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…

¹And seeing God hath promised to perfect the work of grace begun, and bound himself by covenant to confirm, strengthen, and stablish his children unto the end, and in the end to give them eternal life, such as find any true and lively work of grace wrought in them, are allowed from God to believe, that they shall never perish, nor quite be broken off from Christ, nor those living waters clean be dried up, but notwithstanding their own infirmities, and the sore temptations wherewith they are oppressed, they shall be preserved, upheld and kept unto salvation. For what God hath confirmed by promise and covenant unto his children, undertaken to effect by his Almighty power, and ratified by earnest and pawn, that they are allowed to believe and expect from him of his unchangeable grace and love. This is the golden and indissoluble chain which the Apostle speaks of,² Whom he did predestinate, them also he called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified: ³so that effectual vocation is a pledge and token of glorification to ensue. Christ hath prayed for his people, that their faith might not fail: the faithful pray instantly,⁴ Lead us not into temptation: and that no man might waver a promise is annexed, Whatsoever ye shall ⟨p. 289⟩ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you. But without question, they have allowance to believe the obtaining of that which Christ hath prayed for,⁵ and the faithful ask of God in the Name of Christ according to his will. The servants of Christ, who lived by the like precious faith with us, grounded upon the same promises, and subject to the same temptations,⁶ believed their perseverance. I am persuaded, 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 shall be able to separate from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.