Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.

CHAP. 4. [ G] Of Sathans hindering the continuance of faith.

AND thus I passe to another of his slie and malitious pra∣ctises, beside tempting of vs to vtter vnbeliefe and pre∣sumption. For if he preuaile against vs neither of both these wayes, but that we set our selues as we haue bene taught, to vphold and prop vp our weake faith daily; yet he doth most strongly assault vs, watching all oportuni∣ties thereto, that we may not be rooted and stablished therein;* 1.1 that after much labour and many prayers we shall be doubting from [ H] time to time, and held backe from daily nourishing and preseruing the con∣tinuance of that heauenly gift, that we should not liue by it, nor grow more sound and experienced in it, after we haue once obtained it of God: which caused the Apostles to pray thus, though Christ was conuersant with them: Lord increase our faith. And although we be commanded neuer to cast away our confidence, nor to come to prayer or any other duty at any time without this our faith; but as oft as we pray in the day to be able to call God Father, and not to be vnarmed of that whiles we be in this warfare:* 1.2 yet because it is the preseruer of our life and peace, and that whereby all the benefits of Christ are conueyed vnto vs throughout our life, therefore doth he hold the most [ I] of them which haue inioyed it and felt the sweetnesse of it, from possessing it daily.* 1.3 And he maketh that as harsh and strange to many euen of Gods ser∣uants to heare, That the righteous liue by faith; and when they haue buried and lost the power and operation of it, that their life is no life to be accounted of: euen as it is straunge to the most of the vnbeleeuers, to heare, That we must draw neare to God with the assurance of faith at any time or at all.

And from hence it is, that among holy Christians, (though weake I must needs say) these speeches are heard: What must we euer beleeue, and daily hold our faith? as though this were a matter not heard of, and a speech doubt∣full:* 1.4 when yet the Scripture sheweth plainely, that we must walke from faith [ K] to faith daily; and that, not onely to more assurance of iustification, but to a greater measure of sanctification also: that our life may be a liuing by faith, according to that which the Apostle saith to the Galathians:* 1.5 In that I now liue (in the flesh in this mortall body) I liue by faith in the sonne of God, who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me. By the which words it is manifest, that in his owne person he sheweth how the faithfull being vnited to Christ by

[ A] faith, do thereby draw and (as it were) sucke spirituall grace from him daily, whereby they liue, that is to say, leade a spirituall life, or rather Christ liueth in them.

Now therefore if the iustification of Gods people, and the holinesse which they shew foorth in their liues, do arise from hence, that they beleeue God hath promised them * 1.6 strength to waite for saluation and to liue well: then it must needs follow, that faith failing, mens strength to the doing of a∣ny good thing vtterly faileth also. And therefore if we be perswaded, after we haue once receiued grace to beleeue, that we are thereby well inough, though we labour not to grow daily,* 1.7 and to hold fast thereby the hope of for∣giuenesse [ B] of our sinnes, and of other grace; how grossely doth the Diuell be∣witch vs? By what meanes soeuer he do it, whether by keeping vs ignorant of this truth; or otherwise busieth and occupieth vs in the world, that we thinke not of it, nor at all looke after it; or whether we be holden from it any other way: all as one. And although this is a thing, with which men of the world are not acquainted, yet they who haue learned to know what the ex∣cellencie of beleeuing is, and haue felt any power of it working in them; they are to know that they can neither liue comfortably, nor do any thing well without it: for * 1.8 without faith it is impossible to please God.

And as the people of Israell in that one part of their life daily rose vp per∣swaded, [ C] that the wals of Iericho should fall after God had foretold it them;* 1.9 and for proose thereof did euery day compasse them, blowing trumpets of rammes hornes, as they had beene commanded: so in our longer conflict not with Iericho but with him, who is called the Prince of the world, this our faith is to lie downe with vs, and to rise vp with vs, and through the day to accompany vs. And nothing is more to be lamented then this:* 1.10 that though it be rare and seldome found in the earth (the Diuell holding men in vnbe∣liefe strongly, as it were in bands) yet it is not wanted or once missed: and the godly themselues (for the most part of them) scarcely haue any great vse of it, in respect of that which they might haue. Neither is this point made so [ D] familiar and well knowne to manie Christians, who yet haue a long time imbraced the Gospell euen with good liking, (though some of greater expe∣rience are better setled.) Neither do many of them grow to see that their life is a continuall and daily conflict with sinne and distrust; neither are they ac∣quainted with the subtile sleights of the Diuell, how couertly he bringeth to passe, that they forget they are purged from their sinnes, and therefore led after other deceiptfull allurements in the world. I speake it for that I see, how hardly they can be holden in the daily strengthning and nourishing of their faith, who yet haue truly (though weakly) tasted how sweete it is, and Christ thereby, through the preaching of the Gospell. And no maruell, if they can∣not [ E] be brought as some others are (and yet they but weake also) to set their delight therein as in the best treasure.

