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.

8. Quest. What weans ought you to use that you may attain faith, full assurance of faith, and all other graces necessary to salvation?

Answ. I ought to wait upon God in hear∣ing that I may attain faith, (a) 1.1 and in hear∣ing, (b) 1.2 praying, (c) 1.3 and making use of the Gospel Sacraments, Baptisme and the Lords Supper, that I may be confirmed in beleeving, and obtain all other graces requisite to sal∣vation. (d) 1.4

The great God of heaven whose power hath no limits but his own will, * 1.5 hath bound us (though not himself) to use means for the obtaining of the mercy and free grace he be∣stows upon his; (e) 1.6 And therefore he hath appointed you to hear him in the ministery of his word, and not only to hear the word read, (f) 1.7 opened, (g) 1.8 preached, (h) 1.9 repeated, (i) 1.10 in private, in publique, at ordinary, and ex∣traordinary times: (k) 1.11 But also to reade the word, (l) 1.12 to ponder of it, (m) 1.13 to conferre a∣bout it, (n) 1.14 and to suffer your self to be ca∣techised, and examined in it, (o) 1.15 that you might thereby be taught the truth of misery, (p) 1.16 and the way to mercy by beleeving in Christ. (q) 1.17 And therefore you are to hear the law as well as the Gospel; The law to con∣vince you of sin, and curse due to you for the same; (r) 1.18 The Gospel to enlighten you of Gods great love in giving Christ to be what he was, and is, to doe what he did, to suffer what he suffered upon earth, (s) 1.19 and still to doe what he doth in heaven as Mediatour to purchase, and apply salvation to every one that comes to him for it; (t) 1.20 But you are especially

to hear the Gospel preached, for it is not the law, but the Gospel that works faith; [u] 1.21 it is Christ, whole Christ, and every part of Christ, but especially Christ crucified that is the main object of faith, and the sure founda∣tion you are to build upon: [x] 1.22 yea, it is Christ that died for this very end that sinners might be pardoned, [y] 1.23 and that now lives to intercede for ever at Gods right hand that you are chiefly to look at, [z] 1.24 and to come unto, for to apply that salvation that he hath merited by his by-past death and passion; It is Christ (I say) that you are chiefly to look at in your hearing of the word, and that you are to come unto, that he might be the authour and finisher of your faith; For you doe not nor cannot (neither doth God ex∣spect it of you) bring faith to Christ, and to the promise: but the word of faith, and the Gospel of Christ (I mean with the inward workings of the spirit of Christ) begets faith in you, while you are hearing of it, conferring about it, meditating upon it, and upon the promises thereof, and the faithfulnesse of him that hath promised, Ephes. 1.13. Heb, 11.11, And if at, or after your attending the word, you be so pricked in your heart by the spirit in the ministery of the law with the sense of your sinfull cursed estate, * 1.25 as that you know not what to do to be saved: And so affected with Gods love in giving of Christ to die for sin∣ners, as that your heart is thereby drawn to give up it self to Christ, and to close with him in a word, and promise, with a full purpose of heart to live to him: Then you may be

said to have a door of faith opened unto you. [a] 1.26 Neverthelesse you are to use the same means aforementioned for the finishing of your faith already begun, [b] 1.27 and more, for now you may pray for the continuance and increase of your faith, [c] 1.28 and for a beginning, a continu∣ance, and a growth of all other graces that you are to adde to your faith, [d] 1.29 and for all things you see your self, yours, and all the Saints to want that is according to Gods will; [e] 1.30 yea now, you are also to make use of the Gospel-Sacraments, baptisme and the Lords Supper for the confirmation and strengthening of your faith, [f] 1.31 for they are signes and seals, not onely for signification: but also, for assurance of the truth of the covenant of grace to them that beleeve, [g] 1.32 and as it were pawns given us from the Lord to make us confident that he will give us what he hath promised; [b] 1.33 even as pawns are given us of men that we dare not trust; Thus low, doth the most high God condescend to his frail creatures. There∣fore make use of your baptisme as often as you doubt whether God will fulfill his word and promise to you concerning the pardoning of your sins, and the saving of your soul; for you are in such cases to make use of your bap∣tisme throughout your life; * 1.34 (though it be but once to be administred) and be confident that you shall as verily (if you beleeve) be pardoned, purged, and cleansed from all sinne, sanctified, and saved by the bloud of Christ: [i] 1.35 as verily as you were sprinkled with water in your baptisme, for you have not onely the word of God to evidence it to you: but also

