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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.

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Title
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.
Author
Jackson, John.
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London :: Printed by A.M. for Christopher Meredith ...,
1648.
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"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/B24904.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 7, 2024.

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The Questions and Answers with the Exposition upon the same.

1. Q WHat is it that doth, may, or ought to convince you that there is a God?

Ans. The Works, (a) 1.1 the Word of God, (b) 1.2 and my own conscience, (c) 1.3 ought to convince me that there is a God.

It behoves you and every Christian, not on∣ly to know and acknowledge the true God, (d) 1.4 whose glory onely in the salvation of your im∣mortall soul you are to seek as the greatest bu∣sinesse you have in this world: (e) 1.5 But also, understandingly to know and remember some∣thing that may help you in the hour of tempta∣tion to beleeve that God; (f) 1.6 For sometimes Gods own people meet with this temptation, Is there a God? (g) 1.7 And therefore if ever you should be tempted to say in your heart there is no God; (h) 1.8 First, seriously consider how won∣derfully you your self, the heavens, the earth, and all the creatures therein are made and pre∣served, (i) 1.9 and try, if you can apprehend God, and the invisible things of God, the eternity, wisdom, power, and goodnes of God, by his wonderfull works in you, above you, and about you in every creature. Secondly, * 1.10 call to minde that the Scripture saith that there is a God, (k) 1.11 and that therefore you are bound to beleeve it, because all the Scriptures of the old and new Testament (the Apocrypha excepted) con∣taining in them all things to be known and be∣leeved necessary unto salvation, are the very word of God, (l) 1.12 And appear to be so, chiefly

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by the spirit that did indite them, (m) 1.13 and fur∣ther by their being wholly for Gods glory, (n) 1.14 by their power upon consciences, For the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and in∣tents of the heart, (o) 1.15 which the word of An∣gels, and of men good and bad could never pry into; (p) 1.16 Thirdly, make use of your own con∣science in this case, which is as a thousand witnesses to you that there is a God, for the law of God that was once written in Adams heart, remains so written in your heart (q) 1.17 (though defaced) as that you know, yea, you know, that you know, that there is a God, (r) 1.18 and if you doe but think to the contrary, or any other way secretly sin against God, your self, or your neighbour, your conscience doth con∣demn you, (s) 1.19 and is many times so filled with horrour, as that you tremble with fear least God should tear you in pieces; which may fully convince you that there is a God, who is greater then your conscience, (t) 1.20 to whose judgement your judgement of your self, upon your self, shall be subject.

2. Quest What is God so far as he hath revealed himself in his word?

Ans. God is one (a) 1.21 holy spirit (b) 1.22 distinguish∣ed into three persons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost. (c) 1.23

Although neither you nor any creature living can fully know what God is, (d) 1.24 yet you and every one ought to endeavour to know God so farre as he hath revealed himself in his word, (e) 1.25 and God hath made himself known in his word to be an eternall spirit, who is individuall and but one in his essence, (f) 1.26 and yet three in

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persons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost; * 1.27 (g) 1.28 and though the father be God, (h) 1.29 and the Son God, (i) 1.30 and the holy Ghost God, (k) 1.31 yet there are not three Gods, but three divers subsistencies in the Godhead, which differ in their names, and in their order and manner of subsisting, and in their actions, The Father begets, (l) 1.32 the Sonne is begotten, (m) 1.33 and the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son; (n) 1.34 And yet they are the same uncreate, eternall, essentiall, equall, incomprehensible, Almighty, infinite being (o) 1.35 in all perfection.

And therefore when ever you are to wor∣ship God, you are to worship him, * 1.36 not onely in the unity of his essence, (p) 1.37 but also in the Trinity of Persons, conceiving him in your minde to be an eternall, (q) 1.38 wise, (r) 1.39 Al∣mighty, (s) 1.40 holy, (t) 1.41 just, (u) 1.42 mercifull, (x) 1.43 spirit, that ought not to be likened (no not so much as in your thoughts) to any creature in heaven or earth; (y) 1.44 And beleeving in your heart that God the Father is able and willing for his Sonnes sake by his spirit: that God the Sonne is willing and able from the Father by the holy Ghost: that God the holy Ghost is willing and able from the Father and the Son, to give you what you wait upon him for, in his way, above what you are able to ask, or to think how you should ask; (z) 1.45 Thus God who is a Spirit is to be worshipped, in spirit and in truth, (*) 1.46 Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity.

3. Quest. How, and in what condition did this God (thus distinguished) make you and all man∣kinde at the first in Adam?

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Answ. God made me and all mankinde at the first in Adam after his own Image, (a) 1.47 righteous both in soul and body, (b) 1.48 and so, in a blessed condition (c) 1.49 .

God that made all things of nothing for his own glory, made Adam a perfect man, the most excellent of all creatures upon earth, little low∣er then the Angels in heaven, (d) 1.50 For he made him his son and heir of all things, creating his body and the parts thereof, (e) 1.51 apt materiall instruments for the service of an immateriall divine soul, actually free from diseases, pains, weaknesses, sorrows, and all infirmities that might make it subject to death: (f) 1.52 Giving him such an upright countenance, stature, and gate, as caused all the creatures to obey him, and to stand in awe of him, * 1.53 whereby he was every way fitted to rule over them; (g) 1.54 And as God made man like himself in his Majesty in regard of his body, so he breathed a living soul into him of a spirituall substance like himself, (h) 1.55 writing a law in his heart, (i) 1.56 and giving him a positive law, (k) 1.57 and ability by his upright reason to know them both, by his naturall affections to take delight in them, by his liberty of will freely and fully to obey them. (l) 1.58 And through his being in his whole person conformable to Gods will, and fit and able to serve and obey him, he had perfect and immediate communion with God, (m) 1.59 peace of conscience in the view of his righteous, blessed condition, comfort in his dwelling, (n) 1.60 food, (o) 1.61 labour, (p) 1.62 relation, (q) 1.63 and in all the creatures, wanting nothing that his upright reason could conceive or desire to make him happy upon earth.

