A09466:139
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he may discern it, and persevere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set down in the page following.A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
London: printed by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin, 1590
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
XIX.
Examples of this small faith are evident in the Apostles, who though ethey believed that Christ was the saviour of the world, yet they fwere ignorant of his death and resurrection, which are the chief means of salvation. After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascension, & of his spiritual kingdom, for they dreamed gof an earthly kingdom; & at his death they all fled from him, and Peter fearfully denied him. They being in this estate are not said to have no faith, but to be of hlittle faith. Another example we have in David, who having continued a long space in his two great sins, adultery & murder, was admonished thereof by Nathan the Prophet: being admonished he confessed his sins, and strait way Nathan declared unto him from the Lord the forgiveness of them. Yet afterward David humbleth himself, as it appeareth in the 51. Psalm, and ⟨p. 52⟩prayeth most earnestly for the forgiveness of those and all other his sins▪ even as though it had not been true, that they were forgiven, as Nathan told him: The reason is: howsoever they were remitted before God, yet David at his first repenting of them, felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiveness of them, only he had a persuasion, that they might be pardoned. And therefore he vehemently desired and prayed to the Lord, to remit them, and to sanctify him anew. This then being the least measure of faith, it must be remembered, that he who hath not attained to it, hath as yet no saving faith at all.