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I confeffe there are feverall degrees of this fenfibleneffe; neither dare I to affigne the height and latitude of it unto the tearmes of horror and terror, (that is) that a perfon must be alwayes and neceffarily anguished with extremities of amazement and dejections, before he can believe in Chrift: No, though these fharp throwes are manifeft in fome, yet I dare not make them a rule for all only this I fay, that the heart believes not,it looks not towards Chrift, till it feel it self to be finful, and lost by reason of fin; and that there is no poffibility of fubfiftence in it felf: And now there is room for faith when I feel my felf a finner; now there is reafon for me to look upon a Saviour, and when I am fenfible of my own vilene fe; now is there reafon to look upon another righteou/neffe; and when I perceive my own loftness,now is there cause to look after that falvation which God hath put in the Lord Jefus Christ.

Me thinks that of Christ, he came not to call the righteous, but finners, that he is fent to finde that which is lost, that the whole need not a Phyfitian,but the fick; that he is fent to preach liberty to the captives, do abundantly confirme this truth: Yea, and our own experiences gives in a clear evidence, that not only in the beginning,but in the progreffe of our converfion, our eyes are then most upon Chrift, to look after bim, and to prize him when we are moft fenfibly acquainted with our own finfulnesse, and miferableneffe of condition.

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SECT. III.

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"He Seat or babitation of faith, is the heart or will: Scriptures are copious in this, Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse, acts 8. 37. And Philip faid,if thos believeft with all thy heart thou mayeft, and he answered and faid I believe that fefus Chrift is the Son of God, Rev. 22. ver. 11. whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

faith.

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There be who diftinguish 'twixt three kindes of

Fift, Credere deum, which is a univerfall and large conception of a God, when the understanding is perfwaded, (beyond A

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theifme)

Sedes.

3.

2.

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theifme) to believe that there is a God.

Secondly, Credere Deo, and this is fuch a difpofition of the understanding, by which it gives credit or belief to that God, fpeaking and revealing, as to one who is truth,and cannot lye.

Thirdly,Credere in Deum, which is not only a credence to God, as true in his Nature and Word; but a reliance on him with the will, and embracing of him and his truth and goodness with the affections.

Now juftifying faith,or faith in Chrift, is comprehended in this latter kinde of believing. For the better apprehending of this, obferve a few things (viz.) First, the things which God doth propound unto us are of different ends and uses, fome are propounded meerly to be known, of which fort fome conjecture many hiftoricall pafages in the Word, and many predictions, and many Genealogies; Some are propounded, not only to be known,but alfo to be done, as the Divine Precepts, or Commandments ; fome are propounded to be known, and to be avoided, or declined, as all the comminations and threatnings in the Word against finners: Some are propounded to be known, and to be embraced with the will and affections, of which fort are all the Promifes of God,and Jefus Christ our Lord. All thofe parts of the Word which conteine our good, and our good to be embraced. They have a neceffary and naturall reference to the will of man, which is planted in us by God, to be converfant about all that which reipects our good. Since then Jefus Chrift is our good, both per fonally confidered, and alfo vertually confidered;faith therefore as converfant about him, must naturally be planted in the will.

That there are two parts (as it were) of faith.

One is imperfect, and in compleat, yet is it a neceffary ingre dient unto faith, and this refpects the understanding, when we are fupernaturally illightned, to fee the Gospel and Jefus Chrift in it revealed to be a Saviour; yea,and we do affent or acknowledge the fame Gofpel to be a word of truth, and that whatfoever it doth affirme of Jefus Chrift,it is infallibly true, and divinely certaine. The Gospel as the Word of truth, is the object of this, and therefore the understanding is to apprehend and acknowledge it.

Another

Another is perfect, (I fpeak of an effential perfection, not of that which is gradual, and intenfive,) which takes in the formall and vital nature of faith, as juftifying: Now this doth not reft, in any operation of the minde, or understanding, but immediately in the will, for the Gospel conteines both truth and goodneffe; It is the Word of truth, and the Gospel of Salvation. It doth not only make known a Saviour, and that it is most certain that he is God and man,and dyed for finners, but it doth offer the goodneffe of this Saviour unto me, which to accept, appertaines directly and immediately to the will: That of the Apoftle me thinks gives fome light to the matter in hand, Tim.1.¡5. This is a faithfull Saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave finners. That Jefus Chrift came to fave finners, is a truth not to be queftioned, and therefore the understanding is to acknowledge the fame And that he came to fave finners, is not only a truth revealed, but a goodneffe offered, and therefore it is worthy of all acceptation; Now as credence of the truth of it appertaines to the understanding, fo the acceptance of the goodneffe of it doth appertaine to the will: Yea,one word more: it is the proper work of faith, to conjoyne the foul with Chrift, to contract and efpoufe it, (as it were)but the foul is not conjoyned with Chrift by the meer opperation of the understanding, but by the confent of the will; Ergo, faith as juftifying, is immediately and formally in the will, and not nakedly in the understanding.

