Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…

Now therefore if the justification of Gods people, and the holiness which they show forth in their lives, do arise from hence, that they believe God hath promised them ^*strength to wait for salvation and to live well: then it must needs follow, that faith failing, mens strength to the doing of any good thing utterly faileth also. And therefore if we be persuaded, after we have once received grace to believe, that we are thereby well enough, though we labour not to grow daily,² and to hold fast thereby the hope of forgiveness §Bof our sins, and of other grace; how grossly doth the Devil bewitch us? By what means soever he do it, whether by keeping us ignorant of this truth; or otherwise busieth and occupieth us in the world, that we think not of it, nor at all look after it; or whether we be holden from it any other way: all as one. And although this is a thing, with which men of the world are not acquainted, yet they who have learned to know what the excellency of believing is, and have felt any power of it working in them; they are to know that they can neither live comfortably, nor do any thing well without it: for ^*without faith it is impossible to please God.

Now therefore if the iustification of Gods people, and the holinesse which they shew foorth in their liues, do arise from hence, that they beleeue God hath promised them ^*strength to waite for saluation and to liue well: then it must needs follow, that faith failing, mens strength to the doing of any good thing vtterly faileth also. And therefore if we be perswaded, after we haue once receiued grace to beleeue, that we are thereby well inough, though we labour not to grow daily,² and to hold fast thereby the hope of forgiuenesse §Bof our sinnes, and of other grace; how grossely doth the Diuell bewitch vs? By what meanes soeuer he do it, whether by keeping vs ignorant of this truth; or otherwise busieth and occupieth vs in the world, that we thinke not of it, nor at all looke after it; or whether we be holden from it any other way: all as one. And although this is a thing, with which men of the world are not acquainted, yet they who haue learned to know what the excellencie of beleeuing is, and haue felt any power of it working in them; they are to know that they can neither liue comfortably, nor do any thing well without it: for