when wee heare that a part of any thing is lesse then the whole, the minde is constrained to say this is true. If it were so in matters of faith, thē as all men haue equall certainety of this, so no beleever should be more scrupulous and doubtful then an other. But we finde the contrarie. The Angels & spirits of the righteous in heaven haue certainety most evident of things spirituall: but this they haue by the light of glo­rie. That which we see by the light of grace, though it [Page 3] be indeed more certaine, yet is it not to vs so evidently certaine, as that which sense or the light of nature will not suffer a man to doubt of. Proofes are vaine & fri­volous except they bee more certaine then is the thing proved: and doe we not see how the spirit everie where in the scripture proveth matters of faith, laboureth to confirme vs in the thing which wee beleeue, by things whereof we haue sensible knowledge? I conclude there­fore that wee haue lesse certainety of evidence concer­ning things beleeved, then concerning sensible or natu­rally perceived. Of these who doth doubt at any time? Of them at sometime who doubteth not? I wil not here alleage the sundry cōfessions of the perfectest that haue lived vpon earth concerning their great imperfections this way; which if I did, I should dwell too long vpon a matter sufficiently knowne by everie faithfull man that doth know himselfe.

The other which wee call the certainty of adherence, is when the hart doth cleaue and sticke vnto that which it doth beleeue. This certaintie is greater in vs then the other. The reason is this. The faith of a Christian doth apprehend the words of the Law, the promises of God, not only as true, but also as good: and therefore e­ven then when the evidence which he hath of the truth is so small that it grieveth him to feele his weakenesse in assenting thereto; yet is there in him such a sure adhe­rence vnto that which he doth but faintly and feareful­lie beleeue, that his spirit having once truely tasted the heavenly sweetnesse thereof, all the worlde is not able quite and cleane to remoue him from it: but he striveth with himselfe to hope against all reason of beleeving, [Page 4] being setled with Iob vpon this vnmoueable resolution, Though God kill me I will not giue over trusting in him. For why? This lesson remaineth for ever imprinted in him, It is good for me to cleaue vnto God. Psal. 73.

Now the mindes of all men being so darkned as they are with the foggie dampe of originall corruption, it cannot be that any mans heart living should be either so enlightned in the knowledge, or so established in the loue of that wherein his salvation standeth, as to be per­fect, neither doubting nor shrinking at all. If anie such were, what doth let why that man should not be iustifi­ed by his owne inherent righteousnes? For righteous­nesse inherent being perfect will iustifie. And perfect faith is a part of perfect righteousnesse inherent; yea a principall part▪ the root and the mother of all the rest: so that if the fruit of every tree be such as the root is, faith being perfect, as it is if it bee not at all mingled with di­strust and feare, what is there to exclude other Christian virtues from the like perfections? And then what neede we the righteousnes of Christ? His garment is superflu­ous; we may be honourably cloathed with our owne Robes, if it bee thus. But let them beware who chal­lenge to themselues a strength which they haue not, least they loose the comfortable support of that weake­nes which indeed they haue.

Some shew although no soundnes of ground there is which may bee alleaged for defence of this supposed perfection in certainety touching matters of our faith: as first that Abraham did beleeue and doubted not; se­condly, that the spirit which God hath given vs to no other end but only to assure vs that we are the sonnes of [Page 5] God, to embolden vs to call vpon him as our father, to open our eies and to make the truth of things beleeved evident vnto our minds, is much mightier in operation then the common light of nature, whereby we discerne sensible things: wherefore we must needs be more sure of that we beleeue, then of that we see; we must needes be more certaine of the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, then we are of the light of the sun when it shineth vpon our faces. To that of Abraham, He did not doubt, I an­swere, that this negation doth not exclude all feare, all doubting; but only that which cannot stand with true faith. It freeth Abraham from doubting through infi­delitie, not from doubting through infirmitie; from the doubting of vnbeleevers, not of weake beleevers; frō such a doubting as that whereof the Prince of Samaria is at­tainted, who hearing the promise of suddaine plentie in the middest of extreame dearth answered, a Though the Lord would make windowes in heaven, were it possible so to come to passe? But that Abraham was not void of al doub­ting, what need we any other proofe then the plain evi­dēce of his own words, Gen. 17. v. 17. The reason which is taken frō the power of the spirit were effectuall, if God did worke like a naturall agent, as the fire doth inflame, and the sun inlighten, according to the vttermost ability which they haue to bring forth their effects. But the in­comprehensible wisdome of God doth limit the effects of his power to such a measure as seemeth best vnto him selfe. Wherefore he worketh that certaintie in al, which sufficeth abundantly to their salvatiō in the life to come; but in none so great as attaineth in this life vnto perfe­ction. Even so, ô Lord, it hath pleased thee, even so it is [Page 6] best and fittest for vs, that feeling still our owne infirmi­ties, we may no longer breath then pray, Adiuva Do­mine. Help Lord our incredulitie. Of the third questiō this I hope will suffice being added vnto that which hath bin thereof alreadie spoken. The fourth question resteth & so an end of this point.