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And as God made man righteous not im∣mutable; but left to the freedome of his will: * 1.64 So he made a covenant with him, (r) 1.65 promi∣sing him life and immortall blessednesse in this world upon his personall and perfect keeping of the law written in his heart, (s) 1.66 and the posi∣tive law of the tree of good and evil. * 1.67 For the summe of the covenant or law of works was Doe this, that is, perfectly keep my law and thou shalt live: And if thou doe it not, that is, if thou transgresse my law thou shalt die the death: unto which Adam in his heart did re∣ally assent; Now as Adam: So you, and all mankinde were created in him after Gods own image, (t) 1.68 and in a blessed condition every way as he was; And when God made a covenant with Adam he made it with you, and all mankinde in him, promising you (as he did him) immortall glory upon earth upon your doing what he required, and enabled you to do; * 1.69 which should make you not only to have good thoughts of God, if you had nothing else to move you to it: But constrain you also, to admire God, (u) 1.70 to love him, and to glo∣rifie him according to the knowledge you have of him, (x) 1.71 for his goodnesse to you in giving you virtually a glorious being in Adam, (y) 1.72 and actually a wonderfull being in the wombe, (z) 1.73 and for continuing of it unto you, in and from the wombe unto this day, (*) 1.74 being he was not bound to give you any being at all.

4. Quest. Did you and all mankinde keep the Image of God, and continue in that righteous and blessed estate that you were made in at the first in Adam?

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Ans. I and all mankinde sinned in Adam, (a) 1.75 and so lost the Image of God, and our blessed estate in Paradise, (b) 1.76 and became liable to all curses temporall, spirituall and eternall (c) 1.77 .

God that governs all things for the praise of himself, (d) 1.78 and the eternall good of his, (e) 1.79 suffered not only the reprobate Angels to sin and fall, and so to become devils; (f) 1.80 But the first man Adam also (by the motion of Eve that was first in the transgression by the temptation of the devil in the serpent) (g) 1.81 to transgresse his law (and in it the ten com∣mandments) in the eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, (h) 1.82 and thereby to loose his Image (i) 1.83 as a just punishment inflicted upon him for the ill use he had made thereof; and so he became a childe of wrath, a servant of sinne and Satan, and not onely unconformable to the law of God, and unapt, and unable to serve God, and to rule over all other creatures: but polluted also with originall sin in his whole person, and subject to all curses both of body and soul here, and hereafter, (k) 1.84 without the least hope of help or redresse in or from himself, or any other creature.

Now as Adam; So you and all mankinde in him transgressed the law of God, and so broke the covenant of works, for he by Gods appointment stood in the room of all; (m) 1.85 And therefore his sin was imputed to you, and counted yours at your first breathing in the wombe, (n) 1.86 for which God might justly have given you a second breathing in hell; And as Adam, so you by sinning in him lost the Image

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of God, and became a childe of wrath, (o) 1.87 a slave of sin and Satan, (p) 1.88 and wholly cor∣rupted in your whole man with originall sin, which was conveied unto you from your parents by naturall generation; (q) 1.89 And therefore you were conceived in sin, (r) 1.90 and born with a blinde minde, (s) 1.91 a stubborn will, (t) 1.92 a hard heart, (u) 1.93 disordered affections, (x) 1.94 and with a body defiled with sin from the crown of the head to the sose of the foot, (y) 1.95 where∣by you became not only unfit and unable to perform any acceptable service to God, (z) 1.96 and uncapable to partake of life by a covenant of works: (a) 1.97 But prone, and apt also to evil, and that continually; (b) 1.98 And if you had your due according to the desert of the sin, you sinned in Adam, God might in his justice fur∣ther punish you with all the curses of this life and the life to come, (c) 1.99 But you cannot but sin actually through the body of sin in you; (d) 1.100 And as often as you have transgressed the law of God, (e) 1.101 by committing of evil in thought, word, or deed, therein forbidden, or omitting of, or failing in duty therein required: (f) 1.102 So often, over and over, you have deserved eter∣nall death and damnation. And although you may (by the light of nature and the word through the help of the priviledges and ordi∣nances you partake of in a visible Church, and the common grace of the spirit, you may re∣ceive thereby) repent as Iudas did, Matth 27.3, 4, Beleeve as the devils and hypocrites doe, Iam. 2.19, 20. Fast and pray as the Scribes and Pharisees did, Luk 18.11, 12. and perform all manner of duties for the outward acts of them

