To All Christians Troubled and Disquieted

To the Christian Reader, salvation in Christ JESUS.

W Hen these few leaves were writ at the first (Christian Reader) it was not my meaning thus by print to have made them common, for they were writ vpō the request of a particular man, for the comfort and consolation of his troubled soul, but since one written coppy hath begot so many, and made me have so many suitors for moe, the number of afflicted consciences being in these days so many as I know they be, and they that have had the reading hereof already, reporting and confessing unto me that thereby they have been much comforted, though I know that it was not nor is not penned so exactly, nor yet the matter dealt in so substātially as things in these days to be published had need to be, yet I have suffered myself by the importunity of the godly that have requested even this at my hands to be ouerread, and so to publish it I hope for the benefit of all those that shall read it: for this I am sure of. I have so laid down comforts for the healing of the broken hearted Christian, that withal I have I hope taken all occasion from the profane and godless, of taking cause to be sure by anything here set down, which I take to be very necessary to be regarded in such preatises and discourses: wherefore be the Reader hereof a right and true Christian, or a carnal and counterfeyte Gospeller, he may in this short and brief tract find that which may be profitable for him: if he be of the later sort, then here shall he learn that where true justification in deed is, there is also sanctification, and that therefore he deceyues himself in presuming of the former, having never had any aquayntance with the later: and if he be of the first sort, be he weak, or strong in faith, here shall he find both matter to lead him on in his strength, and to raise him up in his weakness, and therefore take it unto thee Christian Reader, and learn to make thy profit of it according to thy heart, and a salve of it according to thy sore. That thou mayest thus do, I beseech the Lord to direct thee in reading of it with his spirit, and having done I pray thee recompense my good will in commending me unto God in thy hearty Prayers again. Farewell.

How a man shall be assured in his own conscience of his election, effectual vocation, and justification.

T His is certain, he that is desirous to know whether he be one whom God hath elected, and according to the same his election effectually called and justified, he is to consider whether he be yet sanctified or no, and thereby to judge of his election, vocation, and justification: for where this sanctification is found, there the partye that hath it in possession, is assured that he is the chosen child of God effectually called unto that estate, and in Christ Jesus justified, and so in the ende sure to be glorified, as it may well and euidentelye appear both by the judgment of Peter, and also of Paul, whereof, the first exhorting to the particular branches of sanctificatiō, as namely to knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, addeth this as a reason to add force unto his exhortation, Breethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, ye shall never fall. 2. Pet. 1. verse 5. and the other Rom. 8. as he assureth those that be in Christ of their election, vocation, and justification, yea and in the end, of their assured glorification, saying, there is no condemnation to those that be in Christ Jesus, so he in the words immediately following, teacheth how to know those y ^t be in Christ, and so consequently those that be elected, called, justified, and in the end to be glorified, saying Which walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, which same lesson Christ our savior hath taught us, Math. 7. verse. 18. saying: A good tree cannot bring forth had fruit, nor yet a had tree can bring forth good fruit, and also John. 15. verse. 4. & 5. where he saith, as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me, I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. Heereby I say then it is evident, as seeking the cause why we are elected, called, justified, and finally shall be glorified, we find the only cause to be Christ Jesus, and therefore are enforced to acknowledge him the only door into the sheepfold John. 10. the way, the truth, and the life John. 14. and his name to be the only name whereby cometh saluatiō Act. 4. so we are compelled being asked who be elected, called, justified, and to be glorified, to answer, they only that join virtue to their faith, that walk not after flesh, but after the spirit, and so being good trees of the Lord's planting in Christ Jesus Esa. 61. and John. 13. bring forth the fruits of righteousness, that is, those only that be sanctified, for those y ^e word accounteth sanctified, in whom the sanctifying spirit showeth it self to dwell by the right fruits of the spirit, wrought in them, which all consist in sacrificing, crucifying, ••••• cising, mortifying, killing, and burying of the old man, and in putting on, ••••• ing, renewing, and strengthening of the new man, which representeth the image of God in holiness and righteousness, Ephesi. 4. If therefore to our eternal comfort we would be certifyed of this point, whether we be of the number of those that shall be saved, let us not seek to be resolved thereof by • urious entering into consideration of God's secret purpose, but let us in the revelation of Jesus Christ unto us, and in the assured tokens and mar • es of those whom God in him hath purposed to save, learn to know and understand what God's purpose is towards us. For as it is written by Paul in the first Chapter unto the Ephesians, and the third verse, In him it is, in whom the heavenly father hath blessed us in all manner of spiritual blessings in heavenly things, according as he had chosen us in him before the soundations of the world were • aid, that we should be holy and without blame before him thorough Love. In deed God in descending down to us, and in bringing us to full possession of his blessings, proceedeth by these steppes, being of nature good and loving towards mankind, though in mutable man there was found cause why he should altogether be shuffe from taking any benefit by this love of God towards him, ye, God being of nature immutable, • erseuered in his love towards mā, and • ō freely of his own good will purposeth the salvation of us men in his son Christ Jesus, and electeth and predectinateth us to be saved through and for him, before the foundations of the world, and therefore in time by promise revealeth this his purpose, and when the fullness of Tyme was come, sent him, in whom, by whom, thorough whom, and for whose sake his purpose should stand ratified and those, whose salvation in Christ thus promised and perform from everlasting he purposed those by his word and spirit, in his good time he maketh effectuallye to understand how able and willing he is only in his son Christ Jesus to justify: and there stayeth not, but by the same means he worketh faith in their hearts, whereby they catch hold of Christ, and so in him of full justification. Thus when he hath made them trees of righteousness of his own planting in Christ, then he so purgeth and trimmeth them, that they may bring forth much fruit to his glory in this life, that in y ^e world to come he may make thē partakers of his own glory: so that God of his own good will purposeth to sane, or electeth whom he list, and those he calleth whē he listeth, and them justifieth and sanctifieth here, that he may in his good time glorify elsewhere. Rom. 8.

