sin, and the enquiry whereunto would cross the reserved resolutions and unwarrantable projects which I am peremptory to prosecute? Am I not so in league with mine own corruptions, that I could heartily wish some divine truths were not revealed, rather than, being so, they should sting my conscience, and disable me from secure enjoying some beloved sin? Do I assent unto all divine truths as alike precious, with equal adherence? Am I as little displeased with the truth of God's threats as of his promises? Do they as powerfully work upon me to reform,-as the other, to refresh me? Do I believe them all, not only in the thesis or general, but in the hypothesis, and respectively to mine own particular?

Again, Do I find my heart fitted unto the goodness of divine truth? Am I forward to embrace with much affection, and loving delight, whatsoever promises are made unto me? Do I find a spiritual taste and relish in the food of life, which, having once tasted of, I find myself weaned from the love of the world? from admiring the honours, pursuing the preferments, hunting after the applause, adoring the glories, and selling my soul and liberty for the smiles thereof? Doth the sweetness of those promises, like the fruits brought by the spies from Canaan, so much affect me, as that to come to the full possession thereof, I am at a point with all other things, ready to encounter any Canaanite, or sinful lust that shall oppose me, to adventure on any difficulties that might deter me, to pass through a sea, a wilderness, through fiery serpents, the darts of Satan; yea, if need were, by the gates of hell? Briefly, do I find in my heart (however in itself froward, and wayward from any good) a more than natural liveliness and vigour, which disposeth me to approve of the word, promises, and purchases of my salvation, as of an invaluable jewel; so precious, as that all things in this world are but as dung in comparison? to a most fervent expectation and longing after them; to a heavenly persuasion of my happiness by them; and, lastly, to a sweet delight in them, working peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, a love of Christ's appearing, an endeavour to be like unto him, and a desire above all things to be with

* Vide August. de Doctr. Christian. 1. 2. c. 7.

him, and enjoy him, (which are all so many secret and pure issues of the Spirit of adoption)? I may, from these premises, infallibly conclude, that I am possessed of a lively faith, and thereby of those first-fruits, which bring with them an assurance of that great harvest of glory in the day of redemption: and in the mean time, having this weddinggarment, I may, with much confidence, approach God's table, to receive there the renewal of my patent unto life.

CHAPTER XX. *

Of the third and last means for the trial and demonstration of faith; namely, from effects or properties thereof.

THE last medium which was assigned for the examination of faith, was the properties or effects of it; by which, as by steps, we raise our thoughts to the apprehension of faith itself. To assign all the consequences or effects of faith, is a labour as difficult, as it would be tedious. I decline both; and shall therefore touch upon some special ones, which if present, all the rest in their order follow with a voluntary train.

And now, as, in the soul of man, there are two kinds of operations one primitive and substantial, which we call the act of information; others secondary and subsequent, as, to understand, to will, to desire, and the like;—so faith, being (as hath been formerly observed) in some sort the actus primus,' or form of a Christian, I mean, that very medium unionis,' whereby the soul of man is really united to Christ, hath, therefore, in it two kinds of operations: the first, as it were, substantial,-the other, secondary. The former of these is that act of vivification or quickening, by which, faith doth make a man to live the life of Christ, by knitting him unto Christ, as it were, with joints and sinews', and ingrafting him into the unity of that vine, whose fruit is life a.

That which doth quicken, is ever of a more excellent nature, than that which is quickened. Now the soul, being a spirit, and therefore within the compass of highest created

Folio edition, p. 484. y Gal. ii. 20. * Ephes. iv. 16. a John xv. 1, 2.

perfection, cannot possibly be quickened by any but him who is above all perfection, which the Heathen themselves have acknowledged to be God: for St. Paul hath observed it out of them, that "in him we live, and move, and have our being." Now unto life, necessary it is, that there be a union unto the principa!, or original of life; which, to the soul, is God. In regard of the essence of God, nothing can be separated from him, he being immense and filling all things but yet in regard of his voluntary communication and dispensing of himself unto the creature, the manner of his special presence doth much vary. Unto this special union of the creature to God (in virtue whereof, the creature is quickened, and doth in some sort live the life of God), there is necessarily pre-supposed some sinew or ligament, which may be therefore called the medium and instrument of life. This knot in the estate of man's creation, was the obedience of the law, or the covenant of works, which, while man did maintain firm and unshaken, he had an evident communion with God in all those vital influences, which his mercy was pleased to shed down upon him: but once untying this knot, and cutting asunder that bond, there did immediately ensue a separation between God and man, and, by an infallible consequence, death likewise. But God, being rich in mercy, and not willing to plunge his creature into eternal misery, found a new means to communicate himself unto him, by appointing a more easy covenant, which should be the second knot of our union unto him,-only to believe in Christ incarnate, who had done that for us which we ourselves had formerly undone. And this new covenant is the covenant of 'faith, by which the just do live'

But here a man may object, That it is harder for one to discern that he doth live in Christ, than that he believe in him; and therefore this can be no good mean by which we may find out the truth of our faith.