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that either the letter of the law or Gospel re∣quires as temporary beleevers doe, * 1.103 Luk. 8.13. Yet it is impossible you should thereby either please God, escape hell or obtain heaven, Heb 11.6. Ioh. 3.36.8.24. Because you have already transgressed the law and broken the covenant of works both virtually in Adam, and actually in your own person, and you can∣not satisfie the justice of God for the breach of his law for time past, by any thing you can do or suffer for God, Gal. 3.10. neither can you personally and perfectly keep the law for time to come, 1 Ioh. 1.8. if the justice of God were satisfied for the breach of the law for time past; What you think of these things, God that understands the thoughts of your heart best knows; I conceive, that when ever Christ shall send forth his spirit in the mini∣stery of the law to convince you of sin origi∣nall and actuall, * 1.104 and of curse and wrath due to you for the same, and of the insufficiency of any creature to free you from it, you will be so pricked in heart, and brought into bondage and terrour (which is called legall repentance or humiliation) with the sence of your sinfull, cursed, lost condition, as that you will crie out in your heart at least, what shall I doe to be saved? (g) 1.105 And indeed, Christ will not be Christ to you, nor the Gospel, Gospel, (though you hear of the sound thereof) untill you re∣ceive the spirit of bondage to work you to such a frame and temper of heart, (h) 1.106 Go then and learn what that meaneth, They that be whole need not a Physitian, but they that are sick: as who say, not the righteous, but the sensible lost

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sinners have need of a Saviour.

And wait upon God in the Ministery of the law, (the ordinary means by which he con∣vinces people of sin and miserie) [i] 1.107 for to have your sinfull lost condition further revealed to you, for you are lost, without sense of losse, [k] 1.108 so as that you cannot see a need of a Savi∣our, untill God discover it to you [l] 1.109 neither can you rightly beleeve in Christ, untill you see an absolute need of Christ.

5. Quest. Hath God utterly forsaken you, and all mankinde in this sinfull, cursed condition you are fallen into?

Answ. God so loved the world, that he gave his onely begotten Son: that whosoever beleeveth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life. [a] 1.110

The infinite wise God that out of his meer will and pleasure [b] 1.111 chose some Angels to glory [c] 1.112 and in Christ some men [d] 1.113 to ever∣lasting glory for the manifestation of the ex∣ceeding riches of his grace, * 1.114 [e] 1.115 and left the rest eternally to perish, [f] 1.116 for the expression of his justice against sin, [g] 1.117 and both for his ho∣nour: Did not deal with the elect Angels and fallen mankinde as he dealt with the fallen Angels, for he left them without a remedie: [h] 1.118 but confirmed the standing Angels, [i] 1.119 by the personall mediation of Christ; And so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son, by his purpose from eternity, [k] 1.120 (according to the covenant of grace he had made with Christ from everlasting, and in him with all the elect, as his seed, Isa 43.10.49.8. Heb. 7.22,) by promise in the beginning, [l] 1.121 offering

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himself freely to Adam, and to all, without excluding any, * 1.122 to be a reconciled God through the promised Messiah, as if he never had been offended: Afterward making a covenant with Abraham upon his believing, to be his God to justifie, sanctifie, protect and save him: (m) 1.123 adding thereunto the signe of circumcision a seal of the righteousnes of faith: And promi∣sing not only to be his God, but also to be a God to his children (n) 1.124 in outward priviledges and ordinances that they were capable of, whereby they might partake of inward grace; And therefore he required him to walk up∣rightly before him, (o) 1.125 to give up his children to him to cause every manchilde of them to be circumcised the eight day, (p) 1.126 and to bring them up under his ordinances for him, (q) 1.127 And as many of them, whether they were born Jews, or made Jews by profession as the proselytes were, (r) 1.128 as walked in the steps of their father Abraham, were blessed with him, in having the Lord for their God, as he had. (s) 1.129

And in the fulnesse of time God according to his promise, sent his Son, (t) 1.130 Who was God and man in one person, (u) 1.131 perfect God, from eternity, (x) 1.132 perfect man in time, con∣ceived by the holy Ghost with originall righte∣ousnesse, and so without sinne; (y) 1.133 born of the virgin Mary, (z) 1.134 and so dwelt among us in our nature (a) 1.135 subject to all the infirmities thereof, sinne onely excepted; (b) 1.136 Ordained of God to be a prophet to teach, (c) 1.137 a Priest to satisfie and pray for, (d) 1.138 a King to rule, and to deliver his people; (e) 1.139 Filled in his Manhood by the Godhead at his conception,

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but more abundantly at his baptisme withall fulnesse of grace, [f] 1.140 whereby he was fitted to fill us all with all grace sufficient to salvati∣on, and to fulfill all righteousnesse for us; For he undertaking out of his meer love to be our surety, [g] 1.141 was bound not onely to doe for us what God required of us in the covenant of grace, and what we could net doe, [h] 1.142 name∣ly to fulfill the Morall law, and to give us grace to beleeve, [i] 1.143 and live to him: But in∣gaged also to suffer for us what Gods justice did require, and what we could not suffer, to wit the penalty of the breach of the law, [k] 1.144 And therefore God passed by, and spared us, and spent his justce on Christ, laying on him the iniquities originall, and actuall of us all, and all the curse and wrath due to us for the same: [l] 1.145 so as that Christ suffered from his conception, [m] 1.146 untill his resurrection, more especially in the garden, and on the crosse all the wrath that Gods justice did require, or our sins did deserve; [n] 1.147 And though his suffer∣ings of body and soul were finite for time, yet they being the sufferings of him that was, and is God, [o] 1.148 they were of infinite worth, even to the satisfying of Gods infinite justice; [p] 1.149 And thus Christ did doe the office of a Medi∣atour in both natures betwixt God and us, [q] 1.150 and by his active and passive obedience did re∣deem us from eternall death, [r] 1.151 and merit for us everlasting life. [s] 1.152 And as Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, [t] 1.153 was crucified dead and buried [u] 1.154 to take away our sins, [x] 1.155 according to the determinate councell of God, [y] 1.156 else all the world could not have

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crucified him: [z] 1.157 So he rose again the third day for our justification, [a] 1.158 and fourty daies after ascended into heaven, [b] 1.159 to prepare a place of glory, for us, [c] 1.160 and now sits at Gods right hand, executing for us his Propheticall, Priestly, and Kingly offices; [d] 1.161 whereby Pastours, teachers, and other officers of the Church are given to us, and gifts, and graces, to fit them for the same, [e] 1.162 for the revealing, and applying of Christ for salvation to as ma∣ny of us as are ignorant of him, [f] 1.163 and have not as yet received him: And for the accept∣ing, [g] 1.164 building up, perfecting, and well governing of us that are called to be Saints, [h] 1.165 untill he come the second time to judge both quick and dead, [i] 1.166 and so receive us up to glory.