But now, if we would know God's purpose of us, we have to begin at the lowest or last effect of his good purpose towards us, and thereby by degrees to ascend to find out what his absolute decree is to do with us: that is, let us consider whether we be sanctified or no, if not, it is in vain either to brag of Justification, Vocation or Election, or to presume of Glorification: until this be found in us, we can have no assurance of any of these: but when this is once sound in us, then forasmuch as none be sanctified, whom he hath not justified, and none justified, whom he hath not both effectually called in time, and elected before all times, and none ever was partaker of all these but in the ende also there was glorified, we may thereby assure our selves, that we are already justified and therefore called, called and therefore elected, and consequently such as shall be glorified.

Howbeit, as all is not gold that glisters: so all is not Sanctification or true holiness that seemeth so to be. For, we read in the 29. Chapiter of Isaiah of such as drew nigh to God with their lips, and yet were far from him in their hearts: and Isaiah 28. God in describing a people, in whom he found nothing but sin and transgression to be cried out of, yet saith thus of them, yet they seek me daily, and would know my ways, even as a nation that did righteously, and had not forsaken the statutes of their God: in these then there seemed to be holiness, and yet was none: So in the Scribes & Pharisees in Christ's time in the eyes and judgments of men, there seemed to be notable sanctification or holiness of life, insomuch, that in that respect Christ compareth them to such as made clean the utter side of the Cup, and of the Platter, and to painted tombs which appear beautiful outward. And yet there he denounceth many he any woes against them, & pronounceth them Hypocrites, Serpents, and generation of Vipers, Math. 23. And therefore Christ hath told us, Math. 5. verse 20. Excepte our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes & Pharisees, we shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven: & hath also warned us, that we be not like thē, neither in giving of alms, praying, nor fasting, Math. 6. The Angel of the Church of Sardis had a name y ^t he lived & yet was dead, Revel. 3. describing the wickedness of y ^e last times, he saith, that thē they shall have a show of godliness, out have denied y ^e power thereof. These places thē evidently do teach us to take heed that we do not flatter our selves, & think, y ^t therefore all is well w ^t us, because outwardly we appere to men sanctified & righteous, for we see here, y ^t it is not y ^t seeming but y ^t being righteous y ^t is proved of God as a mark & true token of those y ^t shall enter into Heuē. O thē how void are they of any true hope of saluatiō, in whō there is neither found holiness in deed, neither yet so much as an outward show thereof, being men which live so wickedly, that all men y ^t have any acquaintance & familiarity with them, see and behold their profane and wicked lives. But now let these alone, let us take this profit by this lesson, y ^t it standeth us upon to be righteous in deed, if we be desirous hereby to reap any assurance of our election and justification. And hereby let us take occasion to consider (least we be deceived in accounting our selves truly righteous, when we are not) what things be necessary to true righteousness.

For the understanding whereof, if we resort unto the Scriptures of God, thereby shall we learn, that true righteousness and perfect, is a ceasing from all the sins condemned in the law in heart, word, deed, and countenance, and an embracing all the virtues commended in the same, in heart, word, deed, and countenance. And further, thereby shall we plainly learn, that he that would walk in holiness and righteousness before the Lord, he hath to regard two principal things, the matter namely, that he exercise him self in, and the manner howe to do it: For, if either both of these, or one of these be neglected, the labor is lost. The matter of a good work is that only which is warranted lawful to be done, either expressly or by sound collection out of the Canonical Scriptures, for it is written ye shall put nothing unto the word that I command you, neither shall you take aught therefrō Deu. 4.2. and good reason is there why we should obey this precept, for the holy Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, and to instruct in righteousness, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect unto all good works, 2. Tim. 3. verse. 16.17. and therefore worthily Christ rejecteth all such works or points of his worship which have no ground out of she word, saying, Mat. 15. in vain they worship me, teaching for doctrines men's precepts, thereby telling the Pharistes though they were never so painful and devout in observing their own traditions, yet he would make no accompt of their so doing, but as of vain and lost labor. Upon this ground Paul Coloss. 2. condemneth all works that have no better warrant than the commandments and doctrines of men, though there be in them never so much show of wisdom, & humbleness of mind as vain & foolish, verse, 20. &c. By this rule all the will worshipping & will-works in Popery, lacking allowance from the word, are proved such as never could be matter of godliness. But when thou hast & such regard to the matter thou takest in hand, be it tending to the 〈◊〉 frō sin, or practice of virtue, that thou art assured out of the word, y ^t thou oughtest to be occupied therein, yet then hast thou not done: for unless y ^u do the same thing in right manner, it leeseth the power of a good work. It cannot be denied, but that alms and prayer to God, • e things commanded, & therefore good matter of godliness: but yet as it is evident, Math. 6. though y ^e Scribes & Pharistes did both these, yet were they not accounted good works then, because they were not done in right manner. The Lord in the first of Isaiah • elleth y ^e people, that he regarded not their sacrifices & burnt off • ings • yes he signifieth unto thē, y ^t he lothed them, & counted their labor therein bestowed vain, & their incense abomination, & yet it is well known, that then sh • s • 〈◊〉 were matters allowed and come •••• ded of God, yet because when they were done, they were not done as they ought to have been, therefore the Lord thus despyseth the doing thereof. Wherefore it is not enough, as the doltishe practice under Antichrist caused ••• les to believe, to give alms, to fast, to pray, to use the Sacraments, & never to care howe and in what sort to do these things: for we see, that though these things be done never so much and never so ost, yet, if they be not done in right manner, they are rejected of y ^e Lord as vain & as abominations in his sight. Now in their manner of doing these thiges are to be regarded. First, that they pro • eede (I mean all our actions) from a heart puristed by faith. For as 1. Tim. 2. verse 5. we be taught, y ^t the end, sum, or perfection of y ^e whole law, is Love: so are we told, y ^t it cometh out of a pure heart, & of a good conscience, saying, y ^e true christil love indeed is not found growing where there is no pure heart, neither can there be a pure heart where is not a good conscience, neither yet can this g • od conscience be where there is absent an vnsayned Faith: but where this vnsained faith is, that is, where a full and settled persuasion or assurance of saluatiō is through Jesu Christ alone wrought in the heart by the holy Ghoste, there is a good conscience, because, being justified by Faith, we have peace with God thorough our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5. & so there is also a pure heart, for it is faiths property to purify y ^e heart, Act. 15. verse. 