The doctrine of faith, justification and assurance humbly endeavoured to be farther cleared towards the satisfaction and comfort of all free unbiassed spirits, with appendix for peace / by Robert Dixon, prebendary of Rochester.

APPLICATION.

I have set before you two wayes, Faith and Sight; Spirit and Flesh: choose therefore the better part, that shall never be taken away from you.

1. Cherish the life of Nature, by Temperance, So∣briety, and Chastity.

2. Regulate the life of sense, by Reason, Prudence, and Moderation.

3. Order the Moral life, by Virtue, Justice, Obe∣dience, and Honesty.

4. Maintain the Civil Life, by dutiful submission to Rulers, and their Laws for the publike Good.

5. Keep the Spiritual Life above all by Faith:

1. Which may Sanctify Nature, Sense, Morality, and Laws.

2. Which may transcend all carnal Profits, Plea∣sures, Honours, Arts, Powers, Glories, Liberties, Beau∣ties, Friends, Health, Peace, Orders, &c.

3. Which may overcome all Carnal Pains, Wants, Shames, Ignorances, Weaknesses, Disgraces, Defor∣mities, Enemies, Diseases, Warrs, Bondage, Con∣fusions, &c.

4. Which may regulate all Passions, of Love, Ha∣tred, Hope, Despair, Joy, Grief, &c.

5. Which may sublimate all Faculties, Understan∣ding, Will, Memory, Conscience.

6. Which may arrive at the height of true Wis∣dome, Peace and Tranquility of Minde.

1. By exemption from vulgar Errors, Vices, and Passions.

2. By aiming at Universal Liberty in Judg∣ment and Will, still submitting to Faith.

3. By learning true essential simple honesty, and plainness of Spirit.

4. By Practicing true Piety.

1. Free from Jewish worship.

2. Free from Heathenish Idolatry.

This is the high and noble way of the New Testa∣ment of Jesus Christ, which is of the spirit that gi∣veth life: not of the Letter that killeth.

Thus we overcome sin from ruling in our mortal Bodies, that we should be obedient unto the lusts thereof.

Thus we overcome the Temptations, and mise∣ries of the World.

Thus we overcome the Devil, and bruise Satan under every one of our Feet, and through Jesus Christ are more then Conquerors. And thanks be to God which giveth us this victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Look therefore on things Spiritual and not on things Carnal:* 1.1 on things Eternal, and not on things Temporal.—For the things that are seen, are tempo∣ral and carnal; but the things which are not seen but believed are Spiritual and Eternal.

Believe your sins are blotted out of Gods Book (for so they are when forsaken) Though you cannot see your Pardon sealed by Gods spirit, by your sense; yet by your Faith you may see it.

Believe the Peace of God & of your own Conscien∣ces; though the sense discern it not: yet your faith may.

Believe the Judgments of God are escaped, and shall not hurt you; though you feel present pain in the Flesh, as is needful for you.

Believe the Devil is overcome; though he sift you as the wheat is sifted: yet Christ hath prayed for you, that your Faith shall not fail you, and his Grace shall be sufficient for you.

Believe you shall live, though you die and see corruption; for you shall die in Faith.

This is Faith, to believe above sense, above hope, and contrary to hope, & the judgment of flesh and bloud.

This is Faith, To be present with God in the Spi∣rit, though you be absent from him in the Flesh.

This is Faith, to rejoice in Misery, to glory in Tribulations, to be ravished with Spiritual comforts, during the enjoyment of Temporal, To find Rest in God in the midst of Trouble, to rest upon Gods Promises of Pardon and Blessedness in the midst of Sins and Miseries.

I will believe, though I see not, nor feel not any comfor: This shall be my joy & comfort in believing.

I will believe, though I can give no Definition nor Reason for my Faith.

I will live in the Spirit, though I live in the Flesh; for I do not live after the Flesh.

I will worship God in the Spirit, though I use a Forme and outward Ceremony.

I will Eat and Drink, and be merry in the Lord.

I will suffer patiently in the Lord.

I will Live and Die in the Lord.

Tell me not of Temptations, I know who is on my side, and will deliver me.

Tell me not of Tribulations, I know who will Save me.

Tell me not of Death and Hell, I know who will Redeem me.

Yea; He hath Delivered, He hath saved, He hath Redeemed me already.

The Forgiveness of my Sins past, present, and to come, is already present with me.

The Deliverance from all my Sufferings is alrea∣dy present with me.

Eternal Life and Salvation is already present with me.

I know in whom I have Trusted. Here will I fix, say the World, the Flesh or the Divel, what they will or can.

But with a Carnal Life,* 1.2 this Faith and Hope can∣not consist.

Of all Tempers, these are most opposite to Faith.

