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. 11. How weake faith is confirmed, and the comfort of it.

ANd now a little, I will adde yet further (as I promised) for the staying and satisfying of those which haue attained to lay hold of Gods promises, and haue some measure of true [ I] faith, how small so euer it be. They who haue tasted how good the Lord is, by any small light of true faith, they finde and feele it to be so sweete, that in feare of forgoing and losing it againe,* 1.1 they desire aboue all things to know how they may hold and keepe it. And it is indeede the most necessarie question that they can moue. This question I thinke very fitly to be answered in this place, because it is the doubt of them which are newly borne of God: for otherwise of the dailie and continuall growing in faith, it is more fitly to be spoken of in another place, where I shall speake of the new life, and the holy course of such as are the Lords people already. Therefore to this question, it is thus to be answe∣red, [ K] that as they came by that little measure, which they haue by this meanes, that they were led by God to thinke it the most precious iewell in the world; of the which when they were perswaded, they thought it no paine by hea∣ring,* 1.2 meditating, and praying to seeke to beleeue: euen so let them settle, and accustome themselues to doe still.

And if they doe desire to keepe and hold their faith from day to day, till

[ A] they see that it is past the danger of losing, let them daily account it their chiefest happinesse, which they haue in this life, euen their preciousest trea∣sure and best portion: which if they doe, their heart will be euer vpon it;* 1.3 their feare will be vsuallie, least they should lose it; they will thinke it most necessarie to regard, and looke to it, whatsoeuer they haue besides it, worth the looking after: Euen as the husbandman will more especiallie regard his cattell, and corne, being his chiefe substance,* 1.4 * 1.5 then his pullen which is smaller and of lesser value. And otherwise euery small occasion will hinder them from nourishing and looking to it: and euery trifle and fond desire of their owne, will carrie them after it, and cause their hearts to be taken vp with it: [ B] and much more, their earnest busines, and waightie affaires, for the which they thinke, that any exercises of religion ought by good right to be neglec∣ted, and to giue place to them: for we are not ignorant of the diuels enterprises;* 1.6 what swarmes of euill lusts, and noisome delights, and other matters of like sort, he filleth mens heads withall, euen such as he knoweth doe like them best, that they may minde no better things: and euen such especiallie as are in the way to know Gods great kindnes towards them, that they may be,* 1.7 af∣ter some sort, put out of the way againe. Therefore not onely these, which are euill of themselues, must grow loathsome to them; but they must also be so∣ber, and moderate themselues, euen in their lawfull liberties and dealings so, [ C] as that one thing be thought needfull of them, whatsoeuer they goe about,* 1.8 euen this; to nourish their faith, and to hold fast their hope of eternall life, and Gods fauour, seeing God, who giueth it, doth neuer change his minde,* 1.9 nor repent him.

And that they may doe this the better (which is too slacklie performed of many,* 1.10 who yet haue felt some sweetnes in the promises) they are further to be directed, that daily and oft, (which few will be brought vnto) they send vp strong prayers to God for it, and that they doe of set purpose separate themselues from all other things in the most conuenient manner, that they can, to call to remembrance the manifold and gracious promises of God: [ D] that they meditate and consider deepely of them; of the nature and truth of them; of the vnchangeablenes and perpetuitie of them;* 1.11 how louing also and kind God is: that thus their faith may be confirmed in them: and so bring their hearts by little and little to a new course and custome, that they may haue more neere acquaintance with Gods nature, his mind and purpose towards them: how louingly he is affected to them: how little they neede to feare his anger and displeasure: and how free they may be from doubting and wauering. For it must be well considered and oft thought vpon, that weake bleeuers, who are priuie to themselues of their many doubtings, doe soone let slip out of their memorie, and so out of their hearts, such grounds of their [ E] faith, as they haue sometime holden and imbraced, after hearing publikely, or any such like meanes inioyed of them: they doe soone (I say) let them slip,* 1.12 vnlesse they can bring themselues to reuiew and call them to mind vsuallie: Yea, and further; vnles they do prouide to helpe their feeblenes of heart and memorie (as they shall be able) with some pithie and cleere prooues of their saluation and safetie; such as they haue before rested on, and found comfort by: as this, Come to me, all ye that are heauie laden, and I will ease you:* 1.13 and let them

reason thus from it: If Christ call them that are loden, and promiseth to ease [ F] them, and therefore they may come boldly, that is, beleeue his promise, and claspe about it, and inioy it as their owne: then may I, being such an one, doe so, and take it as spoken to me, as well as Peter, Paul, or any other. Thus should the weake applie it.* 1.14 Another: If any thirst, let him come to me, and I will giue him the water of life to drinke.* 1.15 And many other such: as in the margine.