9. And therefore is it writ̄, that by saith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11. verse 4. For if there had been faith in Cain as in Abel, his sacrifice had been as well accepted as Abel's, but even for lack of this, it was not. If therefore we lack faith in God, when we go about a good matter, we leese our labor, for it is impossible to please God w ^t out faith, Heb. 2. verse. 6. & therefore evē hereby all y ^e gay & glorious works of Turks, Jews, Atheists, Heretics, & Papists, are proved to be no good works at all in the sight of god, because they proc •• d frō such as are destitute of y ^e true Christian faith. Secondly, we must take heed, that our works be done in humility and lowliness of mind, taking our selves to be bound, as indeed we are, to do more than we do or can do, yea▪ being ready to say & think indeed, as Christ hath taught us, that whē we have done all y ^t is commanded us to do (which is impossible for us to do, Act. 15. Rom. 8. ) that we be but unprofitable servants. Luk. 17. Further, that this Humility must be of measure in us, that it cause us always to suspect our own weakness & infirmity, y ^t so there may be found in us a holy trembling & fear to offend our good God, in omitting the least necessary circumstance of a good work, as we be taught Phil. 2. verse. 12. in these words: Make an end of your salvation in sear & trembling. That this humility & lowliness of mind is necessarily to be joined w ^t exercizing our selves in good matters, Christ hath plainly taught us Luk. 18 in the parable of the Pharisee & Publican: there it appears, y ^e the Pharisee had exercised himself in good matters, both in abstaining from outward fins, and in doing of good and lawful things, & yet because, when he had done, he lackte humility, & therewith was puffed up to think that God was therefore indebted to him, he mard all, & lost all his labor. And therefore all merit-mongers, y ^t persuade thenselves that by their works they have deserved Heaven, for all their bragging of works more thā enough to iuf • i •• e thenselves withal, are by Christ sent home vniustified, yea not so much as once reckoned & accounted amongst y ^e workers of any just & holy work. Thirdly, least any should think that in teaching us to be thus lowly minded when we go about a good work, we be taught therein utterly to distrust or despair, that god will at any time regard our good works, & accept thē, we must learn of the word, to join hope with our humility, y ^t as the one preserveth us frō trust in our works, so the other may keep us from utter despairing that God will reward them: But y ^t this hope may be found in us, we must not seek to ground any kind of worth • nesse in our selves, for when we look into our selves, & consider our works, as they come from us in great imperfection, we find & see our selves to tremble & •• ar, being ready all of us to say w ^t Isaiah c 4. at our righteousness is but as •• thye clouts, but we must resort to Christ, y ^t as in him we our selves are justified, so for his sake these pore fruits of ours might be accepted. To teach us thus to do, Peter hath said unto us, 1. Epistle Chap. 2. to whom • e come as unto a living stone dis • lowed of men, but chosen of God and pretidus, and be made a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. He knew sul well, that to encourage Christians to exercise thenselves in godliness, which he terms here the offering 〈◊〉 of spiritual sacri •• te • , it was nece ••• ry to teach th • us, that though when they had done, they should find no cause in their own works worthiness why they should be accepted of God, that yet acceptable they should be in Christ Jesus, y ^t thus yet he might teache them to do good works in hope that their labor should be acceptable in Christ, and for his sake, the infirmities and imperfections of their works being conered through his good means. Fourthelye, be the matter never so godly, that we do, that yet it is necessary to take it in hand, and to proceed therein of love, and by love, Paul hath notably taught us 1. Cor. 13. saying: Thoughe I speak with the tongues of men and Angels, and have not Love, I am as a sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal, and though I had the gift of Prophecy, and knew all secrets and all knowledge: yea, if I had all Faith, so that I could remove Mountains, and had not Love, I were nothing: and though I seed the p •• re with all my goods, and though I give my body that I be br • ned, and have not Love, it profiteth me nothing: By love, I mean that two sold love towards God and man, it must not be the love of our selves, love of the world, or love of advantage that must set us on work, but love in deed unfeigned by to wards God, because he hath loved us so freely and effectually in Christ. And this love we can no way show towards him better than in giving of our selves freely and wholly, heartily and continually to obey his laws and commandments: For, he that saith he loveth him, and hepeth not his commandments, dissem • leth with him: The her • l • ng not working of love works • oy • eringly and soon is weary, but where love setteth a work, there the work is done diligently, care • u • lie, and faithfully, & that not for a 〈◊〉 but ce • tin ••• yea • • therefore, that it •• ye appear, that we give our selves is g ••• iuesse, • uen of love to • un that is go ••• sse it self, let us busset our selves ab • use it their fully withour grudging for God lo ••• h a thee •• full giver, diligently, and no • •• gligently or ••••• lly, for • ursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligentlye, and let us persevere and continue in • ell 〈◊〉 , without fai •• ing or giving over, for blessed is he that perseuereth to the end, & he that putteth his hend is the plough & looketh back, is not meet for the kingdom of Heaven. Finally, & last of all, that nothing be lacking, learn we out of the 6. of Math. to take heeds, y ^t we seek not vain glory, y ^t is, the praise and glory at man's hand for our well doing, but let our principal end be the glory of God, as Christ hath taught us, Math. 5. saying: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see youre good works, and glorify your heavenly father which is in heaven: and aming thus at this mark by the way, we shall there by edify our neighbors by our good example, and assure our selves to our great comfort of our election, which • e two excellent ends, uses, & comu •• dities y ^e rise to us by our good works. Thus exercising our selves, and wras • iug according to the measure of our faith, every day to be less sinful & more righteous, though that perfect righteousness that the law requireth, be not found in us by reason of our weakness, yet we age counted in the sight of GOD sanctified holy, & acceptable in Christ Jesus, and so sealed up to the day of redemption. Paul without all doubt was in state of Justification, and a man regenerate or new borne, and therefore such a one as had put off the old man, and put on the new, when he wrote his Epistle to the Romans: and yet there in the • eauenth Chapiter it appeareth, that he sound in himself when he had done what he could, sin dwelling, insomuch that he confesseth, that he did not the good thing that he would, but the evil thing that he would not, that did he, and that he felt a law in his members rebelling e • ayust the law of his mind, leading him captive unto the law of •• ue, and therefore he crieth out of himself ô wretched man that I am, who shall deliner me from this body of sin, and death. And 〈◊〉 Corinthians. 