* 1.167 Now as God out of his meer love for Christs sake that was to come made a Gospel-covenant under the old Testament with Abraham to be a God to him and his, annexing the seal of circumcision thereunto: So God out of his good will and pleasure for Christs sake that is now come, makes the same Gospel-covenant under the new Testament, [k] 1.168 (for the cove∣nant of grace is the same alwaies [l] 1.169 though divers for administration) freely offering him∣self to be a God through Christ to as many as shall repent and beleeve, [m] 1.170 and to their chil∣dren, as he promised, and was to Abraham, and to his seed: instituting baptisme in the room of circumcision to be the first seal thereof unto them. [n] 1.171 And therefore through Gods love to you for your parents sake as instruments (if either of them were a beleever) God at

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once did virtually call you, and outwardly take you into covenant with your parents, (o) 1.172 so as that you had a right to baptisme from birth, (p) 1.173 being born outwardly a Christian, holy, and in covenant, (q) 1.174 as a Jew was born a Jew, holy, and in covenant, (r) 1.175 though in∣wardly sinfull, a childe of wrath, and a stranger to God. (s) 1.176

Whereupon by your parents means you were in your infancy given up to the Lord, and baptized with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost, to as∣sure you that as God did declare himself at your baptisme to be your God according to his promise (t) 1.177 in offering his whole Christ in the baptismall water (u) 1.178 to regenerate you, and his spirit to be a seal thereof unto you: (x) 1.179 So he will be your God (y) 1.180 and you shall be his childe, and Christ will be your Saviour and you his servant, (z) 1.181 and the spirit your sanctifier, and you his dwelling house: (a) 1.182 if you will but now (according to your bounden duty, for you are ingaged by baptisme to be wholly and only the Lords) accept of God for your God, of Christ for your Saviour, of the spirit for your Comforter as they freely offer themselves to you in the word, (b) 1.183 and give up your self to the service of that God in whose name you were baptized (c) 1.184 So as that by this you may perceive that God hath not utterly left you in that sinfull cursed condition you are fallen into: but hath out of his meer mercy given you a right to his covenant, Act. 2.39.3.••5. called you by his name, Heb. 8.10, declared you actually by baptisme a member

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of his Church (for you were admitted at your baptisme into the visible Church of Christ) 1 Cor. 12.13. priviledged you to partake of his lively oracles, Rom. 3.2. and set you in a way, whereby you may be in a farre better estate, then ever you were in at the first in Adam (d) 1.185 Which great love of God should not onely move you to endeavour to glorifie him by be∣leeving and living to him: (e) 1.186 But melt you also with godly sorrow (which is called evangelicall repentance or humiliation) that you have wearied him with your sins, that you have pierced his Christ with your iniqui∣ties, (f) 1.187 that you have neglected him that hath regarded you from eternity, and from the beginning of time hitherto; which good work, Gods love will be∣gin in you, if once the spirit of Christ be poured out upon you; (g) 1.188 Therefore dili∣gently attend the Ministery of the Gospel the ordinary means for the revelation of the spi∣rit, (h) 1.189 that you may receive the spirit of Christ, for to convince you of Gods love in giving of Christ to be our righteousnesse, (i) 1.190 for to affect your heart with it: for to help you to beleeve it, and to cry Abba Father (k) 1.191 for the further revealing, and applying of it, for your comfort here, and eternall salvation hereafter.

6 Qu••st Will God save all men by Iesus Christ, whom he sent into the world to save sinners?

Answ. He that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life, he that beleeveth not the Son, shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him. (a) 1.192

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The free grace of God hath so far appeared to all where the Gospel cometh, as that God freely offers his whole Christ unto all (b) 1.193 without excluding of any effectually to call his who are amongst this all, to unite them by faith unto him, to beget them anew, to recon∣cile them to himself, to adopt them for his, to pardon them all their sinnes, to redeem them out of the hands of all their enemies, to make them wise unto salvation, to sanctifie them throughout both in their bodies and souls, and everlastingly to save them; (c) 1.194 Whereby he plainly shews that he damns none under the Gospel meerly because he will, (d) 1.195 but also because people will not accept of his Christ freely offered unto them; (e) 1.196 And yet God is so free, in his free grace, as that he saves none by it, but his chosen vessels of mercy for whom onely Christ died, (f) 1.197 and to whom onely power is given to beleeve; (g) 1.198 And therefore though you were born a Christian of Christi∣ans, descended of the stock of the godly, bap∣tized in your infancie, and have had Christ in the word and Sacraments freely offered unto you, to be all in all to save you: yea, though you professe to have all repentance, and faith, and to doe and suffer the will of God in every thing; yet all your all, and Christ that is all in all, will avail you nothing at all to your justification and salvarion without the faith of Gods elect, which worketh by love, works of holinesse to God, works of righte∣ousnesse to men. (h) 1.199 O then, trust not in your priviledges, professions of faith, performances, tears, repentances, good meanings, devotions,

