A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 65. Of drawing neere in full assurance of faith.

A Second virtue prescribed for a right manner of drawing neere to God is Faith, which is here amplified by an especiall property thereof, Assurance.

Of Faith in generall, of the severall kinds thereof, of the means of working, en∣creasing and strengthning it, and of other points thereabouts, See the whole Ar∣m•…•… of God, Treat. 2. Part. 6 on Eph. 6. 16. Of Faith §. 11. &c.

This text sheweth that Faith is an especiall means to make us fit to appear before God. He that commeth to God must believe, Heb. 11. 6. Heere of see more in the Church∣es Conquest, on, Exod. 17. 11. §. 43.

There is no grace wherein and whereby God is more honored then by Faith, Heereof see more in the whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 16. §. 7.

Great also is that good, which Faith bringeth unto man, see ibid. §. 8.

Besides, Faith of all graces doth most strip a man of self-conceipt. For boasting* 1.1 is excluded by the Law of Faith, Rom. 3. 27. Faith is as an hand stretched out to receive what a man knowes he hath not of himself: yea it is stretched out as far as God himself. Hereby the believer giveth evidence,

• 1. That he needeth such and such blessings.
• 2. That they are not to be had in himself.
• 3. That they cannot be received from any creature. If they were, he would not reach out his hand so far beyond all creatures. Faith therefore so drives a man from himself, and from other creatures, as it maketh him rest, wholy, and only upon God. This teacheth us how to make our appearing before God acceptable to him: and withall how to make our prayers powerfull, and prevalent with him: namely, by Faith. Faith resteth on Christ for acceptance with God: and faith is to prayer,

• as fire to powder. See hereof the Churches Conquest, on Exod. 17. 11. §. 43. There also are directions given for exercising faith in prayer.

The Apostle amplifieth this gift of faith by this property thereof, full assurance, In this assurance consisteth the excellency of faith. Such a faith had Paul, Rom. 8. 38.* 1.2 and Abraham, Rom. 4. 21. and Iob 19. 25. and the disciples of Christ, Iohn 6. 69. Yea and all sound Christians, 1 Iohn 4. 16.

Obj. These had an extraordinary spirit.

Ans. The Apostle indefinitely saith of all sound Christians, We have the same Spi∣rit of Faith, 2 Cor. 4. 13.

Papists make this a doctrine of presumption, others of desperation. To these both may this text be opposed. Papists are ignorant of the ground of assurance, which is* 1.3 not simply in faith as an act of ours, but in Gods promises, and the truth of them. It is not in our holding Christ, but as is it an evidence of Christs holding us, Rom. 8. 39. 39.

If the differences betwixt faith and presumption be duely weighed, we shall finde* 1.4 that assurance is farr from presumption. Of the difference betwixt these, See the whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 16. Treat. 2. Part. 7. Of Faith, §. 88.

Those other which make assurance a doctrine of desperation, do not well weigh the degrees of assurance. For so much as there is of the truth of Faith, so much* 1.5 there is of assurance. Of a strong faith, there is a full assurance of a weake faith, but a weake assurance, even such as may stand with doubting, Hereof see the whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 16. §. 39.

This teacheth us to use all means whereby we may attaine to this assurance. A direction for attaining hereunto is set down in the Churches Conquest on, Exod. 17. 11. §. 43.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How saith ex∣cludes self∣boasting.
• * 1.2

  (c) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Of the compo∣sition of this word, See Chap. 6. v. 11. §. 80.
• * 1.3

  Grounds of assurance.
• * 1.4

  Difference be∣twixt saith and presump∣tion.
• * 1.5

  Degrees of assurance.