12. he confesseth, that he had a prick in his flesh which he calleth the Messenger of Satan that bu •• itted him▪ • or the which his faith he prayed thrice that it might depart from him, but he saith answer was made him that God's grace was sufficient for him, and that his power was made perfect through weakness, whereby God taught him that so it is, and will be evē with the holiest of us all, that there will remain in us always whiles we live some reli • es of old Adain is humble us to wrestle and fight against: this is necessary to be observed, least that any vpō occasion of the former do • rine should gather against himself, that forasmuch as he seeth • n & infirmities in himself, that therefore he is not sanctified and so void of any assurance of his election and iustificatiō, for though Paul • oūd it thus with himself, yet because in the inner man he • ound a wrestling & a striu •• g against these sins in his flesh, he ass • teth himself that he is one whom God had so certainly purposed to save for his Christ's sake, that in his own person, & in the persons of all other in the same case y ^e he was, he saith, I 〈◊〉 pers •• ded that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature is abte to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. so that let not Peccatum • i • abitans sin dwelling in the flesh, in the which we know with Paul that no good thing dwelleth Rom. 7. discourage us, so that we be able to say truly with the same Paul, we delight in the Law of God concerning the inner man. In deed we must accompt that Paul hath said unto the regeuerate, Let not 〈◊〉 raigue in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Rom. 6.12. and thereby gather that i • we be sa ••• fied and regeuerate in deed, that then sin is put from his reign or kingdom in us: but their the must understand, that there is great disterene betw •• te Peccatum regu •• s an • E ••• catum 〈◊〉 , that is, betweet sh •• e reiguing in us, and dwelling in us 〈◊〉 then is in his reign and king • 〈◊〉 when he hath the members of man ready to yield him their voluntary or willing obedience, taking delight in doing of him service, in which estate sin is in us till we be regenerate & have put on Christ, wheby his spirita dispossesseth sin of his kingdom: howbeit then til death come, in some measure it will be found in man, but yet far unlike that it was before, for now it is resisted by the spirit, & so, either cannot get the members is do it service at all, or else, if it do so far prenayle, as to too often it doeth, yet by theforce of the spirit they are so checked and taken up for their so doing, that neither is there such delight taken in sin, as before, neither can sin after get his will obeyed so easily again, insomuch, that though it get his will now & then done, yet it getteth y ^e but with grudging & misliking of y ^e spirit, & so hath never full obedience yielded it as before, & every day it obtaineth less obedience & less. So y ^e I may well compare the obedience that sin hath, being in his kingdom, to the obedience y ^• a lawful & well-beloved King getteth of his subjects, and the obedience, that sin only dwelling in man obtaineth, to y ^e obedience y ^e a tyrant & usurper getteth of his subjects that love him not. Both of these get their things that they command done, but in great dinersitie, for the one is obeyed in all, & that willingly, heartily, & faithfully: the other in as little as they can, & in that repyningly with inward grief & misliking, y ^e they should obey such a one at all: & even the like difference betwixt obedience, yielded to him before regeneration and after is there. Take we heed therefore, that sin reign not in us, & wrestle we and strive we by the spirit every day more and more to withdraw our bodies and souls from yielding any obedience to sin dwelling in us, and in thus doing, though with Paul we find some time this tyrant letting us from doing the good we would, and drawing us on to do the evil that we mislike, yet with the same Paul as we do take occasion to cry out of our own wretchedness, and of the tyranny of sin in us, so let us comfort our selves, assuring our selves that this wrestling against sin in the inner man is a sure argument of our most assured purposed salvation in the blood of Jesus Christ.

But to the end that this doctrine now thus generally laid down may be to the more comfort of thee Christian Reader particularly, let us see now how it can be applied to thy fore, to salve it: to thy sickness: to cure it: to thy afflicted conscience, to solace and comfort it: thou mournest, and thy soul is troubled, desquieted, and sore vered within thee, yea, thou thinkest thyself even compassed about with the pains of hell, and therefore in bitterness of heart complaynest as one cast off, forgotten and forsaken of God, fearing greatly that thy ende and portion shall be with the wicked: and why is all this? because sayest thou I find in myself such doubting whether I shall be saved for Christ's sake or no, and many other sins and infirmities in myself beside, for the which I deserve utterly to be rejected. But tell me also and dissemble not with me, doest thou not greatly mislike this thy doubting? art thou not grieved with thyself for it? findest thou not in thyself an earnest desire to be rid of it, that thou mightest fully believe that thou shalt be saved for Christ's sake? and further concerning the other infirmities, doest thou not mislike them and condemn them in thyself, and wrestle and strive to lessen them in thyself? and yet to go one step further with thee: doest thou not vnfeynedly find in thyself love towards God's truth, and the professors thereof, even for that they do profess it and embrace it, and a love after godliness, even for godliness sake? And that in answering of me in these two last points, you be not deceived, consider whether you take any comfort, pleasure, and delight in reading of God's book, in studying of his truth, in hearing it preached and commoned on, and whether it be a grief unto you to hear it withstood or misliked, or the professors and preachers thereof abused, if these things be in you, it is certain you have love towards God and his truth, and to y ^e brethren that profess it: and as for love after godliness universally even for godliness sake, then it is in you, if you be at this point, that you could find in your heart to abstain frō sin, though it might advantage you, & not hurt you in procuring you here any shame or punishment, & to embrace virtue, though it purchase you mocks, scoffs, and taunts, and any other displeasure, and gain you nothing with men, even because your God hath condemned the one and commended the other. And whether your abstaynyng from sin and embracing of virtue be such as this, you may be able to judge, if you consider whither you be as careful to abstain from those sins that man punisheth not or accounteth not of, as from other: and if you way whether you be not as well willing to embrace those points of godliness which are most despised amongst mē, as those that he highliest esteemed, you cannot deny but that to these questions you must needs answer that it is thus with yourself, notwithstanding your complaing of lack of faith and doubting, that sometime you have good comfort in hearing God's truth in Christ Jesus, and great consolation in pouring forth your Prayers unto God in the bitte • nes of your soul: this is it that discomforts you, that this comfort of yours lasteth but for a short time, your doubting being renewed, and yet you cannot I am sure say to the contrary, but that you hope of the renewing of your comfort in Christ, and of salvation through him in the ende. Be it then that this is thy state (Christian Reader) let us see now what comforts the word of God ministereth unto thee, to bind up thy broken heart, and to heal thy wounded conscience.