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good praiers, good deeds, many sufferings, nor in your joyes, inlargements, nor in any of your own righteousnesses or graces: (i) 1.200 But count all your all, nothing at all, without Christ, but such things as will rather condemn you, then justifie you, damn you, then save you; And all that you may win Christ, and be found in him, not having your own righte∣ousnesse, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnes which is of God by faith. (k) 1.201

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) 1.202 and I cannot say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost. (b) 1.203

It pleased the Father since the fall of Adam, that all fulnesse of grace should dwell in the Lord Jesus Christ, (c) 1.204 that all his, might, in their measure, receive of that fulnesse grace for grace (d) 1.205 So as that neither you nor any of man∣kinde have any grace (e) 1.206 (nor can have untill you come to Christ for it, (f) 1.207 ) either to repent, beleeve, or to doe any thing that is acceptable to God; (g) 1.208 Nay, you are so farre from ha∣ving naturally a sufficiencie of grace to be∣leeve, (h) 1.209 and so, to be saved, if you will: as that you can neither know, (i) 1.210 nor desire, (k) 1.211 nor come to Christ (l) 1.212 no not, with all the help of all the men, means, and ministery of grace in the world, (m) 1.213 But as God shall give you to know, (n) 1.214 desire him, and beleeve in him, (o) 1.215 For faith is the supernaturall gift and free grace of God, (p) 1.216 whereby a sensible

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lost sinner is enabled to know, and perswaded to receive Christ, (q) 1.217 as offered in the Gos∣pell, (r) and to rest upon him alone for sal∣vation; (s) 1.218 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) 1.219 it is the act of man as he closes with, (u) 1.220 and rests upon Christ, (x) 1.221 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, * 1.222 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. * 1.223 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:

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at that time, God gives you to beleeve: (y) 1.224 And then, you are in the judgement of charity, effectually called, in covenant with God, Gen 15.6. (z) 1.225 united to Christ, (a) 1.226 regene∣rated, (b) 1.227 justified, (c) 1.228 reconciled to God, (d) 1.229 adopted, (e) 1.230 redeemed, (f) 1.231 sanctified, (g) 1.232 in∣teressed in all the promises of God; (h) 1.233 yea, and in all the priviledges of the Saints be∣longing to this life, and the life to come. (i) 1.234 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) 1.235 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) 1.236 quicken your dead heart to say, Lord, when thou saiest let every one that will come, my heart saith Draw me, (m) 1.237 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) 1.238

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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) 1.239 and in hear∣ing, (b) 1.240 praying, (c) 1.241 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) 1.242

The great God of heaven whose power hath no limits but his own will, * 1.243 hath bound us (though not himself) to use means for the obtaining of the mercy and free grace he be∣stows upon his; (e) 1.244 And therefore he hath appointed you to hear him in the ministery of his word, and not only to hear the word read, (f) 1.245 opened, (g) 1.246 preached, (h) 1.247 repeated, (i) 1.248 in private, in publique, at ordinary, and ex∣traordinary times: (k) 1.249 But also to reade the word, (l) 1.250 to ponder of it, (m) 1.251 to conferre a∣bout it, (n) 1.252 and to suffer your self to be ca∣techised, and examined in it, (o) 1.253 that you might thereby be taught the truth of misery, (p) 1.254 and the way to mercy by beleeving in Christ. (q) 1.255 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) 1.256 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) 1.257 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) 1.258 But you are especially

Page 24

to hear the Gospel preached, for it is not the law, but the Gospel that works faith; [u] 1.259 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] 1.260 yea, it is Christ that died for this very end that sinners might be pardoned, [y] 1.261 and that now lives to intercede for ever at Gods right hand that you are chiefly to look at, [z] 1.262 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, * 1.263 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

Page 25

said to have a door of faith opened unto you. [a] 1.264 Neverthelesse you are to use the same means aforementioned for the finishing of your faith already begun, [b] 1.265 and more, for now you may pray for the continuance and increase of your faith, [c] 1.266 and for a beginning, a continu∣ance, and a growth of all other graces that you are to adde to your faith, [d] 1.267 and for all things you see your self, yours, and all the Saints to want that is according to Gods will; [e] 1.268 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] 1.269 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] 1.270 and as it were pawns given us from the Lord to make us confident that he will give us what he hath promised; [b] 1.271 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; * 1.272 (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] 1.273 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

Page 26

the oath of God, to seal up that evidence unto you (k) 1.274 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, * 1.275 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, * 1.276 and his bloud drink indeed, to nourish up your soul to everlasting life, and to perfect the grace begun in you; (l) 1.277 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) 1.278 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

Page 27

beleeve or no, as established beleevers some∣times may as well as weak Christians; (n) 1.279 Then begin (as if you never had beleeved before) and goe on to trust in God, (o) 1.280 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) 1.281 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) 1.282 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) 1.283 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) 1.284 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

Page 28

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) 1.285 and venture your soul upon Gods name, (u) 1.286 (as you would venture your temporall life to get unto a strong hold, * 1.287 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

Page 29

unto me what thou hast proclaimed thy self to be in thy word, mercifull, gracious, * 1.288 &c. (x) 1.289 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) 1.290 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) 1.291

9. Quest. What manner of life ought you to lead as you are a Christian, and one that professes to beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ?

