A57982:478
The trial & triumph of faithThe tryal & triumph of faith
The trial & triumph of faith: or, An exposition of the history of Christs dispossessing of the daughter of the woman of Canaan Delivered in sermons; in which are opened, the victory of faith; the condition of those that are tempted; the excellency of Jesus Christ and free-grace; and some special grounds and principles of libertinism and antinomian errors, discovered by Samuel Rutherfurd, professor of divinity in the University of St. Andrews. Published by authority.The tryal & triumph of faith: or, An exposition of the history of Christs dispossessing of the daughter of the woman of Canaan Delivered in sermons; in which are opened, the victory of faith; the condition of those that are tempted; the excellency of Jesus Christ and free-grace; and some speciall grounds and principles of libertinisme and antinomian errors, discovered by Samuel Rutherfurd, professor of divinity in the University of St. Andrews. Published by authority.
London: printed by John Field, 1652
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.
Complaineth of the in-dwelling of sin, of his carnality, and the fleshes lusting against the spirit, and of his captivity under sin, which must argue his imperfect Faith, liable to the distemper of sinful doubtings.1 It is also a great error to say, that to call in question, whether God be my Father after, or upon the commission of some heinous sins, as murder, incest, &c. Doth prove a man to be in the covenant of works. Now there be sundry sorts of doubtings opposite to Faith.2 In the renewed: There's 1. A natural doubting; and as all Popery is natural and carnal: so this strangeness of affection by which men are unkind to Christ, and never persuaded of Gods favour in Jesus Christ, argueth the party to be under the law, and not in Christ. This doubting may, and doth in carnal men consist with presumption, and a moral false persuasion that natural men have all of them, while their conscience be wakened; that they shall be saved. Why? I am not a Murderer, a Sorcerer, &c. Why? Or how can God throw me into Hell? So its made up of real lies and contradictions: Yet they have no divine certainty of Salvation. For ask a natural man, Have you a full assurance of salvation, as you say, that you always believe and doubt not? he shall be there at a stand, and answer; Who can have a full assurance? But I hope well, I believe well night and day. And so doubt Papists also, and they ⟨p. 373⟩have a lie in their right hand, it cannot stand with Gods mercy or justice; since I am not this and this, to throw me into hell. So is unbelief a lie, Esa. 57.11. And of whom hast thou been afraid and feared, that thou hast lied and hast not remembered me? 2. There's an occasional doubting that riseth by starts upon wicked men out of an evil conscience of sin, but it vanisheth as a cloud: as in Pharaohs confession, I and my people have sinned. This argueth a law-spirit, rising and falling a sleep again. 3. There's a final doubting of despair, like the §3doom past on the condemned malefactor: as in Cain, Gen. 4.13.14