This I dare say unto you by g •• d and plentiful experience to begin withal in the words of Paul 1. Cor. 10. verse 23. there hath no tēptatiō takē you but such as aperteineth to mā: and God is faithful, which will not suffer you to be tempted above that you be able, but will give the issue with the temptation, that you may be able to bear it: thus hath he before now oftentimes brought down to Hell, and carried back again: he hath thrown down that he might raise up: wounded, that he might heal: thus doth he use to break up the fallow lands of the hearts of his children, to prepare them as meet ground for the immortal seed of his word: thus doth he according to his promise Ezech. • 6. take from his their stony hearts, and bestows soft and fleshy hearts upon them: such a broken and contrite heart as this is, is so acceptable a sacrifice to God, that he will not despise it, Psal. 51. yea to the great consolation of such, it is said by God Isaiah. 66. verse. 2. to him will I look that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my words, and therefore so far off is it that you should be persuaded that God hath forgotten you or left you off, because of the trouble and vexation which you feel in your soul, that even therein you have matter of comfort, assuring you that you are one whom most tenderly he looketh upon and regardeth. In deed it cannot be denied, but that where there is no faith in Christ Jesus, there is yet the state of damnation, for as it is written, He that believeth in him, shall not be condemned: so it followeth writ in the same verse. But he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he believeth not in the only begotten son of God John. • . verse. 18. But your argument to prove that you have not faith, neither yet the fruits, because you find in yourself the quite contrary doubting sins and infirmities, is not good, for the antecedent may be true, and granted, y ^t you do so doubt, and that there is such sins and infirmities in you, and yet that therefore you are forsaken and cast off of God, to be denied: for y ^t making whereof plain unto you, you must understand that the life of a Christian is a continual warfare, and that this war is to be found even in such as Paul was (a man that had faith in great measure, and the fruits thereof) as you have heard out of the seventh of the Romans betwixt the inner man and the outward, in so much that he setteth it down Gala. 5. verse 17. for a certain point of doctrine, saying, the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the same things that ye would: whereby we are taught that naturally we are all nothing but the old man, nothing but flesh both body and soul, and such we remain by nature the children of wrath Ephes. 2. poor captives in prison Esa. 61. sold under sin Rom. 7. blind, not able to discern the things of God 1. Cor. 2. yea, having the best thing that is in us, our wisdom, a natural and rebellious enemy to the will of God Rom. 8. and in this case the strong enemy Satan keepeth us quietly in his subjection, until Christ Jesus a stronger than he come, & dispossess him, Luke 11. who entering into possession, first lighteneth our dark hearts with understanding, and by his spirit worketh faith in us, and be getteth us anew, and so we put on the new man, and have his spirit dwelling in us, Rom. 8. by which spirit we offer battle to the flesh, and seek to put off the old man, and to kill & crucify him with his lusts. But thus the case standeth with us, that we shall never quite be rid of this old man, we shall never fully have killed and crucified the flesh, until death come, for he striketh the last blow of the battle, till then we are in the field, and have continually to skirmish. Now the state and condition of the most faithful man being thus, and everyone having cause to say with Paul Rom. 7. I know that in my flesh there dwelleth no go • d thing, yea, we understanding that the fruits of the flesh be as the same Paul hath told us, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonnesse, ydolatrie, witchcraft, hatered, debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions, hereste • , enui • , murders, drunkenness, gluttony, and such like, what marvel is it if looking into the flesh that we carry up and down with us, we see and find therein doubting sins and infirmities? and what strange thing is it then if Satan our old ancient enemy, the more to discomforte his adversary the spirit but newly come into the field, do cause his Lieutenant and Captayne general of his battle the flesh, to muster all his power, and to make as great a show of thē as he can possibly? though many of his army in former skirmishes with the spirit have been sore wounded, some in the head, some in the arm, and someone where and some another, yet I warrant you, the better and more to daunt his adversary and his host, he will cause them until they be quite slain, to present thenselves in the field: and how is it possible but that this Captain pitching his tents so nigh us, but that we having eyes to see withal, should descry & espy his host, & with the greatness and fierceness thereof in our selves he discomforted at the sight thereof, especially as long as we are occupied rather in considering the force bent against us, than the strength of our own Captain Christ Jesus, and his power ready present to help & succor us. I remember that it is written in the sixth of y ^e last of the Kings, whē the King of Aram sent horses and Chareis & a mighty host to take Eliza at Dothan, and therewith had compassed the City where he was by night, his mā in y ^e morning seeing y ^e host & their strength, and considering only thereof, was afraid and said, alas master what shall we do: but his master rather considering y ^e host that was of his side, he answered, fear not, for they that be with us, are mo thā they that be with them, and the servants eyes being opened, he perceyned it was so, and then his fear was gone. Evē so we, as long as we are occupied in beholding the army of the flesh & old mā, we cannot but be discomforted, but if our eyes were opened, and we would be occupied in beholding & considering the strength & force of the new man, & of the spirit which is o • our side, we should be cheered again, but be it that the one, and that the flesh and his host, s •• me never so strong, and like to foil the other: and the other, the spirit, never • o young & weak, and like to be foiled, yet the spirit once having entered the field, and begun the battle, doubt we not, but that in the end he will overcome the other & his force, for y ^e one hath his strength and force but from Satan a creature, and the other from God the creator, & therefore sure in the end to be the conqueror. David in offering and entering y ^e combat with great Goliath, was judged both of Saul and of his adversary far too weak, but yet in the end he slew Goliath. 