To this we answer, That life must be discerned by those tokens, which are inseparable from it. And they are First, A desire of nourishment, without which it cannot continue for Nature hath imprinted in all things a love of its own being and preservation, and, by consequence, a prosecution of all such means as may preserve, and a removal of all such, as may endanger or oppress it. Secondly, A conversion of

nourishment into the nature of the body. Thirdly, Augmentation and growth, till we come unto that stature, which our life requires. Fourthly, Participation of influences from the vital parts, the head, the heart, and others, with conformity unto the principal mover amongst them: for a dead part is ever withered, immovable, and disobedient to the other faculties. Fifthly, A sympathy and communion in pains or delights with the fellow-members. Lastly, A free use of our senses and other faculties, by all which we may infallibly conclude that a creature liveth.

And so it is in faith. It frameth the heart to delight in all such spiritual food, as is requisite thereunto; disposing it upon the view, at least upon the taste, of any poisonous thing, to be pained with it, and cast it up. The food that nourisheth faith, is, as in little infants, of the same quality with that which begat it, even the Word of life, wherein there is sincere milk, and strong meat. The poison which endangereth it is heresy, which tainteth the root of faith, and goeth about to pervert the assent and impiety, which blasteth and corrupteth the branches. All which, the soul of a faithful man abhorreth.

Secondly, In faith there is a conversion likewise, the virtue whereof ever there resides, where the vital power is. In natural life, the power of altering is in the man, and not in the meat; and therefore the meat is assimilated to our flesh: but in spiritual life, the quickening faculty is in the meat; and therefore the man is assimilated and transformed into the quality of the meat. And indeed, the word is not cast into the heart of man, as meat into the stomach, to be converted into the corrupt quality of nature; but rather as seed into the ground, to convert that earth which is about it, into the quality of itself.

Thirdly, Where faith is, there is some growth in grace: we grow nearer unto Heaven, than when we first believed; an improvement of our knowledge in the mysteries of godliness, which like the sun, shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day: an increase of willingness to obey God in all things. And as in the growth of natural bodies, if they be sound and healthy, so in this of faith likewise it is universal and uniform: one part doth not grow, and another shrivel; neither doth one part grow too big, and disproportioned for

another; the head doth not increase in knowledge, and the heart decay in love; the heart doth not swell in zeal, and the hand wither in charity; but, in the nourishment of faith, every grace receives proportionably its habitual confirmation b.

Fourthly, By the spiritual life of faith, the faithful do partake of such heavenly influences, as are from the head shed down upon the members. The influences of Christ in his church are many, and peradventure, in many things, imperceptible. Some principal I conceive to be the influence of his truth, and the influence of his power. His truth is exhibited in teaching the church, which is illumination; his power partly in guiding the church, and partly in defending it; that, is direction,-this, protection. Now in all these do they, who are in Christ, according to the measure and proportion of his Spirit, certainly communicate. They have their eyes more or less opened, like Paul, to see the terrors of God, the fearfulness of sin, the rottenness of a spiritual death, the preciousness of Christ and his promises, the glimpses and rays of that glory which shall be revealed. They have their feet loosened with Lazarus, that they can now rise, and walk, and leap, and praise God. Lastly, They are strengthened and clothed with the whole arms of God, which secureth them against all the malice or force of Satan.

Fifthly, Where faith is, there is a natural compassion in all the members of Christ towards each other. If sin be by one member committed, the other members are troubled for it; because they are all partakers of that Spirit, which is grieved with the sins of his people. If one part be afflicted, the other are interested in the pain; because all are united together in one head, which is the fountain and original of sense. The members of the church are not like paralytic and unjointed members, which cannot move towards the succour of each other.

Lastly, Where faith is, there all the faculties are expedite and free in their operations: the eye open to see the wonders of God's law; the ear open to hear his voice; the mouth open to praise his name; the arm enlarged towards the relief of his servants; the whole man tenderly sensible of all pressures, and repugnant qualities.

b Ephes. iv. 16.