Answ. I ought to live by the faith that I have in the Son of God, (a) 1.292 a godly, righteous, and a sober life, (b) 1.293 according to the rule of the word. (c) 1.294

The free grace of God that offers salvation to all, doth teach us, to deny all ungodlinesse, and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righte∣ously, and godly in this present world; (d) 1.295 and though you cannot live to God, untill you beleeve in Christ, (e) 1.296 yet, as you are a Christi∣an by name you should live so, as becomes the Gospel; (f) 1.297 and as you are a beleever, you should live by faith: (g) 1.298 beleeving that you have life, and righteousnesse in Christ, when you have none sensibly in your self, (h) 1.299 and that the whole covenant of grace, (i) 1.300 and all the promises shall be fulfilled and made yea

Page 30

and Amen to you in Christ, (k) 1.301 yea, that God will make Christ that is the root of sanctifica∣tion, by his spirit that is the sanctifier of his, to be all in all to sanctifie you, (l) 1.302 in your whole man, that is the subject of sanctifica∣tion; (m) 1.303 Thus (I say) you are to live by faith, that is the instrument by which we re∣ceive of Christs fulnesse grace for grace, (n) 1.304 as if you were required to doe nothing else, but onely to beleeve, and to live by faith: and yet you are to use all means, as private prayer, reading, meditation, conference: publique hearing, praying, receiving of the Sacrrments, exercise of discipline: and extraordinary pub∣lique, and private fasting, and thanksgiving, as if all your faith would avail you nothing, (o) 1.305 Meditate therefore in the law of God, that Christ preached as the rule of life for beleevers unto the end of the world, (p) 1.306 (For although beleevers be delivered from the morall law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are nei∣ther justified nor condemned: yet they are not freed from it as it is a rule of their obedi∣ence, Rom. 7.25. * 1.307 ) And endeavour first to knovv the generall meaning of every command∣ment, (q) 1.308 what duties are therein chiefly re∣quired, and what evils are chiefly forbidden, that you may know in some measure how to carry your self daily towards God, your self, and others; Afterward make it the businesse of your life (next to beleeving and constant immediate acting of faith on Christ alone for justification, salvation, and ability to know, and doe and suffer the will of God in every thing.) Particularly to know your duties to

Page 31

God in all respects, and to men in all relations, for this very end, that you may glorifie God in the performance of them: [r] 1.309 and so manifest your thankfulnesse to him, for your redempti∣on through the bloud of his Son. [s] 1.310 And if in processe of time after your first beleeving, (which you may partly know if you have not been very negligent in the observation of Gods work of grace in you) You finde upon strict and impartiall examination of your self, that you are of wicked, (before the love of God was shed abroad in your heart) become, out of love to God again, [t] 1.311 powerfully godly in your desires and endeavours, or of meerly morall, and civill, truly spirituall, and holy, or of formall, and hypocriticall, really sincere, and upright: Then you may comfortably conclude, that you have a lively faith, [u] 1.312 even the faith of Gods elect; that you are in Christ, [x] 1.313 and Christ in you, [y] 1.314 making you more, and more like to his, and your fa∣ther in holinesse; [z] 1.315 yet rely not so on your graces and sanctification, that is an evidence of your justification: as to neglect Christ, that is the authour and finisher of our faith; [a] 1.316 But be incouraged by it, to begin afresh, with a double strength (as one that hath sped well already in the work of the Lord) to act faith on Christ, that you may further know the truth of your adhering to him, and abiding in him, by bringing forth more fruites to Gods glory. Or if you be scrupulous whether you doe or ever did truly beleeve in Christ or no, and so be doubtfull whether your new obedi∣ence, love, repentance, self-deniall and the

Page 32

change of your inward and outward man be a work of true sanctification which flows from faith in Christ, or a piece of morall righteous∣nesse that may be in one that is in the state of nature, who may have something like every grace in a beleever: Then lay aside this doubt∣full work observing what it is, and when and how it was wrought in you; And begin to beleeve immediately in the Lord Jesus Christ (taking speciall notice of the time and the oc∣casion thereof) that is to understand, know, and to approve of Christ and of his wisdom, righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption as a necessary sutable good for you, and to chuse Christ to be all in all to teach, pardon, sanctifie, rule, and save you; And, if after this renewed act of beleeving you receive life from Christ to live to God, and in some mea∣sure to doe and suffer his will in every thing out of love and thankfulnesse unto him for his Christ: Then you may conclude that this is a true work of sanctification, and a piece of evangelicall righteousnesse, because it is an effect of faith which works by love, and you may have better evidence by this of the other work then formerly you had; However rest not in your graces and in your inherent righte∣ousnesse but on Christ alone and in his ever∣lasting righteousnes; And doe not neglect acting of faith upon Christ one moment of time, no not in the time of your trying the truth of your beleeving: But beleeve more that you may more and more out of love shew forth the vertues and graces of Christ who lo∣ved you and gave himself for you: That you