1. Sam. 17. for he was the Lord's Champion, and the other but y ^e Champiō of the Lord's enemies y ^e Philistines: and therefore be it that the new man in thee be but comparable to little and young David, and the old man to strong and mighty Goliath, yet David offering the Combat, let him put thee in hope of certain victory by his fornier experience of mightyer conquests, as David did Saul, saying: thy servant hath already slain both a Lyon & Bear: my meaning is, in that thou hast heard and seen, that the spirit hath subdued the flesh and his power, in Manasseh, Mary Magdalene, and snehe like ones, doubt you not but that he shall overcome thy flesh never yet so brawned and inured to sin, as it was in thē. Yea, but I hear thy flesh ready to teach thee to cast aside all these comfordes, saying, that thou hast not nor • eel • st • ot yet this •• ttel offered or begun in thee, and that therefore these things sal beside the well. Yet to begin withal, thus much is obtained, if this battle be begun, that then though looking into the flesh & the fruits thereof, thereby never so much cause be given thee to be discoraged and discomfort •• , that yet looking upon the spirit that resisteth and stri • eth with y ^e flesh, there is sufficient cause of assured comfort again, unless though • dare said o • think, that the Diuet can putt • God to flight, & make him altes his purpose which once to surmise is blasphemy • . And this is gotten also, that in the regenerate man there being as well flesh as spirit, the fruits of the flesh being as they be, y ^e it followeth not, there is in me doubting, and sins, and infirmities, that desire. God's wrath, and therefore I have no faith and godliness accepted and approved of God in Christ Jesus, for though the former be found in the flesh, as they have been and be in all flesh in some measure, the later is found & may be found in the new and inner man, whose properties are contrary to the properties of the other, amongst which faith with diverse fruits thereof are reckoned Gal. 5. verse. 22. & 23. those things obtained already, let us then now consider. whither it be true y ^e there be in you this battle begun, & that God hath made you a field for these two might •• Captains the spirit and the flesh to fight a combat together in. That the one is there, namely the flesh, you grant: but that the other is yet come, the spirit you mean, you deny. What do you think that any man will fight with himself will Sathā then think you strive against himself? if you think that it may so be, Christie Luke. •• . hath taught you y ^e Satan is wiser thā so, taking it for a thing y ^e could not but be granted, y ^e Satan would not resist himself, or strive with himself, & therefore proveth the accusation of bys casting out of Devils by the power of Satan, to be ridiculous and flāderous, saying. If Sathā be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? wherefor for as much as you feel in yourselves a misliking of infidelity or doubting of your salvation, a grief for it, & an earnest desire to be rid of it, and withal feel a grief for your sins, joined with a loathing of them, and an earnest desire to cease from sinning, I would ask you from whence you think all this cōmes, from the same fountain trow you from whence the former, that is the matter of your sorrow cōmes? if you think so, I reply with James words Cap. 3. verse 11. & 12. Doth a fountain send forth at one place sweet water and bitter? can the fig tree bring forth ob • tes? either a vine figs? yea, with Christ, Math. 7. verse 16. Do men gather Grapes of Thorns, or figs of thistles? Is it possible then that these things should come from the flesh where there dwells no good thing, Rom. 7. Can the black Moore change his skynne, or the Leoperd his spots? Ierem. 1 • .22. then may this be. Nay these be fruits quite contrary to the fruits of the flesh as it is well known, and therefore they come from the spirit: for these two and their fruits be contrary the one to the other, Gal. 5. & therefore, as the fyndyng of & doubting of sins in yourself be sure arguments, that the flesh is in the field, so be these as certain arguments, y ^e the spirit is come, & hath joined battle. Further, your confessed love to God's truth and the professors thereof, your love to godliness for it own sake & mislike of sin, not in worldly respects, but even because it is sin, youre crying unto God in your grief and heaviness of soul, your comforts then, and in the o • te use of the word, your hope of God's goodness in the ende towards you, strengthened by the experience of his goodness towards you hitherto, be even so many moste excellent seals and assurances unto you even from God, that you are his chosen, justified, and sanctified child, and that therefore you have his spirit dwelling in you, to war and to overcome the flesh to your eternal comfort. O but yet in all this I have yet no faith. Why sayest y ^u so. Is it not written, Rom. 8. as many as have the spirit of God be the sons of God? and can any be the soune of God without Faith? therefore, in that thou haste the spirit dwelling in thee, it is certain thou haste faith in some measure. Yea, but I feel it not, but rather the contrary, and that in great measure: yet being deceived, thou feelest a thing in the striving against infidelity & misliking it, & that is Faith, for as virtue is resisted by his contrary vice, so this foul vice of Infidelity is withstood by his contrary virtue which is faith: And it is writ̄: how shall they pray to him, in whom they have not believed, Rom. 10.14. of then as earnestly you have called upon God in Christ's name, so many arguments have you of faith in him: And howe could you have had at any time such comfort in praying, and consolation in the doctrine of the Gospel, without faith? For, if you have no faith in Christ, then neither hath his grace any access to you to comfort you, nor you to it, thereby to take comfort, for you know, he that is without Faith, is without Christ, and he that is without Christ, hath God not his comforter, but his confounder: and therefore those comforts and consolations that you have had, must remain with you as sure evidences, that by Faith you have Christ dwelling in you. And though you feel not these comforts still, shall you therefore conclude, that you have no faith? The woman with child, though she feel not the child always stir, yet, because she hath sometime felt it, she comforteth hir self, that she is with child: you know she is with child a good while before she can sensibly feel it move, and at the first she feeleth it but weakly, yea, after she hath felt it strongly, some tune she feeleth it not again a great while, & when she doeth, in much weakness sometimes in comparison of the former, and yet for all this, hath in the ende a happy travel: so Faith is not felt to move strongly as soon as it is bred, and when it beginneth once, it continueth not always alike motions. It is with Faith and withal other the graces of the spirit, as it is with the Sun, which sometime setteth, sometime riseth, sometime shyueth, sometime is covered with clouds, or shadowed from us by thick and soggey mystes arising out of the earth: for even so sometime these seem to be set and gone down in us, but when the morning comes, they arise again, sometime they are covered from our eyes, by such mists and clouds that arise out of the flesh, that we cannot espy them: but yet for all this, as he reasoneth ilfauouredly and untruly, that saith, the Sun cannot be seen now for clouds, therefore it is not in the firmament: so he that saith: I cannot see and perceive Faith and the spirit in me for the fruits of the flesh, therefore they be not in me. Be not therefore discouraged though thou synde a Wynter in thyself sometime, for if thou haste had once these flourishing fruits of Summer in thee heretofore, be thou assured thou shalt have hereafter a Summer again, and that the trees and herbs are not dead, though there appear and be seen little greenenesse in them, for the sap remains in the root, which whē Summer cōmes, will garnishe all again. When thou comest into an Orchard, field, and Garden, thou canst comfort thyself with these thoughts: even do the like in this: For it is written, that whō he loves he loves to the end, John 13. & in whom he hath begun this good work of Regeneration, in them he will perform it, Philip. 