That which commeth last of all in this first branch to be considered concerning the weaknes of the Prophets faith: whether he did by this very thought The Law doth faile quench the spirit, fall from faith, and shew himselfe an vnbe­leever or no. The question is of moment, the repose and tranquillitie of infinite soules doth depend vpon it. The Prophets case is the case of many; which way soever we cast for him, the same way it passeth for all others. If in him this cogitation did extinguish grace, why the like thoughts in vs should not take the like effect, there is no cause. Forasmuch therefore as the matter is waightie, deare and pretious which we haue in hand, it behoveth vs with so much the greater charines to wade through it, taking speciall heed both what wee build, & whereon we build: that if our building be pearle, our foundation be not stubble; if the doctrine we teach bee full of com­fort and consolation, the ground wherevpon we gather it be sure: otherwise we shall not saue but deceaue both our selues and others. In this wee knowe we are not de­ceaued, nether can we deceaue you, when we teach that the faith whereby yee are sanctified cannot faile; it did not in the Prophet, it shall not in you. If it bee so; let the difference be shewed betweene the condition of vnbe­leevers and his, in this or in the like imbecillitie & weak­nesse. There was in Abakkuk, that which S▪ Iohn doth [Page 7] call the seed of God, meaning therby, the first grace which God powreth into the hearts of them that are incorpo­rated into Christ; which having receaved, if because it is: an adversarie vnto sinne, we doe therefore thinke we sirv not both otherwise, and also by distrustfull and doubt­full apprehending of that, which we ought stedfastly to beleeue, surely we doe but deceaue our selues. Yet they which are of God doe not sinne either in this, or in any thing any such sinne as doth quite extinguish grace, cleane cut them of from Christ Iesus: because the seed of God abideth in them, and doth shield them from recea­ving any irremediable wound. Their faith when it is at strongest is but weake; yet even then when it is at the weakest, so strong, that vtterly it never faileth, it never perisheth altogether, no not in them, who thinke it ex­tinguished in themselues. There are for whose sakes I dare not deale slightly in this cause, sparing that labour which must be bestowed to make it plaine. Men in like agonies vnto this of the Prophet Abakkuks are through extremitie of griefe many times in iudgement so con­founded, that they finde not themselues in themselues. For that which dwelleth in their harts they seeke, they make diligent search and enquirie. It abideth, it worketh in them, yet still they aske where? Still they lament as for a thing which is past finding: they mourne as Ra­chell, and refuse to bee comforted as if that were not, which indeed is; and as if that which is not were; as if they did not beleeue when they do; & as if they did dis­paire when they do not. Which in some I graunt is but a melancholy passion proceeding only from that dejection of minde, the cause whereof is in the body, and [Page 8] by bodily meanes can be taken away. But where there is no such bodily cause, the minde is not lightly in this moode, but by some of these three occasions. One; that iudging by comparison either with other men or with themselues, at some other time more strong, they think imperfection to be a plaine deprivation, weakenes to be vtter want of faith. An other cause is; they often mi­stake one thing for an other. Saint Paule wishing well to the church of Rome praieth for them after this sort; The God of hope fill you with all ioy of beleeving. Hence an error groweth when men in heavines of spirit suppose they lacke faith, because they finde not the sugered ioie and delight which indeed doth accompanie faith, but so as a separable accident, as a thing that may be removed from it; yea there is a cause why it should bee remoued. The light would never be so acceptable, were it not for that vsuall entercourse of darknesse. Too much honie doth turne to gall, and too much ioy euen spiritually would make vs wantons. Happier a great deale is that mans case whose soule by inward desolation is humbled then he whose heart is through abundance of spirituall delight lifted vp and exalted aboue measure. Better it is somtimes to go down into the pit with him, who beholding darknesse, and