1. Not to feele in vs, the peace and ioy of true faith, is a testimony of humane infirmitie, but not that wee are without faith.
THe feeling that we haue of the want, or (properlyer to tearme it,) of the weakenes of the interior & spirituall marks of our adoption, is oftentimes the cause of great trouble and disquietnesse in our consciences, and hindereth many men from applying the testimo∣nies of the grace of God to the peace of their soules, apprehending that by incredulitie, they doe not fall from the hope of saluation. Therefore it is necessarie, that for one of our consolations, and to remaine firme in the hope of the glory of God, which confoun∣deth * 1.1 not: Wee should first vnderstand, that there is great difference betweene increduli∣ty and weakenesse of faith, which (as wee haue already noted) is the worke of the holy Ghost in vs, and whereby wee apprehend the assurance of our vocation. For an incredu∣lous man, or an Infidel taketh no care for his saluation; or otherwise, reiecting the sauing grace, which is onely in Iesus Christ: or neglecting it, seeketh else where for some other thing to procure peace and contentment to his soule.
But a faithfull Christian, earnestly desireth to be saued, and knoweth that hee cannot be saued but in Christ, and therefore seeketh his blisse onely in him, and alwaies feeleth an affection in his heart to augment this assurance, which is that there is reconciliation for him by Iesus Christ the onely mediator betweene God and man, although hee doth not throughly feele the peace and spirituall ioy of such grace, so cleerely in his soule, as faith requireth and by degrees in the end begetteth in him. For it is not written, that hee which * 1.2 feeleth, but he that beleeueth, hath life eternall, and as faith is of things spirituall and inuisi∣ble, so the vnderstanding of the nature thereof and of the fruits and effects that follow it, consists more in consenting, (proceeding from a peaceable spirit,) to that which the word of God teacheth vs, then in a full apprehension and perfect knowledge of so excellent a gift. Which we see in the complaint made by Dauid, & that which Iesus Christ after him made, * 1.3 saying, My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me. For there we heare the testimony of faith, in these words, My God, my God, but in that which followeth, it appeareth how much this faith was altered, & distract from the entire apprehension & liuely feeling, of that perfect ioy whereunto the holy Ghost by degrees leadeth the elect. For when the Prophet saith, that he is abandoned and forsaken of God, it seemeth to be the complaint of a man in dispaire. And in truth, when a man feeles no comfort in God, it is not for him to brag or boast of faith. Here we haue two notable points of doctrine, which although in apparance may bee iudged to be contrary one vnto the other, yet they daily enter together into the heart of the faithfull. When they are troubled with the interiour combate of the spirit against the flesh, in the middle of their most feruent, and hot burning cares, anguishes, and sorrowes, on the one side discouering their humane infirmity, and on the other side yeelding a testimony of their faith. Which in this maner, may wel be so little, and so weake in our hearts, that it pro∣duceth not the spirituall fruits that are truely & liuely felt by vs. But if those that finde and feele themselues to be in that estate, desire to haue that right feeling, and aske it of God by praier: that their desire & praier, sheweth, that the holy Ghost is in thē, & that they haue saith. For those are true fruits of their regeneration, by that spirit (as Saint Paul saith) which help∣eth our infirmities, and maketh request for vs with sighs, which cannot be expressed, when we know not what to pray as we ought, such holy affections beeing motions of the holy * 1.4 Ghost in vs, are witnesses of our faith, how little and weake soeuer we feele it, and by conse∣quent that we are the children of God.