The vvay to the celestiall paradise Declaring how a sinner may be saued, and come to life euerlasting. Contained in three bookes.The first second third sheweth that a sinner may be saued, & come to life euerlasting. By faith, apprehending Christ for his iustification, & applying to himselfe the promises of the Gospell made in Iesus Christ. Repentance, hauing his sins washed away in the bloud of the lambe Iesus Christ. Prayer, calling vpon God in the name of Iesus Christ. By Robert Whittell, minister of the Gospell.

CHAP. XIIII. Shewing how, and by what meanes, true, sauing Faith may be procured.

THe eyght generall point in the Treatise of Faith, is, how true, sauing Faith may be procu∣red, * 1.1 and obtained.

The meanes of obtaining true, sauing Faith, are two.

The one, is the Efficient, the other, the Instrumentall cause of Faith.

Touching the first. The Efficient, or working cause of Faith, is God: who by his holy Spirit, worketh that * 1.2 grace in the heart to beleeue. As witnesseth S^t Paul to the Philippians, saying, a 1.3 vnto you it is giuen in the behalfe of Christ, not onely to beleeue on him, but also to suffer for his sake. To beleeue in Christ, is the gift of God. It is God that giues grace to beleeue. When S. Peter made that heauenly confession of Christ, b 1.4 Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God. Iesus answered and said vnto him, Blessed

art thou Simon Bariona: for, flesh and bloud hath not reuei∣led it vnto thee, but my Father which is in heaaen. It was not of himselfe, that S. Peter made that heauenly con∣fession, but of God, c 1.5 No man can come to me, saith our Sauiour, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him: he saith d 1.6 draw him, not lead him, least we should attribute any thing to mans owne power, and will, in his first con∣uersion; for when God worketh this sauing grace of faith, in any one; at the same time, he mooueth the will of man with a holy desire of faith, which before was vn∣willing; yea, God by his holy Spirit, doth inlighten the mindes of men with the knowledge of Iesus Christ, and prepares their hearts to receiue the gift of faith. So that in the working of this grace of faith in the heart, not one∣ly the gift it selfe is of God, but the verie preparation of the heart to receiue faith, is of God also. According to that saying of the Apostle to the Philippians, e 1.7 it is God that worketh in you, both to will, and to doe, of his good plea∣sure.

Where then is mans free will in spirituall good things? [Vse.] it is excluded. For man yet remaining in his naturall * 1.8 state of corruption, before his conuersion, is not onely like to that man in the Gospell, wounded and f 1.9 halfe dead, but euen g 1.10 dead in trespasses and sinnes. And therefore, as it is impossible for a dead man to raise himselfe, except the breath of life be breathed into him; so it is impossi∣ble for a sinner, yet being in his naturall state of igno∣rance, and vnbeliefe, of sinfulnesse, and corruption, to quicken and raise himselfe, except God by his holy Spi∣rit, breath into his soule, the life of grace, and so quicken him, and raise him vp.

It is true, I confesse, the Lord saith to sinners, h 1.11 turne [Obiect.] ye to me; the Prophets exhort sinners to i 1.12 returne vnto the Lord. Iohn Baptist saith, k 1.13 Repent yee: and Christ sayth, l 1.14 Repent ye, and beleeue the Gospell.

But from hence, it cannot be gathered, that sinners, and vnbeleeuers, haue of themselues a naturall power to [Answ.]

turne to God, to beleeue and repent. But in these say∣ings, the Lord sheweth rather, m 1.15 What men ought to doe, then what they can doe. When the Lord saith to sinners, and vnbeleeuers, turne vnto me, repent, and beleeue the Gospell; he sheweth vnto sinners, that they ought to re∣pent, and turne vnto him; and that vnbeleeuers ought to beleeue: but to beleeue, to repent, and to turne to the Lord, is not of our selues, it is of God; it is of the grace of God: as S. Paul sayth, n 1.16 Not that we are sufficient of our selues, to thinke any thing as of our selues: but our suffi∣ciencie is of God. This of the Efficient, and inward wor∣king cause of Faith.

The second, is the Instrumentall cause of faith, which * 1.17 is the word of God: of this S. Paul saith, o 1.18 faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. He had sayd before, how shall they call on him, in whom they haue not be∣leeued? and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard? and how shall they heare without a Preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? And hereupon inferreth, that faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Heer's the ordinarie meanes of begetting faith. God of his mercie, sends a Preacher to a people, the Preacher preacheth Christ crucified, by preaching Christ, the people heare of Christ, and by hearing, they beleeue. So then faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Now, the word preached, and heard, which is powerfull to beget faith, is vnderstood to be the whole word of God, the Law and the Gospell: for, * 1.19 First, to the begetting of faith in the heart, it's necessary * 1.20 that a sinner heare the Law, to the end that he may see and know his sinnes; for p 1.21 by the Law is the knowledge of sinne; and not onely see, and know his sinnes, but like∣wise the punishment due to him for his sinnes: which in the iustice of God, is the malediction and curse of the Law: for it is written: q 1.22 Cursed is euery one that continu∣eth not in all things, which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them. Likewise death and condemnation; for

the r 1.23 wages of sinne is death. Yea, and to bee depriued of the Kingdome of God: for s 1.24 the vnrighteous shall not in∣herit the Kingdome of God. And this part of the Word, the Law, laies open a mans sinnes so plaine and euident, that it prickes the heart, and wounds the conscience of a sinner; insomuch, that being truely and throughly touched, with the sence and feeling of his owne particu∣lar sinnes, he hath no peace in himselfe, but is disquieted in conscience; and now he beginnes to thinke with him∣selfe, what hee may doe to finde ease to his conscience, and rest to his soule: an example whereof, wee haue in those Iewes, to whom S. Peter preached Christ crucified, and vrged it vpon their consciences, that they had cruci∣fied Christ; for hee saith, t 1.25 Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Iesus, whom ye haue crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and sayd vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethron, what shall wee doe? they were so touched in conscience, for their great and bloudy sinnes of crucifying Christ, that they knew not what to doe.

