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…

For the promise of pardon is made to repentant sinners without limitation to any time, person, quality or number of offences. And for the remedy and removal of this ⟨p. 183⟩temptation, first, we should humble our selves before God for our light esteem of sin, and procrastination or delays:¹ And then consider the endlessness of Gods mercies in Christ, the price which was paid for our redemption, the sweet promises propounded in the Word, the stableness and perpetuity of the Covenant, and the examples of great sinners received to mercy. And what if a man sensibly feel the heavy burden of Gods wrath, and plainly discern his frowning and angry countenance? Though sense of Gods love fail, faith may continue strong.² For faith is not grounded upon sense and feeling: but upon Gods gracious promises, immutable goodness, and infallible truth. Yea, when sense and feeling cease, then faith which is the evidence of things not seen, beginneth it chief work: and the most excellent faith showeth it self most clearly when we have no sense or feeling, or when we feel the plain contrary. Faith looketh to the promise, mercy, power and truth of God, and to the manner of his working: and seeing his mercy is incomprehensible, his power infinite, his manner of working by contraries, his truth firm and immovable, therefore in the greatest terrors it believeth peace, when God showeth himself an enemy, it apprehendeth him loving and merciful, and out of the deepest humiliation, above sense or reason, gathereth the sweetest consolation. If ever we have tasted of Gods love and mercy, lively faith concludeth that we are still in his love and favour,³ whatsoever we apprehend in our present sense and feeling: for whom he loveth, to the end he loveth them. Yea, faith goeth before experience or sense of mercy, and waiteth for salvation in Christ, in the depth of misery, grounding it self merely upon the Word of truth which cannot lie. We believe to taste the goodness of the Lord, not because we have felt already, how kind the Lord is; though we may make use of feelings past to sustain us in present agonies.

For the promise of pardon is made to repentant sinners without limitation to any time, person, qualitie or number of offences. And for the remedie and remouall of this