bewailing the losse of inward ioy & consolation, crieth from the bottome of the lowest hel, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? then continu­ally to walk arme in arme with Angels, to sit as it were in Abrahams bosome, and to haue no thought, no cogita­tion, but, I thank my God it is not with me as it is with other men. No; God will haue them that shall walke in light, to feele now and then what it is to sitte in the shaddow of [Page 9] death. A grieued spirit therefore is no argument of a faithlesse mind. A third occasion of mens misiudging themselues, as if they were faithlesse when they are not, is; They fasten their cogitations vpon the distrustfull suggestions of the flesh, whereof finding great abun­dance in themselues, they gather thereby, surely vnbe­leefe hath full dominion, it hath taken plenarie possessi­on of me; if I were faithfull it could not bee thus. Not marking the motions of the spirit and of faith, because they lie buried and overwhelmed with the contrarie: when notwithstanding as the blessed Apostle doth ac­knowledge, that the spirit groneth, and that God heareth when we doe not; so there is no doubt, but that our faith may haue and hath her privie operations secret to vs, in whom, yet knowne to him by whom they are. Tell this to a man that hath a mind deceaved by too hard an opinion of himselfe, and it doth but augment his griefe: he hath his answer ready; will you make mee thinke o­therwise then I find, thē I feel in my self? I haue through­ly considered and exquisitely sifted all the corners of my heart, and I see what there is: never seek to perswade me against my knowledge, I doe not, I knowe I doe not beleeue. Well, to favour them a little in their weaknesse: let that be granted which they doe imagine; bee it that they are faithlesse and without beleife. But are they not grieved for their vnbeleife? They are. Do they not wish it might and also striue that it may be otherwise? We know they doe. Whence commeth this but from a secret loue and liking which they haue of those things that are believed? No man can loue things which in his owne opinion are not. And if they thinke those things to be, which they [Page 10] shew that they loue, when they desire to beleeue them; then must it needs be that by desiring to beleeue, they proue themselues true beleevers. For without faith, no man thinketh that things beleeved are. Which argumēt all the subtiltie of infernall powers will never be able to dissolue. The faith therefore of true beleevers, though it haue many and grievous downfalls, yet doth it still con­tinue invincible; it conquereth and recovereth it selfe in the end. The dangerous conflicts wherevnto it is subiect are not able to prevaile against it. The Prophet Abacuck remained faithfull in weaknesse, though weake in faith. It is true, such is our weake and wavering nature, that we haue no sooner receaued grace, but wee are ready to fall from it: we haue no sooner given our assent to the law that it cannot faile, but the next conceit which wee are ready to imbrace, is, that it may, and that it doth fail. Though wee find in our selues a most willing heart to cleaue vnseparably vnto God, even so far as to think vn­fainedly with Peter, Lord I am ready to goe with thee into prison and to death: yet how soone and how easily, vpon how small occasions are we changed, if wee bee but a while let alone and left vnto our selues? The Galathians to day for their sakes which teach them the truth in Christ, content if need were to pluck out their own eies, and the next day ready to pluck out theirs which taught them. The loue of the Angell to the Church of Ephesus, how greatly enflamed and how quickly slacked? The higher we flow the neerer we are vnto an ebbe, if men be respected as meere men according to the wonted course of their alterable inclination, without the heavē ­ly support of the spirit. Againe, the desire of our ghost­ly [Page 11] enimy is so vncredible, and his means so forcible to o­verthrowe our faith, that whom the blessed Apostle knewe betroathed and made handfast vnto Christ, to them he could not write but with great trembling: I am iealous over you with a godly iealousie, for I haue prepared you to one husband to present you a pure virgin vnto Christ: but I feare least as the Serpent beguiled Eue through his sub­tiltie; so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ. The simplicitie of faith which is in Christ taketh