2.

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SECT. IV.

He proper and genuine act of faith, as justifying,or as converfant about Jefus Chrift, is acceptance, or receiving. Adus, This Doctrine Chrift bimfelf doth teach, and therefore it is true, and fure, John 1. 12. To as many as received him, be gave power to be the Sons of God, even to as many as believed in his Name. There you fee exprefly that believing is the receiving of Chrift. As if God came in thefe tearmes, I have appointed my Son to be made man, to be a Mediator and Redeemer, and he did live and dye for finners, to procure their peace and falvati

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Credence.

Acceptance.

Afurance.

on. Now I offer his perfon unto you, and with it all the merits and benefits purchased by him, take him in his person, in his offices, and in ail his vertues, if the heart doth now accept of the Lord Jesus. This is a lively and juftifying,and faving believing.

There are three acts of the foul which are converfant about Christ.

Firft, one is, I know affuredly, That Jefus Christ the Lord is the Saviour of finners. The Papifts generally make this the Royal Act of Faith, but this cannot be justifying faith,

because

First this as so, is but a truth apprehended,and not a received.

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Secondly, unbelieving hearts may enjoy this historicall affent meerly as affent.

2. Another is, I take this Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Saviour; I know affuredly he is a Lord and Saviour, and he offers himfelf unto poor finners, of whom I am chief, and I do accept of him to be my Lord and Saviour: Icaft my foul on him, I rest my self on him, my will and heart doth embrace and accept of him, only to be Lord and Saviour, him I do, and none but him I do accept.

3. A third is, know affuredly that Jefus Christ is my Lord and my Saviour. Many of the Lutherans (and fome of our own) bend this way, that the effential and proper Act of faith as juftifying, is affurance, and fo they do define it, that it is an affurance, a full assurance, a full perfuafion; whence it followes,

That no man believes, until he can truly fay I know that Chrift is mine, I know that he dyed for me, I know that my finnes are pardoned.

It is not meet to take Armes, and ftrike our own brethren; who I think in this rather, aimed to give us faith in its perfecti on, then in its proper and fubftantial nature.

These things muft needs be confeffet.

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1. That the affurance of faith may be possibly attained untó:God bath exhorted Chriftiaus to ftrive after affurance, yea, full affu rance; yea,the riches of full affurance, and no doubt, that not on

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ly Paul, but many a good Chriftian can fay, ( fome time or o-
ther) I am verily perfwaded, and that Chrift loved me, and
gave
him/elf for me.

2. That the affurance of faith is a most heavenly and comfortable
condition. Othe heavenly fweetneffe and divine folice, con-
tentment, affection! When I do not only poffefle Chrift, but I
know that I do poffeffe him. When I do not only take him to
be mine, but fee him to be mine; when he faith to me,
Be of good cheer, it is I, or be of good comfort, thy fins are forgiven

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Thirdly, that believers should strive after this affurance they
fhould not reft in the meer acceptance, but fhould contend in
prayer, for the evidence, and reflection of this faith, that Chrift
is theirs, and they know him affuredly to be theirs. For though
the estate of meere believing, is fure, yet that of affurance is
comfortable. That is a true day, when the Sun is rifing, but
when it comes to the higheft, the day is now glorious. Yet
this I deny, that affurance (I mean, that reflexive perswasion
that Chrift is mine) is the effentiall or proper set of faith, that
faith is not faith unleffe it be affurance.
affurance,

There are two acts of faith.

One without which faith cannot be justifying faith, and this is the acceptance or embracing of Christ, or that which fome call reliance and recombency.

"

Another, which in time faith may produce; and so assurance is an act of faith, not the nécefary act, but the circumftantiall act as it were, not the vitall act, but the eminent act; affurance of faith, is fire blazing, the acceptance of faith is fire truly burning, though not highly flaming; the more high faith doth rile at any time, the leffe doubtings there are, and the ore allurance. And d yet faith may be in truth, though it hath no reflexive allurance, but many doubtings: Why did thaw dompt ( [id Cheif) Othon of little faith? Faith, though. Jittle Faith, and faith, though doubting, as fire, though, much smoke, and yer no doubting, if faith were effentially affurance.

O how many fouls are there who prize none in the world like Chrift, who love him with all their hearts, who honour him with the highest regards of a Lord, who hates the enemies of his Scep ter, with a perfect hatred; who would not willingly offend, and

grieve

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