the oath of God, to seal up that evidence unto you (k) 1.36 And in like manner make use of the Lords Supper, when you are full of fears least you should finally fall away from that grace of God begun in you; Not onely by meditation, but also by actuall receiving of that Sacrament; For that end you should freely and willingly offer your self unto your Minister and the Elders of the Congregation you doe, * 1.37 or would belong unto for to be tryed and examined by them that you may be admitted unto that holy Ordinance if you be found in any measure prepared for it; Is it not meet and equall that those should know the estate of your soul (and how shall they know it without triall and examination?) that must give an account of it? But your Minister and the Elders of the Church are to watch over your soul as they that must give an account of it, Heb. 13.17. Therefore give up your self unto them (having given up your self unto the Lord) for to be tryed and approved of, by them, 2 Cor. 8.5. And when you receive that Sacrament be not faithlesse but beleeve that Christs flesh shall be meat indeed, * 1.38 and his bloud drink indeed, to nourish up your soul to everlasting life, and to perfect the grace begun in you; (l) 1.39 beleeve this. I say, as verily as you receive the bread and wine the outward visible signes of that inward invisible grace, For they are visible pawns (though God be out of your sight) to secure you thereof. (m) 1.40 And if in processe of time you should loose the sense of your faith, after you have been confirmed therein, and so doubt whether you ever did truly

beleeve or no, as established beleevers some∣times may as well as weak Christians; (n) 1.41 Then begin (as if you never had beleeved before) and goe on to trust in God, (o) 1.42 and to rely on Christ in a word and promise, where he is unconditionally offered to sinners, for when you are in the worst condition, and in your thinking the most desperate lost sinner, that ever lived on this side hell, Then Christ is as freely offered unto you (if you would be saved by him, and be resolved to live to him) as he is to any sinner in the world; (p) 1.43 And if God incline you to follow this advice, I now give you, Then you may with comfort conceive that though the other work of faith was but false and fained, that this work now begun is true, and unfained: (q) 1.44 Or what was true, and unfained before, (though doubtfull and un∣discerned) you may now apprehend and know it, to your more enlarged comfort then ever in times past. (r) 1.45 And therefore make use of the Sacraments as afore mentioned, for to confirm you therein.

And if notwithstanding the use of all means you remain in your apprehension a castaway: (as any true beleever may, if once they be left of God) (s) 1.46 Yet still use the means of faith; For the more sensible you are, that you are in a lost condition, the more need you have of beleeving, and of using means that you may beleeve; and the more sinfull you are and have been, the more confident you may be that Christ came to save you, (if your heart be inclined to cleave to him) being he came into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. For put

all your sins and the aggravations of them to∣gether that you doe, and have stood guilty of originall, and actuall, of omission, or of com∣mission, against God the Father, Son, or holy Ghost, against law, or Gospel, your self or others, they make you but the chiefest of sin∣ners: And then you may and ought to apply Christ, as Paul did; For when he was (in his thinking) the chiefest of sinners, then he was the most confident, that Christ came to save him, because This is a faithfull saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. Meditate therefore of t•••• power and faithful∣nesse of God that hath said it, and stagger not at it through unbelief, but be strong in the faith, giving glory to God, Rom. 4.18. to 22. by beleeving that God sent his Son to save you, being you are lost, and the chiefest of sinners, and being Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and to seek and save that which was lost. Luk. 19.10. And put forth all the powers of your soul to come to Christ that was once crucified, and that now lives in heaven actually to save as many as come to God by by him for salvation, (t) 1.47 and venture your soul upon Gods name, (u) 1.48 (as you would venture your temporall life to get unto a strong hold, * 1.49 if you were pursued by an enemy) for it is for eternall life: and say, Lord God though I be, a sinfull, unworthy, ignorant, guilty, unsanctified, backsliding creature, and one that ever have been, and am ever like to be sinfull while I remain in the state of corruption: yet I stay my soul upon thee, for to have thee, to be

unto me what thou hast proclaimed thy self to be in thy word, mercifull, gracious, * 1.50 &c. (x) 1.51 and for to have thy Christ, to be made unto me wisdom, righteousnesse, sanctification, re∣demption, and all in all to save me to the ut∣termost; (y) 1.52 And so, commit your self to God, and to the ministery and people of Christ to be resolved, and recommended to God; And thus wait upon God, endeavouring to beleeve untill God give you to beleeve, and to know that you doe beleeve; And in the mean while be of good comfort, for though you should live and die in this condition, yet you would be blessed, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (z) 1.53

