A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.

The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian.

Sathan.

THy minde is full of ignorance and blind∣nes, thy heart is full of obstinacie, rebel∣lion, and frowardnes against God: thou art whollie vnfit for anie good work: wherfore, thou hast no faith, neither canst thou be iu∣stified, and accepted before God.

Christian.

If I haue but one drop of the grace of God, and if my faith bee no more than a litle graine of mustard seede, it is suf∣ficient* 1.1 for mee: God requireth not perfect faith, but true faith.

Sathan.

Yea, but thou hast no faith at all

Christian.

I haue had faith.

Sathan.

Thou neuer hadst true faith: fo••

in time past, when according to thine own opinion thou didst beleeue, then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith, and a foolish imagination, which all hypocrites haue.

Christian.

I wil put my trust in god for euer,* 1.2 & his former mercies shewed mee hereto∣fore strengthē me now in this my weaknes.

• 1. He created me when I was nothing.
• 2. He created me a man, when he might haue made me an vglie Toade.
• 3. He made me of comelie bodie, and of good discretiō: wheras he might haue made me vglie, & deformed, franticke, & mad.
• 4. I was borne in the daies of knowledg, when I might haue beene borne in the time of ignorance and superstition.
• 5. I was borne of Christian parents, but God might haue giuen me either Turks or Iewes, or some other sauage people for my parents.
• 6. I might haue perished in my mothers wombe, but he hath preserued me, and pro∣uided for me by his prouidence, euen vnto this houre.
• 7. Soone after my birth, God might haue cast me into hell, but contrariwise, I was baptized, and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant.
• ...

• 8 I haue had by Gods goodnesse some sorrowe for my sinnes past, and haue called on him, in hope and confidence that he•• would heare me.
• 9 God might haue concealed his wor•• from mee, but I haue heard the plentifu•• preaching of it: I vnderstand it, and hau•• receiued comfort by it.
• 10 Lastly, at this time God might pow•••• his full wrath on me: which he dooth no•• but mercifully maketh me to feele mi•…•… owne wants, that I might be humbled, a•…•… giue all glorie vnto him for his blessing•• Wherefore, there is no cause why I shou•••• bee disquieted: but I will trust still in t•••• Lord, and depend on him, as I haue done▪

Sathan.

Thou feelest no grace of the h•…•… lie Ghoste in thee, nor anie true tokens 〈…〉〈…〉 faith, but thou hast a liuely sense of the r••∣bellion of thy heart, and of thy lewde a•••• wretched conuersation: therefore th•• canst not put anie confidence in Christ•• death and sufferings.

Christian.

Yet I will hope against all hop•• and although, according to mine ow••* 1.3 sense and feeling, I want faith: yet I will b•• leeue in Iesus Christ, and trust to be sau•• by him.

Sathan.

Though the children of GOD haue beene in many perplexities, yet neuer any of them haue bin in this case, in which thou art at this present.

Christian.

Heerein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirite: for the Prophet Dauid ••aith of himselfe, that he was foolish, and as* 1.4 a beast before God: and yet he euen then trusted in God. And Paule was so led cap∣••iue of sinne, that he was not able to do the good he would, but did the euill which hee ••ated: and so in great pensiuenes of heart, desired to be deliuered from this world, that ••ee might bee disburdened of his corrupt ••••esh.

Sathan.

Thou miserable wretch, doest ••••ou feele thy selfe gracelesse, and wilt thou ••eare the face of a Christian? and by thy ••ypocrisie offend God? as thou art, so shew ••••y selfe to the world.

Christian.

Auoide Sathan, Christe hath anquished, and ouercome thee for my ••ause, that I might also triumph ouer thee. •• am no hypocrite: for whereas I haue had ••eeretofore some testimonie of my faith, at his time I am lesse mooued, though faith ••••eme to be absent: like as a man may seeme 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bee dead, both in his owne sense, and by

the iudgement of the Phisition, and yet maie haue life in him: so faith maie bee, though alwaies it doe not appeare.

Sathan.

But thou art a man starke dead in sin, God hath now quite forsaken thee: hee hath left thee vnto me to be ruled: hee hath giuen me power ouer thee, to bring thee to damnation: he will not haue thee to trust in him anie longer.

Christian.

Strengthen me good Lord; re∣member thy mercifull promises, that thou* 1.5 wilt reuiue the humble, & giue life to them that are of a contrite heart.

Sathan.

These promises concerne not thee, which hast no humble and contrite, but a froward, and a rebellious heart.

Christian.

Good Lorde forget not thy former mercies: giue an issue to these temp∣tations of mine enemie Satan. And you my bretheren, which know my estate, praie for me, that God woulde turne his fauourable countenance towards me: for this I know, that the ptaier of the righteous auaileth* 1.6 much, if it be feruent.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 27. 20
• * 1.2

  Psal. 77. 5.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 32. 1. 2. Cor. 5. 21
• * 1.4

  Psal. 73. 22 2•• Rom. 7. 19. 24.
• * 1.5

  Isai. 57. 15.
• * 1.6

  Ia••. 5. 16.