Now, when the Law hath thus wrough vpon a sinner, humbling him and bringing him vnder a sence and fee∣ling of his sinnes, and the wrath of God due to him for his sinnes; when hee findes himselfe in this distressed case, and vnderstands in how great neede hee stands of * 1.26 helpe and comfort; then, the other part of the Word of God, the Gospell of Christ, being preached, and heard, together with the working of the Spirit inwardly in the heart, doth open the eyes of his minde, and in∣lighten his vnderstanding, and shewes vnto him Christ crucified, and makes the sinner see, and know that there is remedy to heale his sicke soule, that there is saluation to bee had in Christ Iesus, and in him alone; and that t 1.27 whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish, but haue euerla∣sting life. This is that word of consolation, which S. Pe∣ter gaue to those Iewes now pricked in heart, wounded

in conscience, and groning vnder the burthen of their sinnnes; u 1.28 Repent, and be baptized euery one of you, in the name of Iesus Christ, for the remission of sinnes. And now the sinner knowing that saluation is to bee had in Christ Iesus, and that there is x 1.29 no saluation in any other; heere∣upon he ficeth to Christ for helpe and succour: by the eye of faith he lookes vnto Iesus, by the hand of faith he takes hold on Iesus, and by faith applieth the merits of the death and passion of Christ, vnto his owne soule: being now assured of the mercy of God, through Iesus Christ, for the remission of his sinnes, and saluation of his soule. The sinner hath y 1.30 heard the Word of the Gospell, and beleeueth. Thus faith is ordinarily procured by the Word of God.

And seeing that the ordinary meanes of begetting [Ʋse.] faith, is the Word of God; this serues to reproue those, * 1.31 who despise and contemne, or greatly neglect the hea∣ring of the Word, and yet boast that they haue faith. Diuerse there are, that seldome come to the house of God, and very seldome heare Sermons; who, if they be questioned, whether they haue faith, will not sticke to answer euery one for himselfe; yea, I haue faith, and doe beleeue; I haue a good faith to God, I hope to bee saued aswell as the best, and hope to come to Heauen, as soone as they that follow Sermons. But I demand of thee, ô vaine man; if thou hast so good a faith, and so good hope of saluation, how, and by what meanes, ca∣mest thou by this thy good faith? The Scriptures tels vs plainely, that the meanes of obtaining faith, is, by hea∣ring the Word of God. And seeing thou doest not fre∣quent the house of God, nor heare the Word of God preached (except it be at some times, and by starts) how can it be that thou hast true faith? or, if thou hast it, how was it wrought in thee? and by what meanes hast thou obtained it? it is the great blindnesse of many ignorant soules, to thinke they haue faith, when they haue it not. And they haue it not, because they doe not vse the ordi∣nary

meanes to obtaine it. I know, and deny not; God is not tyed to any meanes; and therefore can extraordi∣narily worke faith in the hearts of men, euen in whom be will, according to his good pleasure: but it is not safe for any one, to venture the saluation of his soule vpon the extraordinary working of God, when as God in great wisdome, and mercy to mankinde, hath appoynted or∣dinary means to beget faith, and to worke our saluation; which ordinary meanes, is the hearing of the Word: for faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  8 How true faith may be obtai∣ned. By two meanes.
• * 1.2

  1 The efficient cause of faith. The Spirit of God.
• a 1.3

  Phil. 1. 29.
• b 1.4

  Mat. 16. 16. 17.
• c 1.5

  Ioh. 6. 44.
• d 1.6

  Traxerit, non duxerit.
• e 1.7

  Phil. 2. 13.
• * 1.8

  Against mans free will in spi∣rituall good things.
• f 1.9

  Luk. 10. 30.
• g 1.10

  Ephe. 2. 1.
• h 1.11

  Io••l 2. 12.
• i 1.12

  Hos. 14. 1. Ioel 2. 13.
• k 1.13

  Mat. 3. 2.
• l 1.14

  Marc. 1. 15.
• m 1.15

  Non quid ho∣mines p••ssint prastare, sed quid praestare debeant.
• n 1.16

  2. C••r. 3. 5.
• * 1.17

  2 The instrumen∣tall cause of faith. The word of God.
• o 1.18

  Rom. 10. 17.
• * 1.19

  And that,
• * 1.20

  1 The law.
• p 1.21

  Rom. 3. 20.
• q 1.22

  Gal. 3. 10.
• r 1.23

  Rom. 6. 23.
• s 1.24

  1 C••r. 6. 9.
• t 1.25

  Acts 2. 36, 37.
• * 1.26

  2 The Gospell.
• t 1.27

  Joh. 3. 16.
• u 1.28

  Acts 2. 38.
• x 1.29

  Acts 4. 12.
• y 1.30

  Acts 15 7.
• * 1.31

  Against those that boast of their faith, and yet contemne, and lightly re∣gard the hea∣ring of the Word, the or∣dinary meanes of obtaining faith.