1. Outward uncleanness, Rioting and Drunken∣ness, Chambering and Wantonness, Strife and Envy, Cursing, Damning, Oppression and Cruelty, and such like.

2. Inward Hypocrisy, Lying and Cheating, &c.

3. Open Rebellion, Sacriledge, Sedition and mur∣muring, and such like.

—The Carnal mind understandeth not the things of God; neither indeed can it, because they are spiritu∣ally discerned.

Thus it becometh us to Preach, and you to pra∣ctice, Grace, Faith, Repentance, Patience, &c.

It is too Legal, to preach Laws, Duties, Curses, Threatnings, Damnation.

The Gospel is, Faith, Love, Hope, Joy in the Holy Ghost; Grace, mercy, pace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Till we perswade you to Faith, we shall never do our work, nor your work for you.

Believe only and you shall be saved, This will bring works, and duties, and mortifications, and all shall be pleasing to God, and without this, nothing shall be pleasing unto him, for without Faith it is impossible to please God.

Say not; You cannot understand this Spiritual Doctrine of the Gospel; and this Rule is too high for you to walk by; it is too hard a Taske to lead this life of Faith.

[Sol.] I answer:* 1.3 It is easy to understand this Doctrine; and he that is willing, shall be made to know the mind of God, and to do the same.

It is as easy to understand this Gospel-Precept, Thou shalt not Lust, or Hate, as to understand this Legal Command, Thou shalt not commit Adultery; or Thou shalt not Kill.

It is as easy to understand, That the thoughts of the Heart, and the desires of the Will, are to be regulated, as the words of the Tongue, or the works of the Hand.

It is as easy to understand Faith as Works, to Be∣lieve as to Live, To accept of the Covenant of Grace as of works.

As for the Mysteries of Faith in the Trinity, In∣carnation, Descension, Intercession of Christ, and such like. They are more easily and safely to be believed, then disputed. And the spirit is given to all that Believe, that they might understand, and do the Will of God. That they might know the heighth, and length, and breadth, and depth of the Love of God which passeth all knowledg.

It is as easy and farre more, to hear of Grace, Mercy, and Peace; as to hear of Law, Curses, and Damnation.

It is as easy to hope as fear, to rejoyce as to mourn, to be free as to be slaves, to walk in light as in darkness, To understand the good of the Soul as of the Body, the life to come as this life present.

Wise are we to know this World, Gain, Honor, pleasure, &c. and wiser we might be to know the World to come.

[Ob:] Ob. A hard saying, who can hear it.

[Sol.] Sol. An easy and true saying, and very pleasant, and may be heard. Yea, and he that hath Ears to hear, let him hear; for he may hear if he will: none so deaf as they that will not hear. The Charmer charmes often and wisely, unless we stop our Ears

with the deaf Adder, and refuse to hear the voice of this Charmer, though he charms unto us, never so often, never so wisely. There is a voice behind us, yea within us, which saies unto us, This is the way, walk in it: Turn from the ways of wickedness, pass by them, and come not neer unto them, for fear iniquity be your Ruin; for why will ye Dye? O when will it once be!

The Sun of the Gospel shines very cleerly; but the World shuts her eyes upon it. The light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather then light, because their deeds are evil.

The opposers of this heavenly way of walking with God in Faith and spiritual Duties, are

1. Outward Formalists and Will-worshippers,* 1.4 which rest in the Letter, and in the outward work done; as in Fasts, Feasts, Forms, Austerities, Almes, Justice, Temperance, &c. yet there is a more excel∣lent way to go on to perfection; — not to draw neer to God with our Lips, but our hearts: As the proud Pharisee that fasted twice in the Week, that made long Prayers, that paid Tithe of all that he possessed, that thanked God that he was not like other men; nor as that Publican: But the poor Publican went home to his house Justified rather then the other. And the very Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven by their Faith, when these Hy∣pocrites shall be shut out.

2. Law-Preachers,* 1.5 and hearers of Curses and Damnation. Are we Saved by the Works of the Law, or by the Faith of the Gospel? By the works

of the Law, no flesh living shall be justified. What Law had the Heathens Preached unto them? They were never under the Law, they needed it not after they did believe, nor Wee. God did write in the Law in their hearts by his Spirit in the dayes of the Gospel, and the Kingdome of Heaven is within us. The royal Law of Love, The perfect Law of Li∣berty, is written upon the Tables of our hearts; and this is a sufficient Rule to bring us to Heaven.