1. For the gyfts and calling of God be without repentance, Rom. 11. And therefore, though they seem to be so raked up & covered with ashes, that they are not seen nor perceived, insomuch, that David (speaking according to his own sense) be ready to say, that God hath turned his back upon him, and forgotten to be gracious, & shut up his loving kindness in displeasure, yet in truth it is not so, which God will make manifest in his good time, by removing of the a •• es that covered his graces and gi • tes, and by blowing the ••• les thereof with the Bellows of his spirit in the ministry of his word and sacraments. Further, that hope that is in thee, what is it else, but faiths daughter: For when by faith once we have learned what •• ynges be: prepared for us at God's hand in Christ Jesus, thi •• by hope we look for them in the mid •• of most grievous tem •• tious, wherein Hope playeth a g •• d daughters p • i •• , in • ourishing and •••• ngthning 〈◊〉 mother, which otherwise then would be ready to languish: but to hope • or •• ings, which by • aie • we know not before in Christ Jesus to appertayn • • nto us, in vain, and therefore 〈◊〉 •• counted in di •• , and that aptlye and worthily, the daughter of Faith, and therefore, in confessing that you have Hope, you confess that you have Faith also: For grant once, that there is a daughter: and it is also of necessity to be granted, that there was the mother first. And whereas thou complaynest, that thou feelest it not, but rather the contrary, I grant thou neither feelest Faith, nor yet ever shall in the flesh, but in the inner man. By these means that I have shown, thou mayest find Faith, and therewith content thyself, and say as the man said to Christ: I believe Lord, Lord help my vnbeleete, I believe in the spirit and inner man, and there I find no doubting, but a wrestling against the least doubting, and a mi •• iking of it: but in my flesh I find unbelief, which I beseech thee O Lord ••• e and help. If you dream (as it is ••• ely you do) of such a measure of Faith in the spirit that should •• yte extinguishe, even the least doubting in the flesh, you drea •• of that which yet never •••• ll mann • had or shall have, if it be in the sinner man vnmixte, with doubting which it is: if it mislike of the least doubting, and sight against it, you have Faith in his right nature, yea, and the greater your doubting and unbelief in the flesh hath been, the stronger hath your Faith shown it self, in that notwithstanding it continueth striving against it, condemning it & misliking it: you must understand, y ^e the force of Faith in instifying dependeth not upon the quantity thereof, but upon y ^e quality, for all y ^t be justified by Faith, have not Faith in equal measure and quantity, some have it in strong measure, some in weak measure, but all that by Faith catch hold of their salvation, must have like faith in quality, y ^t is, they must seek their salvation at God's hands in Christ Jesus alone. It is likely you know that all those among y ^e Israelites that looked up to y ^e brazen Serpent had not like eyes all in bigness & clearness, yet if they had eyes, were they never so little and so bleared, yet looking directly • • ppe, they found help as well as the other: Be the beggars hand little or great, it serveth him alike to take a penny withal. So if thou have a right faith, that is such a faith as seeketh and looketh for saluatiō through Christ God and man alone, be it that it is but little and weak, yet it serveth thy turn. In deed it is god, that fynding faith in weak measure in us, we should strive by reading and musing of the word, by diligent • oaring it read and preached, that we may grow in faith, and proceed from a weak measure of faith to a stronger. But yet in anys case we must take heed, that, having escaped from the filthiness of Popery in this point, in seeking for any parte of our salvation in our own merits, suttle Satan cause us not to seek for our salvation, for the worthiness of our faith, which we are very nigh unto, whē we are ready to say or think, that our • weak faith, though it be never so right a faith, cannot justify us, unless it were in some worthier measure. For is not this a lykelihoode, that we are about to tie salvation to the worthiness of faith Wherefore, to preserve us from this ••• eight of Satan, we must understand, that if we account it absurd to seek •• luation in worthiness of • ure other works, it is as absurd to took for it for the worth •••• of our saith: For when we are ••• ghte in the word, that saith in the blood of Christ Jesus iusti •• eth, the meaning thereof is not to teache us that faith hath this four for the toorthinesse 〈◊〉 it self, but for y ^e worthiness of Jesus Christ the object and matter that saith findeth out beholdeth and apprehen ••• . So that the proposition so much •• icked against of the eui •• ies of God's s •••• grace, Faith only •• sti • eth▪ is that in e •••• te. Amongest all virtues when they are together, Faith alone hath thy • ••• ce, though when she •••••• tes it she be not alone or vnaccom • auyed of other virtues, to apprehend Christ Jesus, and so in him alone to justify us: But to return again to your complaint of not feeling faith, and therefore you have not faith: I must tell you further, that I fear in these heavenly things you have followed to much sense and feeling. For, if yo • would judge aright whether you have faith or no, and whether you be God's deer child or no, you must not judge by sense and feeling, but by the words of Almighty God. So that if your sense and feeling lead you one way to judge of yourself, and the word of God 〈◊〉 and you another way, you must pref ••• the judgment and determination, of God in his word, who knows better these thing • than •• ee o •• e selves, who is better to be believed than our owns sense and feeling, before the sentence of flesh and blo ••• . To refuse thus to do, is to ob •• se •• then to believe our selves than GOD, and to presume, that we by our own sen •• & feeling can judge better in what • ta • s, we stand, than GOD himself that made us, which is great blasphemy. Wherefore, to let go talking of youre own sense and feeling, if you be destrous to know your estate, would you have a better and surer Judge than God himself to tell you it? In deed says you, if he would come down from Heaven, and tell me, I should then I hope believe him. Even so he hath in his word: and if an Angel from Heaven should come and tell you otherwise than in his word he hath told you, you have Paul's war ••• , Gal ••• to hold him accursed therefore, and I hope you will hold that sense, that feeling, that reason, that person, & that Devil accursed, that dare be so bold •• reafter, as to tell you otherwise of yourself and your estate than GOD himself hath pronounced in this his word. Hearken therefore with a mind ready to yield your subscription unto God's judgment in his word.