Page 33

may more and more glorifie your heavenly fa∣ther by your holy conversation: That you may more and more know the truth of your belee∣ving; For faith, or a full purpose of heart to cleave unto Christ, is the most constant evi∣dence of salvation (saving the testimony of the spirit) that a poor soul can have; * 1.317 There∣fore when you are tempted to question your faith doe not reason with Satan, but resist him: Doe not cast away your confidence, but en∣deavour to beleeve that you may know out of question that you doe beleeve, And say Lord, I desire to beleeve because thou commandest me to beleeve, help me to beleeve and com∣mand what thou pleasest; * 1.318 And truly if you doe desire to beleeve, you doe beleeve, for faith is not absent from those whose under∣standings are opened to know Christ, and whose wills are regenerated and made willing to receive him; Yea, if when God saies in his word, Ho every one that sees a need of my Christ, and that is willing to be governed, ru∣led, and sanctified by him as well as pardoned and saved, and that will take up his crosse and follow him, let them come and they shall have him: Your heart say, I, Lord, am lost with∣out thy Christ, and would have him as well to free me from sin as from hell: as well to work heaven in me as to procure it for me: as well to be my King, as Priest and Prophet, though I suffer the losse of all things for him; Then the spirituall match is made, your soul is mar∣ried to Christ: Then Christ and your soul are one spirit, and Christ and all that is his is yours, and you are his: And whereas you might be

Page 34

cast down to despair, in the sence of your ma∣ny failings, and daily transgression of the law, you are to know that though you ought to en∣deavour to be perfect as God is perfect, (c) 1.319 yet neither you, nor any Christian living can perfectly keep the law; (d) 1.320 Nay you are so far from living perfectly, as that there is no kinde of sin, but the blasphemie against the holy Ghost, but you, or any true beleever may commit it, if you be left of God, and gi∣ven up to Satan, and your sinfull selves; (e) 1.321 Notwithstanding this, you ought to beware of all manner of sin, (for neither God the Father, Son, nor holy Ghost, (f) 1.322 nor law, nor Gospel, nor old, nor new Testament allowes you any liberty in any sin;) (g) 1.323 and to re∣new your repentance, (which is a branch of sanctification) and faith; as the sins of your life, and corruptions of your nature are re∣newed; (h) 1.324 for the oftner you sin, and the more apt you are to fall, through the weaknes of your faith, as young children through the weaknes of their limbs, the more need you have of renewing your godly sorrow, (i) 1.325 and especially your faith on Christ in the promises of humbling, pardoning, purging, and strength∣ening grace; (k) 1.326 being you can neither be rightly humbled for sin, nor receive pardon of it, nor power against it, to forsake it (which is the truth of repentance) without renewed acts of beleeving in the Lord Jesus Christ. (l) 1.327 And if at any time in the following part of your life, you should loose the sence and sight of your faith, and of all other your by past and present graces, (for the best Saints may lose the

Page 35

sence of their grace, (m) 1.328 though not the grace it self,) (n) 1.329 and so be lest of God to walk in darknes, not knowing what God will doe with you, whether he will justifie you or con∣demn you, damne you, or save you: Then meditate of the folly, (though you be vile, yet you will wax worse and worse through un∣belief) danger, and disadvantages of unbe∣lief, (o) 1.330 that you may take heed of it; (p) 1.331 surely you can neither give glory to God, nor receive any good to your self by giving way to unbelief: (q) 1.332 Nay you cannot more dishonour God, (r) 1.333 nor more grieve the Spirit of God, (s) 1.334 nor more pierce Jesus Christ, (t) 1.335 nor more wrong your own soul, (u) 1.336 then by departing from God through an evil unbelieving heart; (x) 1.337 it is like the desperate act of a guilty condemned traitour, that studies mischief in his heart, and attempts the killing of his Judge, and all that have had a hand in his just condemnation, and afterward the murdering of himself; Medi∣tate (I say) of the evil of unbelief, so, as to eschew it: And call to remembrance that there is free grace, and mercy enough with God, (y) 1.338 that there is merit, righteousnesse, and grace enough in Christ, (y) 1.339 that you are a creature capable of it in that you are not a devil, (z) 1.340 and in that you have not blasphemed against the holy Ghost if you penitently fear it: (a) 1.341 That you cannot any way glorifie God more then by beleeving; (b) 1.342 And begin with all your might (as if you never had begun aright before) to trust, and rely wholly upon the mercy of God, and the merits of Christ, for justification, sanctification, salvation, and for

Page 36

all things thereunto belonging; * 1.343 (c) 1.344 and say, Lord, I have deserved eternall death, and dam∣nation, as often as I have transgressed the law, (d) 1.345 I lie at thy mercy, I am thy creature, I leave my lost soul with thee, doe with me what thou pleasest, though thou kill me, yet I will trust in thee, and so endeavour to give glory to thee; And if God perswade and in∣able you so to doe, then you may be said to have as true a faith, (though not as strong a faith) as the most established beleevers have; (e) 1.346 Neverthelesse, make use of the word, and Sa∣craments, and signes of faith, as you have been already directed, for to establish you in belee∣ving; And endeavour while you live to glo∣rifie God here by beleeving, and living so, as he would have you in his word, (f) 1.347 and so, as one that doth verily hope, and expect to live with the Lord hereafter in glory. (g) 1.348 The more holy you are the more communion you will have with God, the more evidence you will have of your salvation: The more glory you will bring to God here, and the more glo∣ry you will receive from the Lord hereafter; (h) 1.349 And on the contrary the more you neglect sanctification (though you be a true beleever) the more God will chastise you temporally and spiritually, and the lesse communion you will have with God, the lesse assurance of salvation, the lesse glory you will give to God in this world, and the lesse glo••y you will receive from the Lord in the world to come; (i) 1.350 You cannot be too holy, nor live too strictly, being you must give a strict account of all your words and works, and be accordingly rewarded. (k) 1.351

Page 37

10. Quest. What will become of you, at the hour of death, and at the day of judgement, if you beleeve in Christ and shew forth your faith by a god••y life?