Some of these and such like are oft to be thought on, and applied, as I haue said, if wee desire to keepe in the safe estate, which I haue spoken of; that is to come to God in prayer when we will, with boldnes and confidence: and yet when we doe not pray, not to be afraid of him, but to walke in any of our actions without slauish feare before him. And if we doe not thus, we shall by [ G] and by wauer & wander either on the left hand or on the right,* 1.16 & go out of the roy∣all way; euen that way of which the Prophet speaketh, when he saith: Thou vp∣holdest me in mine integritie, & settest me before thy face continually. As if he should say,* 1.17 * 1.18 thou wilt see that I take no hurt, being euer in thine eye, as y^e child in the mothers eye, that it may haue no daunger. I say, in this royall way wee shall not keepe safe and sound, except we doe (as men dimme of sight, vse of spe∣ctacles) helpe our spirituall eye sight with oft looking in the glasse of Gods word and promises: which I say not, as though God did change his minde so oft (seeing there be so many doubts in vs) who is euer one and constant; but for that wee haue riuen memories, wandring affections, and deceitfull [ H] hearts, in all which respects we haue neede of such helpe and remedie. And if it trouble any at the hearing of this, asking, what shall the weake doe, who cannot doe thus? I answere, they that know not this, cannot doe it: but yet is not their estate therefore to be rested in, no although they feare God; only let them follow that which they know: and they who know this, which I now teach, will neglect nothing willingly of that which I say, though they be weake; for it is their owne gaine and aduantage, which they would not lose: yet I meane not that they should neglect their particular calling for all this, seeing both may well, yea and ought stand together. Thus therefore let Gods children keepe themselues from feare and doubting, when they are in grea∣test [ I] daunger of both, by an oft and serious weighing, how gracious and good the Lord is vnto them, that it may comfort them euen at the heart. And for a testimonie hereof, let them vse to trie in smaller benefits, how they can be∣leeue that God will keepe couenant with them; for thereby shall they haue further proofe, with the former, to their consciences, that they grow to be∣leeue him in greater. For although there must be some measure of true iusti∣fying faith, before wee can doe any thing acceptable to God, Hebr. 11.6. yet for the confirming of it, wee must obserue how Gods word is performed in other things also.

* 1.19And to this purpose they are also to helpe their weakenes in faith, by ordi∣narie [ K] and reuerent hearing the glad tidings of reconciliation publikly prea∣ched vnto them: for that is one speciall end thereof, as the Apostle saith; and therefore are the Sacraments also giuen by God, which seale vp this truth in their hearts, which they haue begun to taste of: Doe this as oft as ye doe it, in re∣membrance of me. With these two they must carefully retaine a viewing of their sinnes,* 1.20 which by examination they haue found out: They must, I say, be

[ A] daily kept within that compasse, and keepe vnder their hearts,* 1.21 by a meane and base thinking of themselues from fulnes and loathing of Christs death, as it is made too common a reckoning of. Neither can it be felt sweete and plea∣sant of any, except their sins be felt bitter and tart. And besides all this, their former experience is not the least helpe to establish and settle them in this perswasion: that for as much as they cannot denie,* 1.22 but that they haue belee∣ued with ioy, and receiued much ease to their heauie hearts thereby: therefore much more now they ought, and lawfully may rest and perswade them∣selues so againe. And therefore to say with themselues,* 1.23 it is but their own weak∣nes, when they are pierced thorough with such doubts: from God there is [ B] not the least occasion offered, who is euer one and chaungeth not:* 1.24 for all this might they haue with Gods good liking; and worse estate then this they neede not to be in, if they would be aduised by him, and not by the euill cu∣stome of their hearts, whereby they are easily brought to thinke, that faith and other graces will dwell in them, though they be sleightly cared for, and regarded: which conceit is most false and erronious.

And that the Lord giueth his beloued ones such bold and free accesse to him, to know his minde toward them,* 1.25 and to haue this holie acquaintance with him (which can hardly be perswaded to the weake in faith, at their first comming to him) hereby it may appeare, that he saith, he will not count them [ C] as seruants, but as friends, with whom he will communicate his very secrets, as farre as shall be expedient for ••••em to know them: and as Paul saith; God of his rich mercie hath loued vs thr••••gh much loue. God saith, they are as the apple of his eye, and therefore deare vnto him: he telleth them that hee hath taken from them the spirit of bondage, that they should no longer be afraid of him,* 1.26 but serue him without feare: and to reioyce in him alwaies: which cannot be, except they knew his minde, and affection to them, yea and that more cleerely then the sonne can know his fathers, or the wife her husbands minde. And there∣fore if they who haue begun to lay hold on eternall life through beleeuing, should by some occasion lose the feeling comfort of their faith; as by Sa∣thans [ D] fearing them, with their coldnes, falles, weaknesses, or such like: yet are not they to giue place vnto doubting; especially being such as haue felt as∣suredly the loue of God by Christ shed into their hearts:* 1.27 but to count it their frail∣tie and timorousnes, and that without cause; euen for that they were not better acquainted with the will of God, who loueth to the end all such as he hath once loued.