We are told, Isaiah 61. that Christ was annointed, because the spirit of God was upon him, to preach glad tidings unto the pore, to bind up y ^e brokē hearted, to preach liberty to the captives, and to them that are bound, the opening of the prison to preach the acceptable year of the Lord's, and the day of vengeance of our • God to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, and to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the • a • meant of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called Trees of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he myghts 〈◊〉 glorified: whereby we learn, that those Christ hath cured and comforted that be trees of Ryghteousnesse of the Lord's plantyng, whereby 〈◊〉 is glorified. Now John 15. we learn that those trees of Ryghteousnesse that be of the Lord's planting▪ they be planted and grafted into Christ Jesus, and there also we are taught as the branch cannot hear fruit of it self, except it abide in the Vine, no more can we except we abide in Christ.

In these two places then this doctrine is flatlye taught us, that we cannot be good trees of Ryghteousnesse, whereupon good fruit is found gr ••• ing, unless we be such as be enriched, freed, deli ••• ed, cured, and healed by Christ, yea until we be such as both be engrafted into Christ, and child in him. Now y ^e they that be in this case be elected and justified, hane faith, be the children and sons of God in the ende to be glorified, you cannot deny; now then, look upon your wres •• ing against infidelity and other sins, your love towards God and his truth, and to all godliness vnseypedly, and you shall sin that not only the matter of godliness which 〈◊〉 found in hypocrites, but the matter done in right manner, according to the rules before set down, be found in you, what betteth then, but that according to Saint Peters counsel you should accompt your election sure, and that you shall never fall. 1. Peter. 2. These things you know, that doing in •• rie to the spirit of God that hath wrought them in you, you cannot deny but that they are good fruits of faith; and of one justified thereby: and then seeing you are enforced to conf • sse that these be in you, unless you would • clean contrary to Christ's indgemēt say Math. 7. that an ill tree can bring forth good fruit, confess that you are in the sight of God a good tree, as the Lord hath made it manifest to you to your comfort, by causing these fruits to grow on you. To come to particulars, you know Christ hath said, Lou • one another as I have loved you, that is, as John expounds it, in deed an • truth. 1. Epistle Chap. 3. and by this shall all men know that you are 〈◊〉 Disciples, which less • n was of that force with John, that finding in himself love towards the brethren, without hypocriste, he set down this po •• tion of himself, and of all such. W • know that we are translated from death unto life, because we love the brethren 1. John. 2. verse 14. Mark he saith, we know, not we think or suppose, thereby teaching us to accompt this fruit found in us an infallible argument of our blessed estate. And in the next Chapter he teacheth us to know whether we be led by the spirit of truth or error, by our willingness to hear the faithful ministers of God, saying: He that knoweth God heareth us, he that is not of God heareth us not, hereby know we the spirit of error and the spirit of truth 〈◊〉 and a little after he addeth, and hereby know we that we dwell 〈◊〉 him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit. Thus then you in the judgment • of the word is, that you are a g ••• tree of the Lord's planting and •• g • aning, abiding in Christ Jesus, that you are one of Christ's Disciples, translated from death to life, and led by the spirit of truth, and therefore such an one as dwells in the favor of God; this is God's sentence and judgment of you, and therefore thankfully praise him, and bring once all your thoughts and imaginations that set up thenselves against this, into obedience hereunto: quench not the spirit, neither yet grieve any longer the spirit of grace, whereby you are thus comfortably sealed unto the day of redemption, be no longer unthankfull unto God in staying from confessing yourself to be his child, and to have faith. Be of good cheer, the Lord hath given you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for m •• rning, the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, and therefore say with the Prophet in the same place Isaiah. 61. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and we soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, and covered me with the robe of righteousness, yea, he hath decked me like a Bridegroom, and as a Bride tireth hirselfe with jewels: and let not yours weakness and brusednesse any wore dismay you, for you have a God that will not quench the smoking s • are, not yet break the bruised reed. Neither yet let the changes and alterations that you find in yourself disco ••• t you, for God is no changeling neither in himself nor in his gifts Mal. 3. James. 1. • om. 11. and though Satan be bu •• e in making war, and in renewing his assaults, yet ••• r • st not, if you were not God's child, and o • e in God's kingdom, he needed not, neither yet would so strive with you, he warreth not against those that be his, but is at peace with them, and Christ that hath taken in hand the keeping of you, is a good Shepeheard, and hath triumphed over sin, and overcome him, and therefore he is bold to say John. 10. My Sheep shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hands Psal. 28. if we by the force of y ^e enemy be caused to stray sometime, yet he giveth us not over, but seeketh us till he find us, and then he layeth us on his shoulder, and bringeth us home again Luke. 15. and therefore let us even boldly trust our selves with him, nothing doubting, but y ^t if he lead us at any time into temptation, he will stand by us, and so preserve us, that we shall happily get out again, to his glory and our comfort, which God the Father grant us, even for this his sons sake, now and ever, Amen. To which God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost, three persons and one true and ever living God, be all praise, honor and dominion for evermore.