A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the…A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the…

§. 4. This will appear in the several states or sorts of true Believers.¹ There is a state wherein faith is a smoking week, desiring that it could believe, rather then getting up to feel it self believe, discovering it self by earnest sighs and groans for mercy, and hanging upon Christ, though the Believer can scarce tell whether he rest upon him or no: This faith is certain in event, but the Believer in this state is far from particular assurance of his salvation. Again, though faith be not troubled, but do quietly stay on Christ, and taste God good in letting them find peace with him; yet such is the infancy of spiritual understanding in Christians, specially now first converted, that they do not return into themselves, and judge of that they do, and of the great consequence of that they do. Hence it is that they will tell you, they find God good to them, and go on cheerfully in duties for the present: but they come not to behold the stability of their salvation. The child lives before he knows that he doth live; and knows he doth live, before he knows the cause of life, or the inheritance whereunto he is borne: and so it may be and is with a Believer.² There is a state in which faith is exercised with temptations from unbelief or otherwise, by which opposition the soul is kept from obtaining this certainty, being encountered with doubtful appearances, which it cannot well answer and clear for the present. There is a state wherein faith is now grown up, and hath either out-wrestled, or otherwise is exempted from knowing such temptations: in which condition the faithful do persuade themselves,³ that Gods mercy, and truth and power shall carry them through unto salvation: But when now our consciences shall come to testify through faith and experience this happy estate, we are subject by neglecting means, laying down our watch, giving the reins to our lusts, or by secret desertions ere-while to loose for a time this comfortable persuasion, the Spirit not speaking in us by his light as heretofore, ⟨p. 99⟩and our consciences and faith so hurt and wounded, that the actions of them are troubled, depraved as we see the like befalleth the natural senses and reason. We see through Melancholy what reason comes to imagine, how that some should seek to kill us, who never thought us hurt;