And yet this is not without the most wise prouidence of God, who dis∣poseth all these weaknesses of theirs to their good, that they may be humbled the more in themselues, and rise to their faith againe; and to the glorie of God, who bringeth backe againe, those who were almost in their owne fee∣ling, [ E] at the brinke of hell. The same I say of other lets which they may bee ouertaken by, as of their losing of the sense of their faith,* 1.28 through neglecting the meanes whereby it ought to haue been preserued; or by sleightnes in the vse of them; or by letting loose the heart after some vanitie or worldlines, which it lusted after; or being disquieted, and vnsetled otherwise: this is not their refuge to say, we must be content to goe without it: and it is impossible to hold it: when wee haue bestowed all our trauaile, we haue done it but in

vaine:* 1.29 But as they espie their weaknes, so let them remember how they haue fal∣len, [ F] acknowledge it to the shame of the euill heart, and so recouer that one thing which is amisse, and hold their confidence as before, and let not the whole frame, and well ordered course of their life be broken off for that one thing:* 1.30 as he that hath ach in his teeth, or a wound in his legge, doth not neg∣lect the health of his whole bodie for that, but seeketh the redresse of that one, that the whole may be in good case, as it was before.

And seeing it helpeth much to the nourishing of our faith, among all o∣ther times, to season our hearts, in the morning, if it may be, with the recor∣ding and thinking vpon Gods promises of his loue and saluation: therefore, if the morning meditating on the promises, with earnest prayer thereto ad∣ioyned, [ G] should by any necessarie occasions, or weightie affaires, or other lets of necessitie be intermitted, being the thing which ought most carefully to be looked to; yet let them prouide, that this dutie be not altogether omitted, as though it were some light matter, which needed no such attendance to be giuen vnto it: but let it, assoone as it may, with conueniencie be performed, if they desire to passe the day in safetie and peace; as knowing otherwise that Sathan in this their weaknes will giue them little rest. And so shall they haue it as a strong weapon through the day to shield them from the violence and furie of the enemie.

But this is not the place to shew how the day is to be passed; that shall fol∣low [ H] after, but onely by the way, as in most fit or ••ace to aduise how the weake Christian is to keepe his faith.

* 1.31The sixt meane to hold and confirme faith, is the examples of others, whom of weake, wee haue seene to become strong in faith: as Moses, with whom as God hath been, and with other his good seruants to strengthen them: so will he be with vs, till he perfecteth in vs in like sort the work which he hath begun. And this be spoken of the meanes, by which weake faith is helped and confirmed.

[ I]

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Pet. 2.2.
• * 1.2

  The first means to hold and to be confirmed in faith.
• * 1.3

  Matth. 6.21. Matth. 13.44. Reuel. 3.11. Hebr. 10.35.
• * 1.4

  A simile.
• * 1.5

  The best things must best be re∣garded.
• * 1.6

  2. Cor. 2.11.
• * 1.7

  Euill must be auoided, and lawfull liber∣ties soberly v∣sed.
• * 1.8

  Luk. 10.42.
• * 1.9

  Iohn 13.1.
• * 1.10

  The second meanes to con∣firme faith.
• * 1.11

  Exod. 34.7.
• * 1.12

  True beleeuers are soone faint and fearefull.
• * 1.13

  Matth. 11.28.
• * 1.14

  Ioh. 7.37.
• * 1.15

  1. Ioh. 5.14. Hos. 14.2.3.4.5 Prou. 28.13.
• * 1.16

  Luk. 1.75.
• * 1.17

  Psal. 41.12.
• * 1.18

  They must much helpe their weaknes and oft.
• * 1.19

  The 3. meane to confirme faith. 1. Thess. 2.10.13. & 1. Thess. 3.10. Luk. 22.19.
• * 1.20

  Lam. 3.40.
• * 1.21

  The 4. meane to confirme faith.
• * 1.22

  The 5. meane.
• * 1.23

  Psal. 77.9.
• * 1.24

  Iam. 1.17.
• * 1.25

  The faithfull haue neere ac∣quaintance with God. They are called his friends. Ioh. 15.14.15. Ephes. 2.4. Zach. 2.8.
• * 1.26

  Rom. 8.15. Luk. 1.74.75. Phil. 4.4.
• * 1.27

  Let no place be giuen to doub∣ting. Ioh. 13.1.
• * 1.28

  How faith is weakned.
• * 1.29

  Reuel. 2.5.
• * 1.30

  A simile.
• * 1.31

  The sixt meane to confirme faith.

  Compare Exo∣dus 4. with chap. 10.