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Now then, to come to the last thing promised in handling this Rule: Exa∣mine thy selfe, good Reader, whether thou dost with care & conscience, with diligence & continuance, use the means prescribed or no: if thou doe not, it is to bee feared, either thou hast no faith at all; and then it is no wonder thou doe
not labour to strengthen it, (for thou canst not strengthen that which is not) or that it is such a one, that will proove weaker euery day then other, for want of spirituall meanes to strengthen it. For I demand, can a bulrush grow with∣out water; or seede without heart of earth? Can the body be strong to labour, without food and rest? no more can faith in Christ without the water of life, or the food of our soules. And therefore as men in the world, Merchants and Tradesmen, doe not content themselves with a little wealth or stocke, but striue and labour to increase it, to hundreds or thousands; so doe not thou content thy selfe with a small portion of these hea∣venly treasures, but labour to increase it; and the rather, because of the worlds many allurements to weaken it, and Sa∣tans great malice, to ouerturne it.
But if on the other side, thou finde in thy selfe a desire of thy heart, an ende∣vour of thy minde, and an use of the means to strengthen thy faith, then per∣swade thy selfe thy faith is sound. For it argues thou feelest need to strengthen it; for thou takest heed thou fall not, thou makest sure to thy selfe thine own Calling and Election, and workest out thy salvation with
feare and trembling; thou takest heed to thy selfe, that there bee not in thee an evill heart of infidelitie to depart away from the li∣ving God, and therefore art thou like to abide and continue: for blessed is hee that feareth alwayes. Likewise it argues thou hast an eye to the Lord for helpe, and to his ordinance for strength, by meanes whereof, thou maist well in faith expect it, and find it, to the end that hereby be∣ing strengthened in thy faith, thou maist be faithfull to the death, and being faithfull to the death, thou maist receiue the crowne of life; only goe on still in the use of meanes as thou hast begun, goe on (I say) as long as thou livest in this world, and bee of Pauls mind, who never thought he had faith enough; and therefore still labou∣red to know Christ, and the power of his Re∣surrection: still pray for Gods blessing on the meanes, and depend on him for the same: and hee that hath commanded thee to use the meanes to shew thy obe∣dience to his wil, & promised a blessing, to the end thou mightest trust in him for the same, will in due time cause thee to reape of the fruit, if thou faint not, know∣ing this assuredly that thy labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. And so I come at length to the conclusion of my Treatise.
At length, after many paces, and pas∣sages, I am drawing on to my iourneys end, (that is) toward a conclusion of my Discourse of the tryall of faith: where∣in, as largely as was needfull, as plainely as for me was possible, and as sufficient∣ly as God enabled me; I haue laboured to perswade and incourage Christians, to examine themselves whether they haue a saving faith.
To perswade them, I haue prooved the point, by alledging reasons for it, and cleered it by answering obiections against it: by which it may appeare it is necessary to be done.
And to incourage men thereunto, I haue set down certaine rules to direct them how they may try their faith, and exhorted to the tryall of it by those rules: by which it may be discerned that it is possible to be done.
It remaineth, that as a Traueller, after a hard iourney, I sit me downe: (that is) that I finish the whole Worke, and ha∣ving done, that I make an end.
And wherewithall shall I doe this better (having already commended it to the Christian Reader in the Preface) then with a suppliant prayer to the Fa∣ther of Lights, that he would be pleased
in Iesus Christ to accept of these my poore labours in his Vineyard, and to blesse them to the good thereof: As also with an humble thankesgiving to the same eternall Maiesty, (God blessed for euermore) for health & strength of bo∣dy, wherby I haue had opportunity, and for some measure of understanding in the mysterie of Christ, whereby I have had abilitie to write this Treatise.
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Fa∣ther of our Lord Iesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; that he would grant you, according to the ri∣ches of his glory, to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner Man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith: that yee being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the loue of Christ, which passeth knowledge: that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God. Now unto him, that is able to doe exceeding abundantly, aboue all that wee aske or thinke, according to the power that worketh in us: unto him bee glory in the Church, by Iesus Christ, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Job 8.11. Mat. 13.5.
Simil.
1. Cor. 10.12. 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1.10. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 2.••2.
Heb. 3.12.
Revel. 2.10.
Phil. 3.9.
Gal. 6.9.
1. Cor. 15. vlt.
Ephes. 3.14. to the end of the Chapter.