Answ I living and dying in the faith, my soul shall goe to heaven, and be with Christ, (a) 1.352 my body to the earth, untill the day of judge∣ment, and then it shall be raised again, united to my soul, and so, I shall be ever with the Lord in glory (b) 1.353 .

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath of his good pleasure prepared an heavenly kingdome for his elect from the foun∣dation of the world: * 1.354 (c) 1.355 so, as that if you have the faith of Gods elect, when, where, or how you die, you will die in the Lord, and so be blessed: (d) 1.356 for your soul shall go to God that gave it, and be with Christ: (e) 1.357 your bo∣dy indeed shall go to the earth from whence it came, but it shall be in mercy as to a resting place; (f) 1.358 And when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangell, and with the trump of God, Then your dead body among the dead in Christ shall be raised again, united to your soul, made like to the glorious body of Christ now in heaven, and so you shall be ever with the Lord in glory; (g) 1.359 seeing him face to face as he is, and partaking of those joyes for ever∣more that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard of, nor heart conceived (h) 1.360 .

But know, and take notice, that as God hath prepared for his an inheritance eternall in the heavens: So he hath out of his infinite justice prepared eternall torments for all sorts

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of ignorant, impenitent, unbeleeving reprobate sinners; [i] 1.361 so as that, if you should live, and die wilfully in ignorance not knowing God, or desperately in unbelief, not obeying the G••spel, or presumptuously, in professing and faining to have faith, and yet living either o∣penly prophanely, meerly civilly, and morally, or secretly formally, and hypocritically: then, though you be a Christian by name, and a be∣leever by profession, yet you will thereby de∣clare your self to be a reprobate indeed: [i] 1.362 and so be cursed here, and hereafter: Here in all conditions and relations; [k] 1.363 Hereafter both in soul and body for ever, For as soon as your last breath goes out of your nostrils, so soon will your soul be in torments: [l] 1.364 and though your body shall go to the earth untill the day of judgement, yet it shall be in wrath; and shall be by the power of Christ as an offen∣ded Judge, raised again in dishonour, [m] 1.365 united to your soul: and so you shall be judged by Christ and the elect [n] 1.366 to go into ever∣lasting torments prepared for the devil and his angels. [o] 1.367 Behold I have set before you, life and death, heaven and hell, salvation and damnation, * 1.368 and as it were two eternities, eter∣nall blisse, and eternall curse: If you know God, obey the Gospel, beleeve in Christ, and live to him, you shall have (through free mercy) life, and heaven, and salvation, and everlasting joyes: [p] 1.369 If on the contrary you be wilfully ignorant of God, [q] 1.370 or desperately depart from God through unbelief, [r] 1.371 or presume that you do beleeve, and yet neither shew forth your faith by works of holinesse to God, nor

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works of righteousnesse to men, [s] 1.372 Then you will die in your sins, [t] 1.373 and will be (through the just justice of God) cast into hell, [u] 1.374 and punished for ever, not onely with pain of losse of the glorious presence of God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, of holy Angels, of sanctified Saints, and of heaven it self, and the joyes thereof: [x] 1.375 But also, with the pain of sence in suffering the torments of the damned in hell, where you shall see nothing but darknes, * 1.376 devils, and damned creatures: Where you shall here nothing but the blasphemies, and dreadfull curses, and yellings of your self, and fellow-cursed creatures: where you shall taste and feel nothing but hellish torments un-by-any-phancy-conceivable both in soul and body for ever, and ever, and ever. [y] 1.377 O eternity! eternity! eternity! Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. [z] 1.378 And think of the fear∣full effects of unbelief so, as to take heed of it, [a] 1.379 even as of hell it self: accounting it a worse, and a more wofull thing to commit sin against God, and to crucifie Christ afresh through unbelief: then to be vexed with the miseries of hell; And remember that you have an immortall soul, a soul that must be as an Angel in heaven, [b] 1.380 or as a devil in hell after this life: [c] 1.381 a soul that is better then a whole world, [d] 1.382 which God hath given you for this very end that you might seek his glory and the salvation of it, by beleeving in his Son; For this is the work of God (that he chiefly re∣quires of you while you live) that you beleeve on him whom he hath sent. [e] 1.383 O then so∣lemnly

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set upon this work of God while it is called to day, for the night cometh when no man can work; [f] 1.384 and by how much the more you have neglected it for time past: by so much the more be diligent in it for time to come; For this end study Christ and the whole mystery of Christ from his divine nature unto his incarnation, and so to his exaltation; (g) 1.385 The more you know of Christ the more you will be incouraged to beleeve in him; (h) 1.386 The more you beleeve in Christ the more you will be enabled to live to him; (i) 1.387 And the more you know of Christ the more you will be provided for against doubts, desertions, temptations, the troubles of the world, and the depths of sin, and Satan; (k) 1.388 Therefore I counsell you to studie the great mystery of god∣linesse: God manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, beleeved on in the world, received up to glory. (l) 1.389 And improve Jesus Christ, and not only Christ, and the spirituall meaning of his conception, birth, natures, offices, life, death, resurrection, ascention, and intercession at Gods right hand for ever: But also the most powerfull ministery, holiest company, best books, all means of grace, all Sermons, all Sab∣baths, both the Sacraments and all holy duties at all times in all places both in publique and in private, for the furthering of your self to give glory unto God by beleeving; (m) 1.390 Happy were you that ever you were born, if you should exercise your self in the duty or work of be∣leeving all your daies, if you could but thereby attain the faith of Gods elect! (n) 1.391

Notes

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