the naked promise of God, his bare word, and on that it resteth. This simplicitie the serpent labo­reth continually to pervert, corrupting the mind with many imaginations of repugnancie and contrariety be­tweene the promise of God, and those things which sense or experience or some other fore conceaved per­swasion hath imprinted. The word of the promise of God vnto his people is, I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee: vpon this the simplicity of faith resteth, and it is not afraid of famine. But mark how the subtilty of Sathan did corrupt the minds of that rebellious generation, whose spirits were not faithfull vnto God. They beheld the desolate state of the desert in which they were, and by the wisdome of their sense, concluded the promise of God to be but folly: Cā God prepare a table in the wildernes? The word of the promise to Sara was, Thou shalt beare a Sonne ▪ Faith is simple and doubteth not of it: but Sathan to corrupt this simplicitie of faith, entangleth the mind of the woman with an argument drawn from common experience to the contrarie. A woman that is olde; Sara now to be acquainted againe with forgottē passions of youth ▪ The word of the promise of God by Moses and the Pro­phets [Page 12] made the Saviour of the world so apparent vnto Philip, that his simplicitie could conceaue no other Mes­sias, then Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Ioseph. But to stay Nathaniel least being invited to come and see, hee should also beleeue and so be saved: the subtilty of Sa­than casteth a mist before his eies, putteth in his head a­gainst this, the common conceaved perswasion of all men concerning Nazareth; Is it possible that a good thing should come from thence? This stratagem he doth vse with so great dexteritie, the minds of all men are so strangely ensorceled with it, that it bereaveth thē for the time of all perceavance of that which should releeue them and be their comfort, yea it taketh all remembrance from them, even of things wherewith they are most familiar­ly acquainted. The people of Israel could not bee igno­rant that he which led them through the sea, was able to feed them in the desart: but this was obliterated and put out by the sense of their present want. Feeling the hand of God against them in their food, they remembred not his hand in the day that he delivered them from the hād of the oppressor. Sara was not then to learne that with God all things are possible. Had Nathaniel never noted, how God doth choose the base things of this world, to disgrace them that are most honorably esteemed? The Prophet Aba­kuk knewe that the promises of grace, protection, and favour which God in the law doth make vnto his peo­ple, do not grant them any such immunitie as can free and exempt them from all chastisements: he knewe that as God said, I will continue my mercy for ever towards them; so he likewise said, their transgressions I will punish with a rod: he knew that it cannot stand with any reason wee [Page 13] should set the measure of our owne punishments, and prescribe vnto God how great or howe long our suffe­rings shall be: he knew that we were blind and altoge­ther ignorant what is best for vs; that wee sue for many things very vnwisely against our selues, thinking we aske fish when indeed we craue a serpent: he knewe that whē the thing we aske is good, and yet God seemeth slowe to grant it, he doth not deny but defer our petitions, to the end we might learne to desire great things greatly: all this hee knewe. But beholding the land which God had severed for his owne people; and seeing it abando­ned vnto heathen nations; viewing how reproachfully they did tread it down, and wholly make havock of it at their pleasure; beholding the Lords owne Royall Seat made an heape of stones, his temple defiled, the carkases of his servants cast out for the soules of the aire to de­voure, and the flesh of his meeke ones for the beasts of the field to feed vpon; being conscious to himselfe how long and how earnestly he had cryed, Succour vs ô God of our welfare for the glory of thine owne name; and feeling that their soare was still increased: the conceit of repug­nancie betweene this which was obiect to his eies, and that which faith vpon promise of the law did looke for, made so deepe an impression and so strong, that he dis­puteth not the matter, but without any further enquiry or search inferreth as we see, The Law doth faile.

