Gods husbandry

CHAP. VII. Showing how the hypocrite and upright do agree and differ in faith.

CHAP. VII. Shewing how the hypocrite and vpright doe agree and differ in faith.

Faith is a most excellent grace, consummated & accomplished by two distinct acts of the mind: by assenting to the known truths, and applying the same to every mans self in particular. In both these acts of Faith, the true-hearted and dissembler do both agree and disagree. For the first;¹ the hypocrite as well as the faithful saint of God doth assent unto the doctrine of the Scriptures, persuading himself in his-heart, that doubtless it is from God, and is therefore a most certain truth: by name he may believe the doctrine of the Gospel, (concerning the salvation of man by Jesus Christ, God and man,) to be most sure and undoubted. Thus it is said of Simon Magus, that he believed. The stony ground also did believe: and there were that believed in Christ so, as that yet he did not trust himself with them, which manifestly proveth that they were but hollow. And surely Ananias and Sapphira did persuade themselves that the Gospel was a true doctrine,² and gave credit unto it as unto a sure and excellent truth. But the difference is, that the hypocrite assenteth alone confusedly and slightly, to the whole, in gross, and with a kind of faint consent: not to each particular ⟨p. 42⟩part, with a firm and well grounded assent. This difference our Saviour Christ noteth in the Parable of the grounds,³ when he tells us that the seed in the stony ground had not much earth, and that therefore it withered. The hypocrite hearing the doctrine of the Gospel, or being brought up under it, taketh it upon trust, thinks, sure it is true, and (having a little light afforded him from GOD in the reading or preaching of the Word,) thinks sure this must needs be from God, it cannot but be so, and there an end. A more distinct, particular and serious consideration of the things revealed, he standeth not upon: he doth not muse and ponder much of the excellency, fruit, benefit, divinity, and heaven linesse of Gods word, and the several parts thereof: but the Christian, by much pondering upon the Word, and by often resolving his faith into the truth, wisdom, and power of God, who is the author of the Word, is fast grounded and established in the faith. The true Christian ceaseth not to make himself feel the power of the Gospel in himself more and more, and so indeed he is rooted in believing;