Epitome ugaiainonton logon, or, A taste of the truth as it is in Jesus consisting of ten questions and answers, and a brief exposition upon the same : whereunto are added ten generall directions ... intended chiefly for the benefit of my countreymen, kindred, and acquaintance in Lancashire / composed by John Jackson, M.A.

7. Quest. Is it in your own power and strength truly to beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ?

Answ. Faith is the gift of God, (a) and I cannot say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost. (b)

It pleased the Father since the fall of Adam, that all fulnesse of grace should dwell in the Lord Jesus Christ, (c) that all his, might, in their measure, receive of that fulnesse grace for grace (d) So as that neither you nor any of man∣kinde have any grace (e) (nor can have untill you come to Christ for it, (f) ) either to repent, beleeve, or to doe any thing that is acceptable to God; (g) Nay, you are so farre from ha∣ving naturally a sufficiencie of grace to be∣leeve, (h) and so, to be saved, if you will: as that you can neither know, (i) nor desire, (k) nor come to Christ (l) no not, with all the help of all the men, means, and ministery of grace in the world, (m) But as God shall give you to know, (n) desire him, and beleeve in him, (o) For faith is the supernaturall gift and free grace of God, (p) whereby a sensible

lost sinner is enabled to know, and perswaded to receive Christ, (q) as offered in the Gos∣pell, (r) and to rest upon him alone for sal∣vation; (s) saith (I say) is the gift of God, and yet it is the act of man, it is the gift and act of God, as God inclines and inables the soul to beleeve, (t) it is the act of man as he closes with, (u) and rests upon Christ, (x) Or (to speak more properly) faith is the gift and act of God, First, as God opens the un∣derstanding of a sensible lost sinner to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and to approve of Christ as good and necessary for him; Secondly, as he inclines the will to chuse to be saved by Christ onely and no other way; Likewise faith is the act of man, First as he puts forth the acts of his understanding and endeavours to know, esteem, and to approve of Christ as God gives him to know and value Christ; Secondly as he puts forth the elective act of his will, and endeavours to will, chuse, or to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as an onely ne∣cessary sufficient Saviour as God makes him willing to embrace Christ; Thus man is to act for his salvation, and to work out his sal∣vation with fear and trembling (otherwise he that made him will not save him) as he is acted and wrought upon by the Lord; and so Gods work of grace is in us, upon us, by us. And therefore when God enlightens you to know Chrrst, and inclines, and enables you to come to him by his Christ for salvation in those principles of Scripture where he freely offers Christ to you, and to every one that sees a need of him, and would be saved by him:

at that time, God gives you to beleeve: (y) And then, you are in the judgement of charity, effectually called, in covenant with God, Gen 15.6. (z) united to Christ, (a) regene∣rated, (b) justified, (c) reconciled to God, (d) adopted, (e) redeemed, (f) sanctified, (g) in∣teressed in all the promises of God; (h) yea, and in all the priviledges of the Saints be∣longing to this life, and the life to come. (i) So as that you have great incouragement to endeavour to beleeve, though of your self you cannot; it is indeed Gods commandment, and so your duty to beleeve, (k) and though you neither doe, nor ever did, nor ever can beleeve of your own power and strength: yet you may beleeve, being God can give you to beleeve; Ephes. 1.19, 20 For as God said, let there be light: and there was light, Gen. 1.3. So God saies to his, beleeve: and they beleeve, Act. 16.31, 34. And as Christ said to Lazarus, Come forth, and he that was dead came forth, Iob. 11.44. So Christ saith to dead sinners, Hear, and beleeve: and they obey him, Ioh. 5.25. Ephes. 2.5. Thus the Lord Jesus Christ quickens and enables all those that his father gives him to believe, and live, and to doe what he com∣mands them. So, as that if God that saith by the spirit of Christ let every one that will come, (l) quicken your dead heart to say, Lord, when thou saiest let every one that will come, my heart saith Draw me, (m) and I will come, and run after thee: Then the work is begun, and you may be confident that be that hath begun a good work in you, will in due time finish it (n)

Notes

• (a)

  Eph. 2.8.
• (b)

  1 Cor. 12.3.
• (c)

  Col. 1.19.
• (d)

  Ioh. 1.16. None have free will to beleeve, and ••o to be sa∣ved if they will.
• (e)

  Eph. 2.1, to 7.
• (f)

  Ioh. 15.5.
• (g)

  Heb. 11 6.
• (h)

  2 Cor. 3.5. Ioh. 6.44, 65.
• (i)

  Mat. 1••.17.
• (k)

  Phil. 2.13.
• (l)

  Ioh. 6.44
• (m)

  1 Cor. 3.6, 7.
• (n)

  Ioh. 1.9.
• (o)

  Phil. 1.29. What faith is.
• (p)

  Eph. 2.8. Eph. 1.18, 19.
• (q)

  1 Cor. 12.3.
• (s)

  Heb. 7.25.
• (t)

  Phil. 2.13.
• (u)

  Ioh. 1.12.
• (x)

  Ioh. 3.16. How faith is the gift of God and the act of man. Act. 16.14. Phil. 2.13.
• Phil. 3.12.
• When one may be said to begin to beleeve,
• (y)

  1 Cor. 12.3. Ioh. 6 65. The privi∣ledges of be∣leevers.
• (z)

  Luk. 19.5, 6.
• (a)

  Eph 5.30
• (b)

  Tit. 3.5, to 8.
• (c)

  Rom. 4.22
• (d)

  Rom 5.1.
• (e)

  Gal. 3.26.
• (f)

  1 Cor. 1.30.
• (g)

  Act. 26 18.
• (h)

  2 Cor 1.20
• (i)

  Rom. 8.37 1 Cor. 3.20, 23.
• (k)

  1 Ioh. 3.23
• (l)

  Rev. 22.17.
• (m)

  Ps. 27.8. Cant. 1.4. Eph. 2.1, to 7.
• (n)

  Phil. 1.6.