Mockers of Faith,* 1.6 Self-denyal, Mortification, Pu∣rity of heart, Poorness of Spirit, Mourning, Meek∣ness, hungring and thirsting after Righteousness, Mercifulness, Peace-making, Suffering Persecution, Rejoycing in Persecution, which are the spiritual commands of Christ, to which Blessedness is promi∣sed. Such Prophets as speak of these things are counted Fools, and such spiritual men esteemed mad, by the voluptuous and Luxurious men of the World, and by the Zenonian Fatalists, that depend upon ab∣solute Decrees, and put all to a venture.

What then remains, but that all Reasonable men should be satisfied with this reasonable service of Faith, which is above their Carnal Reason, but agreeable with all spiritual and Right Reason; and none but unreasonable and absurd men will de∣ny it.

I will resolve therefore with my self,* 1.7 to go out of my self, and trust no longer in my Flesh, nor in any Creature.

I will resolve with my self, to understand better things, and to know my self more perfectly.

1. How all Sin is in my Flesh.

2. How all misery is in my Flesh.

And that this is but my outward Man, the old Man, That decayes and dies, which I am daily put∣ting off.

3. How all Grace is in my Spirit.

4. How all Glory is in my Spirit.

And that this is the Inward Man, The new Man, That quickens and lives, which I am daily put∣ting on.

And that therefore by my Faith I live above sin, and above Misery, and beyond them both, while in my flesh I am perplexed with them both.

What then is all this Mourning by reason of Sin, and for Afflictions here below?

Is not this the way to Heaven, though it be thus Rugged and Thorny? Is not this the Sea, and are not these the Waves, and Storms, and Rocks, and Quicksands that are therein?

But is not Christ my Pilot, and am I not safe under him? Have I not a sure Guide, that will bring me into a safe Harbour? Can I not then have a little Patience? Tis but to have a little Patience.—

Dabit Deus his quoque finem.

'Tis but standing still a while, and I shall see the Salvation of God.

Wherefore then all this a do? Wherefore do ye trouble my Spirit? I am ready not only to suffer but to dye. There is no strang thing happened unto me, but such as is common to all the faithfull, and such as happened to Christ himself.

What though I am Tempted, Afflicted, Oppres∣sed, I live still. The just shall live by his Faith. My Vessel is covered with Waves; yet she bears up against them. My House is beaten and shaken with winds and waves, yet it stands still; because it is foun∣ded upon a Rock.

I am fearful naturally, I do confess; yet by the Grace of God, I can look Sin, Misery, and Death in the face, and trust in God still.

If I look only upon Sin, and Misery, and Death, and Hell, alas I dye for fear: But if I look upon God and Christ, I live for evermore.

If I consult with flesh and bloud, I mourn and die: but if I consult with the Spirit, I rejoyce and live. —They that live after the Flesh, shall die: but they that by the spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh shall live.

Qu. Do we then live by Faith, or by Sense? Spiritually, or Carnally?

Ans. If we say we live by Faith, and by the Spirit, I say then, what means this lowing and bleating of the Beasts that I hear?

Ʋnde Luctus & Planctus. Where is all this how∣ling, and Lamentation? Why all this Despairing and Doubting? O we of little Faith! A voice in Ramah is heard, bitter Lamentation, Rachel mourning for her children, and refuseth to be comforted, because they are not.

But is Christs Church a Widdow, hath she not a Husband? is she an Orphan, and hath she not a Father? Is she a stranger, and hath she not a Pro∣tector?

Surely she is the Spouse and Daughter of Christ and no stranger; therefore God will take care and charge of her, and do for her abun∣dantly above all that she is able to aske or think. Doth God take care for Oxen, and for the Birds of the Air, and for the Lillies of the Field? and shall he not much more take care for us, O we of little Faith?

Let me alone therefore, and trouble me no more from henceforth, with idle Questions or direful Curses. I have a God to trust to. I have nothing to do with you, O ye subtil, O ye uncharitable ones! O my Soul strengthen thou thy self in thy God alone, it is good for me to wait upon my God, and to keep my self close to the Rock of my Salva∣tion.

Why, Have I not found his Goodness all along, and should I doubt now? Have I served so good a Master, and now should I leave him?

Why, how, and by whom have I lived all this while under all sorrows?

And how do I live still?

And how do I hope to live hereafter?

And how do I hope to live for evermore? but by my Faith in Gods Promises.

I am not exactly Righteous, therefore I cannot live by my works, but I am willing to work Righte∣ousness, and by the Grace of God I shall be accepted and live by Faith.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chap. ••0. Faith.
• * 1.2

  Chap. 11. Carnal m••n▪
• * 1.3

  Chap. 12. Gospel Easy.
• * 1.4

  Chap. 13. ••ormali••ts.
• * 1.5

  Chap. 14. Law-Prea∣chers.
• * 1.6

  Chap. 15 Mockers.
• * 1.7

  Chap. 16. Soul-Resolu∣tion.