The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse showing a Christians…The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians…

For what benefit must Faith here be exercised?¹

1. 1Partic. 3.

First, faith must not be here acted for your justification; it is required you should be justified persons, have your sins forgiven before you come hither. He that comes hither under the guilt of sin, goes away with more guilt, and his former guilt is doubled and confirmed on him. So that for this benefit faith is not to be acted, as we shall show hereafter.

First, faith must not bee here acted for your justification; it is required you should be justified persons, have your sins forgiven before you come hither. He that comes hither under the guilt of sin, goes away with more guilt, and his former guilt is doubled and confirmed on him. So that for this benefit faith is not to bee acted, as wee shall shew hereafter.

Secondly, faith must not be here acted for Regeneration; It is required a man should be borne again, be in the state of grace, sanctified, before he come hither. Here is the multiplying of grace, but no begetting of grace. As in the miracle of loaves, ¹there was no new bread created, but a multiplying of the bread they had: So here is no giving of grace where there is none, but a multiplying of grace where it is: where grace is, there it is increased, but it is not here begotten. A man may come to the Word though he be graceless, ²because the Word is an Ordinance set up for the gathering of men, and begetting souls to Christ: but none are to come to the Sacrament, but such as are begotten anew; the Sacrament is not the Font, it is not the place where men are born, but the table where men are nourished; it