Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

Before I draw down these premises to a particular▪ Assumption and Application, I must for Caution sake ⟨p. 508⟩premise that faith may be in the heart either habitually, as an actus primus, a form or seed, or principle of working, or else actually as an actus secundus, a particular Operation; and that in the former sense it doth but remotely dispose and order the soul to these properties; but in the later it doth more visibly and distinctly produce them. So then according as the heart is deadened in the exercise of Faith, so do these properties thereof more dimly appear, and more remissly work.

Before I draw downe these premises to a particular▪ Assumption and Applycation, I must for Caution sake ⟨p. 508⟩premise that faith may be in the heart either habitually, as an actus primus, a forme or seede, or principle of working, or else actually as an actus secundus, a particular Operation; and that in the former sense it doth but remotely dispose and order the soule to these properties; but in the later it doth more visibly and distinctly produce them. So then according as the heart is deaded in the exercise of Faith, so doe these properties thereof more dimly appeare, and more remisly worke.

Secondly, we must note that according as faith hath several workings, so Satan hath several ways to assault and weaken it. There are two main works of Faith, Obedience, and Comfort, to purify and to pacify the heart: and according unto these, so Satan tempts. His main end is to wrong and dishonour God, and therefore chiefly he labours to disable the former virtue of Faith, and tempts to sin against God. But when he cannot proceed so far, he labours to discomfort and crush the spirits of men: when he prevails in the former, he weakens all the properties of Faith: when in the later only, he doth not then weaken all, but only intercept and darken a Christians peace.