A faithfull friend true to the soul: or The soules self-examination, preparing it self for the great triall of life or death eternall in the other world, in 86. quæries. Whereunto is added, the Christian jewell of faith, or the ready way to beleeve and be saved. By Timothy Rogers, minister of the church at Chappell in Essex.

CHAP. 9. Helps to saving Beliefe, for distressed Soules.

THese helps are onely meant for the affli∣cted Conscience, and for weake wavering ones; for to offer helpe to a dead

man is lost labour, but to a weake man is a benefit; they are therefore for those humbled sinners in whom Faith is to be con∣ceived, or is conceived (as CHAP. 5.) and come to the birth, but there is no power to bring forth in a sensible persuasion, which yet their soules long for, (more then any woman for her deliverie) O say they that I had this assu∣rance; that I could be so perswaded, (yea, some with many teares, thus ex∣pressing their desires) to whom, I say, consider

1. God hath provided

Christ a Remedie effectu∣all for every poore di∣stressed soule, that seeing and feeling it's necessitie, is truly willing and de∣sirous to receive him, Isai. 55.1. Beleevest thou this? yes. Then also you see your soule is such a soule. yes. Therefore of necessi∣tie you must yeeld, that God hath provided him such a Remedie for your Soule: what say you to this?

Ans. I am not able to contradict it; Go to then, now then you are perswa∣ded, that God hath provi∣ded the Remedie to be ef∣fectuall,

even for your Soul in particular, and for the Salvation thereof, which is to beleeve, yea, the birth thereof.

2. Are you unfainedly desirous of Grace, the fa∣vour of God, and Salvati∣on by Christ? Lord thou knowest I desire it with my heart: Well then, know that God is a thou∣sand-fold more defirous of it, Ezek. 33.11. For thy defire is finite, his infinite, and if God be willing and you to, what should hinder? God and you are agreed upon it, there∣fore so it shall be.

Object. The doubt is of his willingnesse, for I find willingnesse in my selfe to it.

Ans. Doe you beleeve you have deserved hell, because Gods Word saith so? yes. Why then doe you not beleeve, that Gods will and desire is to save you, seeing his Word saith so to; if it be true in one thing, it's true in another: Remember, If we (with humble and up∣right hearts) confesse our sinnes, he is faithfull and just to forgive us, Joh. 1.8 so then he is willing to shew you mercy and that

he can, you canot doubt; if you thinke him Almigh∣tie, and seeing he both can and will, you must be per∣swaded so it shall be.

3. Further consider, that in a yeelding Reso∣lution of an humbled Soule to Gods proffer, and in an heartie desire is faith conceived (though not brought forth) as was shewed CHAP. 5. Thus it is with you, therefore Faith is in you, though not seen, nor sensibly dis∣cerned of you, and seeing it is in you, needs must you thinke that Christ is yours, and that you shall

be saved by him.

4. To studie much & of∣ten upon Christ, is a good help and meanes, to bring us to come to partake of him by Faith; for what our minde thinkes much on, it is by degrees trans∣formed into, if of world∣ly things into worldli∣nesse; if of heavenly, into heavenly-mindednesse, if of Christ very much, into Christ at last; as that which lies soaking in fresh water, growes fresh; but if in salt water, it will grow brackish: We must not thinke to catch Christ swimming aloft, by su∣perficiall

and sleight thin∣king of him now and then; but must dive deepe in serious studie and deep meditation of him, as Eph. 3.18, 19.

5. You must bargaine for Christ, and so you shall be assured that he is your owne; the Pearle must be bought, doe then as the Buyer, 1. [unspec 1] See you want the Commoditie; 2. That it is to be had; [unspec 2] 3. [unspec 3] What a pleasure it would doe you, and what a benefit to you to have it; 4. [unspec 4] Thereupon take liking to it, to desire it; 5. [unspec 5] Consi∣der on what Termes, and

at what Rate it is to be had, (for there is no ha∣ving of Christ, but at Gods Rate, you must so take him, or let him a∣lone.) [unspec 6] 6. Consent there∣to to give God his asking and demands, viz. to give him your heart, to be all for him; to renounce your sins and sinfull lusts, &c. If thus you consent to it, with good liking, the bar∣gain is stricken up, Christ is yours; yea though, the whole be not performed in present, but an earnest laid down in true part of payment (for you must be in good earnest) and the

Remainder from time to time continually after∣ward, viz. daily to part with sin, and your corrup∣tions more, and to grow more holy, to give the Lord your heart, in loving and delighting more in him, and seeking of him, &c. yet the Earnest makes the Bargaine, if in good Truth of heart you con∣sent & begin these things. 7. [unspec 7] Then take up your bar∣gaine and carry it away with you rejoycing, as did the Eunuch, Act. 8.39. now you may be sure that Christ is yours, having thus made the Bargaine,

unlesse you thinke God will fly from his bargain, and not performe; which farre be it from your thoughts. He is not as man that he should repent.