And for that so few are to be found, who hauing had comfort by it twenty or thirtie yeares agone, when they first heard of it and receiued it; or in later yeares, as many (it is not to be doubted) haue also had (for I dare not be so vncharitable as to iudge otherwise of them:) for that such (I say) who haue inioyed much comfort by it, do not now; nor haue since that, inioyed the

same stil: what is the cause of it? Is it any other then this (that for sundry yeres [ F] past, and now also, they haue so sleight fruite of it) that Sathan hath stolne a∣way their hearts after the loue of present things euerie one his way, and cau∣sed them to lose that high estimation of the Gospell which once they had of it (though they still commend it;) they not wise inough in the meane while to obserue, how they were deceiued & blindfolded by him; nor once to misse or cōplaine of their losse whiles they may liue at ease, & prosper on earth in the meane while. And that it hath bin thus with many, (& therfore also is so with others still) hereby it hath appeared, that at their death they recouered their decayed faith: & sundrie haue more deeply descended into thēselues then of late before they had done, and haue called to remembrance the seasons in [ G] which they had reioyced through their faith in another maner then in their latter dayes; much bewailing also the losse of so great a benefit as they by the decay of it had so long time sustained, euē great liberty of mind to walke with God, & that boldnesse and freedom of good conscience, which the wise man saith is a cōtinuall feast.* 1.11 Such therfore as see what the diuell pulleth frō them by darkning and burying this sure trust & cōfidence in God,* 1.12 & how it goeth from thē couertly as the Sun frō her line, before they be aware if it be not wel looked to: such (I say) must learne to put thēselues forth, & cōsider what strōg hold they haue (& they must sticke to it) when they may say:* 1.13 The Lord is my helper, whom then shal I feare? & again: I should vtterly haue fainted, but that I be∣leeue [ H] verily, &c. Such must learne of Gods seruāts to waxe more bold with re∣uerence,* 1.14 & resolute: and seeing as Dauid saith, Our fathers trusting in thee, were not confounded, therfore to cry: Though thou kill vs, yet will we trust in thee. And such must leaue that worldly wisdom, whereby they thought it needlesse and foolish to nourish it in thēselues daily; & must become fooles in the estimatiō of men, that they may be wise by the testimony of God, to keepe their faith as they would their life; & that, by oft recourse had to the Lords promises which faile not, neither chāge; prouoked therto by their daily infirmities and wants, thinking oft & much of thē, and praying for grace to apply them to thēselues, & growing stronger by experiēce: that thus they may clearly see Gods louing [ I] kindnesse daily to them, and not at some one time only, and that so they know themselues to be in continuall safetie thereby, as their hearts desire; which is to set the Lord alwaies before thē,* 1.15 that they may not be shaken: so shall they not be snared in Sathans bāds,* 1.16 as otherwise they must needs be, neither greatly fall (I mean, to their hurt) although they be not free from tēptation. These are the chiefe hinderāces of faith, wherby the diuel troubleth Gods seruants, holding some in feare that they haue none at all, who yet somtime haue felt the contra∣ry: drawing others to presume, &c. & keeping others from confirming it and growing therein daily, whether we respect faith in the particular promises of this life, or of life eternall. And these last mentioned, though they are not sayd [ K] properly, to presume as the former, yet (as it is hard to hold any good thing long) they letting loose their hearts, and being much occupied in the world, and hauing many dealings, being also in many companies, and meeting with many crosses, (besides their owne forgetfulnesse and frailtie) are darkened and distracted in themselues; and not being feruent and diligent in vsing good meanes, do doubt and feare. And this is the estate of many, and those

[ A] of long profession vnder the Gospell. Which sort of people till they settle themselues constantly to walke with God, and will be content to keepe a narow watch ouer their hearts and liues, can be at no better stay. For by these meanes they preserue their faith, and keepe peace with God ordinarily, as we see by experience: or easily recouer themselues againe, if they be dimmed and ouer-shadowed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The diuell hol∣deth them who haue attained faith, to be oft to seeke of it.
• * 1.2

  Ephes. 6.14.
• * 1.3

  It is strange to many Christi∣ans, to heare that they must liue by faith. Heb. 10.38. 2. Cor. 5.6. Heb. 10.22.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 1.17.
• * 1.5

  Gal. 2.20.
• * 1.6

  1. Pet. 1.5. Take heed faith faile not:
• * 1.7

  But labour to grovv in it.
• * 1.8

  Heb. 11.6.
• * 1.9

  Ios. 6.14.
• * 1.10

  Though there be but little faith, yet it is not missed.
• * 1.11

  Prou. 15.15.
• * 1.12

  Hovv to re∣medie this let.
• * 1.13

  Psal. 27.1.
• * 1.14

  Psal. 22.4. & 5. Iob. 13.15.
• * 1.15

  Act. 2.25.
• * 1.16

  2. Pet. 1.10.