Of vs who is here which cannot very soberly advise his brother; Sir you must learne to strengthē your faith by that experience which heretofore you haue had of Gods great goodnesse towards you, per ea quae agnoscas praestita, discas sperare promissa. By those things which you [Page 14] haue known performed, learne to hope for those things which are promised. Doe you acknowledge to haue re­ceaved much? Let that make you certaine to receaue more. Habenti dabitur. To him that hath more shal be giuen. When you doubt what you shall haue, search what you haue had at Gods hands. Make this reckoning, that the benefits which he hath bestowed, are bils obligatorie & sufficient sureties that he wil bestow further. His present mercy is still a warrant of his future loue, because whom he loveth he loveth vnto the end ▪ Is it not thus? Yet if wee could reckon vp as many evident, cleere, vndoubted signes of Gods reconciled loue towards vs as there are yeares, yea daies, yea howers past over our heades, all these set together haue not such force to confirme our faith, as the losse, and sometimes the only feare of loo­sing a little transitorie goods, credit, honour, or favour of men, a small calamitie, a matter of nothing to breed a conceit, and such a conceit as is not easily againe re­moued; that we are cleane crost out of Gods book, that he regards vs not, that he looketh vpon others, but pas­seth by vs like a stranger, to whom we are not knowne. Then we thinke looking vpon others and comparing them with our selues; their tables are furnished day by day; earth and ashes are our bread: they sing to the lute, and they see their children dance before them; our harts are heavie in our bodies as lead, our sighes beat as thick as a swift pulse, our teares doe wash the beds wherein we lie: the sun shineth faire vpon their foreheads; wee are hanged vp like bottles in the smoake, cast into cor­ners like the sherds of a broken pot: tell not vs of the promises of Gods favour, tell such as doe reape the fruit [Page 15] of them, they belong not to vs, they are made to others: the Lord be mercifull to our weaknesse; but thus it is. Well, let the frailtie of our nature, the subtiltie of Sathā, the force of our deceavable imaginations be, as we can­not deny but they are, things that threaten every mo­ment the vtter subversion of our faith; faith notwith­standing is not hazarded by these things. That which one somtimes told the Senators of Rome, Ego sic existi­mabam, P.C. vti patrem saepe meum praedicantem audive­ram, qui vestram amicitiam diligenter colerent, eos multum laborem suscipere, caeterùm ex omnibus maximè tutos esse. As I haue often heard my father acknowledge so I my selfe did ever thinke, that the friends & favourers of this state, charged themselues with great labor, but no mans condition so safe as theirs: the same we may say a great deale more iustly in this case: our Fathers and Prophets, our Lord and master hath full often spoken, by long ex­perience we haue found it true; as many as haue entred their names in the mysticall booke of life, eos maximum laborem suscipere, they haue taken vpon them a labour­some, a toilesome, a painefull profession, sed omnium ma­ximè tutos esse, but no mans security like to theirs. Simon, Simon, Sathan hath desired to winnow thee as wheat; Here is our toile: but I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not; this is our safety. No mans condition so sure as ours: the praier of Christ is more then sufficient both to streng­then vs, be we never so weake; and to overthrow all ad­versarie power, be it never so strong and potent. His praier must not exclude our labour: their thoughts are vaine who thinke that their watching can preserue the citty which God himselfe is not willing to keepe. And [Page 16] are not theirs as vaine, who thinke that God wil keepe the cittie, for which they themselues are not carefull to watch? The husbandman may not therefore burne his plough, nor the Marchant forsake his trade, because God hath promised, I will not forsake thee ▪ And do the promises of God concerning our stabilitie, thinke you, make it a matter indifferēt for vs to vse or not to vse the meanes whereby, to attend or not to attend to reading, to pray or not to pray that we fal not into temptation? Surely if we looke to stand in the faith of the sonnes of God, we must hourely, continually be providing and setting our selues to striue. It was not the meaning of our Lord and Savior in saying, Father keepe them in thy name, that we should be carelesse to keepe our selues. To our owne safety, our owne sedulitie is required. And then blessed for ever and ever bee that mothers childe whose faith hath made him the childe of God. The earth may shake, the pillars of the world may tremble vnder vs; the countenance of the heaven may be apaled, the Sun may loose his light, the Moone her beauty, the Starres their glory: but concerning the man that trusteth in God, if the fire haue proclaimed it selfe vnable as much as to finge a heire of his head; if Lyons, beasts ravenous by nature and keene with hunger, being set to devour, haue as it were religiously adored the very flesh of the faithfull mā, what is there in the world that shal change his hart, overthrow his faith, alter his affection towards God, or the affection of God to him? If I be of this note, who shall make a separation betweene me and my God? Shal tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or na­kednes, or perill, or sword? No; I am perswaded that nei­ther [Page 17] tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor fa­mine, nor nakednes, nor perill, nor sword, nor death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anie other creature shall ever prevaile so far over me. I know in whom I haue beleeved; I am not ignorant whose precious bloud hath beene shed for me; I haue a shepheard full of kindnesse, full of care, and full of power: vnto him I commit my selfe; his owne finger hath engraven this sentence in the tables of my hart; Sa­than hath desired to winnow thee as wheat, but I haue prayed that thy faith faile not. Therefore the assurance of my hope I will labor to keepe as a iewell vnto the end, and by labour, through the gracious mediation of his prai­er, I shall keepe it.