6. It is an especiall help to beleeving to observe well the right grounds thereof, shewed before CHAP. 6. and to take heed of the wrong grounds, which is when the hum∣bled sinner lookes to find something in himselfe, to perswade him to it, as the fruits of Sanctification, and Evangelicall Repen∣tance, to forsake his sins out of love to God, &c.

and is afraid, and dares not be perswaded he shall be saved by Christ, un∣lesse he finde these first, which as they appeare more or lesse, so he be∣leeves accordingly; but when this humbled Soule longing truly after Christ findes not (for that fol∣lowes upon our appre∣hension of Gods love to us by Christ) though faith be conceived in him, yet hath he no power to bring forth in a setled perswasion, nay, he is so stumbled, that in stead of drawing on to the per∣swasion of Faith, he is

further set off from it.

So then there are two wayes in use with those that are honestly minded, thirsting after Christ, whereby they labour to bring forth Faith, in get∣ting a true perswasion. The first is by pitching on the right grounds mentioned CHA. 6. wher∣to I referre you, not loo∣king to any thing in themselves, any more then Preparation by sound Humiliation: The other way is when they looke to finde first some fruits of sound Grace, before they be per∣swaded

of their Salvation by Christ, else think they should presume (but thats a great mistake) this is a further way about, and more uncōfortable, wher∣in also when they have wheel'd about, perhaps a great part of their life, it must fall into the other way at last to.

1. These the Temptor playes upon exceedingly, as if a man should let a young Tree lie above ground, and not set it in the Soyle, till he first see what fruit it will beare, or as if one should be afraid, and refuse to eat, till he

first feele some working and Effect of food in him.

2. They that take the former way, shall thrive and grow more in a moneth, then the other shall doe in a yeare, as a Science skilfully put into the Stocke growes more in one yeare then another in three, that is not well set in, and besides often cropt to, though some sap in it.

3. The latter way is full of continuall uncertaintie, perplexed with more cares, feares and doubt∣ings; for as they finde abatings and coolings,

ebbes and flowes, so doth their perswasion ebbe and flow; If one be set for∣ward in it one day, he will be set back again two for it; he is so cloyed and ti∣red with thoughts of his own unworthinesse, with fruitless fears and doubts, that he cannot apply him∣selfe to goe on cheerfully in godly practice.

4. They that take this latter way, hang longer in the Birth with paine and discomfort; yea, they put themselves to a great deal more pain then they need, Paine which shall not profit: whereas the former with

more comfort are more speedily delivered, and to their great Joy bring forth Faiths true perswa∣sion.

Obj. To what use then serve sanctifying Graces and Fruits, the signes of our Salvation? are they needlesse?

Ans. No: they are of excellent use, for they serve,

1. To discover to men their Estate that they be∣leeve, for all that truly be∣leeve have these things undoubtedly upon their beleeving, but not before; they serve not to put the

Sience into the Stocke, that is, to set us into Christ, but to declare that we are in him.

2. They serve comfor∣tably to confirme us in Beleeving, not to bring us to beleeve; as love-tokens betweene friends, which are not the Ground of their first good-will, but lively Demonstrations thereof, and so serve to confirme it further, as to this use serve the holy Sacraments.

3. They are Faiths sun∣beames (as the Sun∣beames are to the Sunne) whereby it hath its wor∣king

and operation in us and by us to the glorify∣ing of God.

2 Object. Doth not the Scripture say, The unrigh∣teous shall not inherite the Kingdome of God. Were it not folly then for me to beleeve I should be saved before I find my self such an one?

Ans. Beleeve, and thou art righteous, for first thy Faith is accounted to thee for Righteousnesse; and Christs Righteousnesse becomes thine; and se∣condly, by Faith thou partakest of inherent per∣sonall Righteousnesse.

3 Obj. None shall be saved, but they that are sanctified, Gods Word tels us; How can it then be safe or true for me to beleeve I shall be saved, till I see my Sanctificati∣on?

Ans. It is true, you can∣not be saved, unlesse you first be sanctified; but it's as true, you cannot be sanctified unlesse you first beleeve; and unlesse it be by this meanes you shall never be sanctified: San∣ctification comes by Be∣leeving.

2. You are as soon san∣ctified as justified, and

you might as well object, Should I beleeve that I unjustified shall be saved? No; for in beleeving thou art justified; and so it is for Sanctification. But re∣member I have spoken all this while of the broken-hearted sinner, sufficiently humbled and prepared at least for beleeving, what∣ever more he hath attai∣ned; I speake of no o∣ther, so understand me, and then you take me right.

Notes

• As Chap. 5. Q. 4.
• Mat. 13.46.
• Num. 23.19.
• Jer. 12.13.
• Immundi omnes quos non mun∣dat sides Christi. Aug. En∣clir c. 75.