First set faith on work to believe, to trust perfectly, as the Apostle speaks, Gal. 3.1 In the grace revealed by Jesus Christ: trust perfectly; that is, thou shouldst believe the full forgiveness of thy sins, thou must not believe it by halves, so that there should be a distance, as it were, between GOD and thee, some ⟨p. 143⟩odd scores unacquitted, uncrossed; but thou shouldest believe so,2 that thy joy may be full, thou shouldest believe throughly, that thy sins are forgiven, that all are acquitted, thou must not limit God in his mercy at all, as thou shouldest not limit him in his power. Thus a man should set faith on work, that he may be able to say, My Beloved is mine, and I am his. I know there is a Match made between us. For unless you lay this ground, a man shall not rejoice. This is all, therefore now use thy faith. If Satan now come, and tell thee of some sins, and of some circumstances of those sins, and of some wants in thy repentance and humiliation, what serves faith for now? What serves all this for that you have learned here concerning the Doctrine of Faith, but to teach you that these should be no scruples, you should believe, and that perfectly? When this is done, that you see there is a Match, a Covenant made between GOD and you, now you must know, that all that Christ hath is yours; whatsoever he hath by Nature, you have it by Grace. If he be a Son, ye are sons; If he be an Heir, ye are heirs; and when ye have done this, then consider all the particulars of the wealth of a Christian, that all is yours, whether it be Paul or Apollos, or the world, &c. These things we have often spoken of, you should run through and consider of them: If a man will consider that he is a King, that the world is ⟨p. 144⟩his, that whatsoever is in CHRIST belongs to him, and oweth him a good turn, and will do it at one time or other; when he considers all the precious promises.3 A man reckons his wealth not only by his money which he hath lying in his Coffers, that he hath present, but by Bills, and Bonds, and Leases, &c. So, how many promises thou hast, there is not a promise in the Book of GOD, but it is thine; set thy faith on work to consider this, and to rejoice in it; set faith on work so to see them that thou mayest rejoice in them, and wean thee from the things of this world, not to regard them; for they are small things of no hold.
First set faith on worke to beleeue, to trust perfectly, as the Apostle speakes, Gal. 3.1 In the grace reuealed by Iesus Christ: trust perfectly; that is, thou shouldst beleeue the full forgiuenesse of thy sinnes, thou must not beleeue it by halues, so that there should be a distance, as it were, betweene GOD and thee, some ⟨p. 143⟩odde scores vnacquitted, vncrost; but thou shouldest beleeue so,2 that thy joy may be full, thou shouldest beleeue throughly, that thy sinnes are forgiuen, that all are acquitted, thou must not limit God in his mercie at all, as thou shouldest not limit him in his power. Thus a man should set faith on worke, that he may be able to say, My Beloued is mine, and I am his. I know there is a Match made betweene vs. For vnlesse you lay this ground, a man shall not reioyce. This is all, therfore now vse thy faith. If Satan now come, and tell thee of some sinnes, and of some circumstances of those sinnes, and of some wants in thy repentance and humiliation, what serues faith for now? What serues all this for that you haue learned heere concerning the Doctrine of Faith, but to teach you that these should be no scruples, you should beleeue, and that perfectly? When this is done, that you see there is a Match, a Couenant made betweene GOD and you, now you must know, that all that Christ hath is yours; whatsoeuer hee hath by Nature, you haue it by Grace. If hee be a Sonne, ye are sonnes; If he be an Heire, yee are heires; and when ye haue done this, then consider all the particulars of the wealth of a Christian, that all is yours, whether it be Paul or Apollos, or the world, &c. These things wee haue often spoken of, you should runne through and consider of them: If a man will consider that he is a King, that the world is ⟨p. 144⟩his, that whatsoeuer is in CHRIST belongs to him, and oweth him a good turne, and will doe it at one time or other; when he considers all the precious promises.3 A man reckons his wealth not onely by his money which he hath lying in his Coffers, that he hath present, but by Bils, and Bonds, and Leases, &c. So, how many promises thou hast, there is not a promise in the Booke of GOD, but it is thine; set thy faith on worke to consider this, and to reioyce in it; set faith on worke so to see them that thou maiest reioyce in them, and weyne thee from the things of this world, not to regard them; for they are small things of no hold.
- 1Gal. 3. opened.
- 2Joh. 16.Ioh. 16.
- 3Simile.