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Rom. 10.14.
• (b) 1.2

  Act. 14.22.
• (c) 1.3

  Luk. 17.5.
• (d) 1.4

  Act. 2.42. 1 Cor. 11 24, 25, 26.
• * 1.5

  You are bound to use means of faith.
• (e) 1.6

  Ezek. 36.37.
• (f) 1.7

  Neh 9.3. Rom. 15.4.
• (g) 1.8

  Luk. 4.21.22.
• (h) 1.9

  Rom. 10.14.
• (i) 1.10

  Phil. 3.1.
• (k) 1.11

  2 Tim. 4.2
• (l) 1.12

  Act. 8.28,
• (m) 1.13

  Luk. 2.19.
• (n) 1.14

  Luk 24.14
• (o) 1.15

  Luk. 1.4. 1 Pet. ••.15.
• (p) 1.16

  Act. 2.37.
• (q) 1.17

  Act. 16.30. You are to hear both law and Gospel.
• (r) 1.18

  Rom. 3.20. Gal. 3 10.
• (s) 1.19

  Dan. 9.26 1 Pet. 3.18. 1 Tim. 1 15.
• (t) 1.20

  Ioh. 6.37.
• [u] 1.21

  Gal. 3.2. Christ cruci∣fied is the obiect of iu∣stifying faith
• [x] 1.22

  1 Cor. 2.2. 1 Cor. 3.11.
• [y] 1.23

  Rom. 4.25. 1 Cor. 15.3.
• [z] 1.24

  Ioh. 3.14, 15.
• * 1.25

  When God ma•• be said to open a door of faith unto you.
• [a] 1.26

  Act 2.37, 38, 39, 41. Act. 13.47, 48. Act. 14.27. What means you are to use after your first be∣leeving.
• [b] 1.27

  1 Pet. 2.2. Act. 2.42.
• [c] 1.28

  Luk. 17.5,
• [d] 1.29

  2 Pet. 1.5, to 8.
• [e] 1.30

  1 Ioh 5.14. Eph. 6.18.
• [f] 1.31

  Act 2.41.42. What a Sa∣crament is.
• [g] 1.32

  Rom 4.11.
• [b] 1.33

  Heb. 6.17, 18.
• * 1.34

  How your baptisme may confirm you in your faith.
• [i] 1.35

  1 Ioh. 1.7, 8 Eph. 5.26. Ioh. 3.16.
• (k) 1.36

  Heb. 6.17, 18.
• * 1.37

  How you are to offer your self un∣to your Mi∣nister, and the elders of the Church to be tryed and exami¦ned by them. 2. Cor. 8, 5. with Rev. 2.2, 7.
• * 1.38

  How the se∣cond Sacra∣ment may confirm you in beleeving
• (l) 1.39

  Ioh. 6.55, 58, 61.
• (m) 1.40

  Rom. 4.11
• (n) 1.41

  Isa. 50 10. Ps. 77.7, 8.9. Gen. 15, 2, 2. Matth. 14.31. What you are to doe when you are doubt∣full
• (o) 1.42

  Isa. 50.10.
• (p) 1.43

  Ioh. 7.37. Rev. 22.17.
• (q) 1.44

  Isa. 50.10. Psal. 2.12. Ps. 43.5.
• (r) 1.45

  Ioh. 14.20. 2 Tim. 1.12.
• (s) 1.46

  Ps. 30.7. Ps. 31.22. Ps. 88.5, 6, 7.
• (t) 1.47

  Rev. 1.18. Heb. 7.25.
• (u) 1.48

  Pro. 18.10.
• * 1.49

  Simile.
• * 1.50

  Endeavour to under∣stand thes•• Scriptures.
• (x) 1.51

  Exod. 34.6, 7. Isa. 5••. 7. 2 Cor. 1.3. Rom. 10.12. 1 Tim. 1 14. Isa. 43.25. Hos. 14.4. Iam. 1.17.
• (y) 1.52

  1 Cor. 1.30. Col. 3.11. Heb. 7.25. Wait untill God give you to be∣leeve.
• (z) 1.53

  Pro. 8.34. Isa. 64.4. Lam. 3.2••.