All other unions are dis

that cannot be dissolved. soluble: A man may be plucked from his dwelling house and lands, or they from him, though he hath never so good title to them; may be removed from his dearest friends, the husband from the wife, if not by other accidents in their lifetime, yet sure by death, the great dissolver of all those unions, and of that straitest one, of the soul with the body; but it can do nothing against this union, but on the contrary perfects it, for I am persuaded (says St. Paul) that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heigth nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord'.

There is a twofold mistake concerning faith. They that are altogether void of it, abusing and flattering themselves in a vain opinion that they have it; and on the other side, they that have it, misjudging their own condition, and so depriving themselves of much comfort and sweetness that they might find in their believing.

The former is the worse, and yet the far commoner evil, and what one says of wisdom is true of faith, Many would seek after it, and attain it, if they did not falsly imagine that they have attained it already. There is nothing more contrary to the lively nature of faith, than for the soul not to be at all busied with the thoughts of its own spiritual condition, and yet this very character of unbelief passes with a great many for believing. They doubt not, that is indeed they consider not what they are; their minds are not at all on these things; are not awakened to seek diligently after Jesus, so as not to rest till they find him. They are well enough without him, it suffices them, to hear there is such a one, but they ask not themselves, is he mine, or no? Sure if that be all, not to doubt, the brutes

z Rom. viii. 38, 39.

a Puto multos potuisse ad sapientiam pervenire, nisi putassent se jam pervenisse. SEN. de Tranq.

believe as well as they. It were better out of all question to be labouring under doubtings; if it be a more hopeful condition, to find a man groaning and complaining, than speechless, and breathless, and not stirring at all.

There be in spiritual doubtings two things; there is a solicitous care of the soul concerning its own estate, and diligent enquiry into it; and that is laudable, being a true work of the Spirit of God; but the other thing in them, is perplexity and distrust which arises from darkness and weakness in the soul; as where there is a great deal of smoke, and no clear flame, it argues much moisture in the matter, yet it witnesseth certainly that there is fire there; and therefore dubious questioning of a man concerning himself, is a much better evidence, than senseless deadness that most take for believing. Men that know nothing in sciences have no doubts. He never truly believed that was not made first sensible and convinced of unbelief. This is the Spirit's first errand in the world, to convince it of sin; and the sin is this, that they believe not. If the faith that thou hast grew out of thy natural heart of itself, be assured it is but a weed. The right plant of faith is always set by God's own hand, and it is watered and preserved by him, because exposed to many hazards; he watches it night and day, I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment, lest any hurt it; I will keep it night and day.

Again, how impudent is it in the most, to pretend they believe, while they wallow in profaneness. If faith unite the soul unto Christ, certainly it puts it into participation of his Spirit; for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, says St. Paul. This faith in Christ brings us into communion with God. Now, God is light, says St. John, and therefore infers, If we say we have fellowship with God, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. The lie appears in our practice, an unsuitableness in our carriage; as one said of him

b Joh. xvi. 8, 9. < Isa. xxyii. 3. d 1 Joh. i. 6.

that signed his verse wrong, Fecit solæcismum

manu.

But there be imaginary believers that are a little more refined, that live after a blameless, yea, and a religious manner, as to their outward behaviour; and they yet are but appearances of christians, have not the living work of faith within, and all these exercises are dead works in their hands. Amongst these some may have such motions within them as may deceive themselves, while their external deportment deceives others, some transient touches of desire to Christ, upon the unfolding of his excellencies in the preaching of the word, and upon some conviction of their own necessity, and may conceive some joy upon thoughts of apprehending him; and yet all this proves but a vanishing fancy, an embracing of a shadow. And because men that are thus deluded meet not with Christ indeed, nor do really find his sweetness; therefore within a while, they return to the pleasure of sin, and their latter end proves worse than their beginning. Their hearts could not possibly be stedfast, because there was nothing to fix them on, in all that work wherein Christ himself was wanting.

But the truly believing soul that is brought unto Jesus Christ, and fastened upon him by God's own hand, abides stayed on him, and departs not. And in these the very belief of the things that are spoken concerning Christ in the Gospel, their persuasion of divine truth, is of a higher nature than the common consent that is called historical, another knowledge and evidence of the mysteries of the kingdom, than natural men can have. This is indeed the ground of all, the very thing that causes a man rest upon Christ, when he hath a persuasion wrought in his heart by the Spirit of God, that Christ is an able Redeemer, a sufficient Saviour, able to save all that come to him. Then upon this, the heart resolves upon that course: seeing I am persuaded of this, that whoso believes in him shall not perish, but have f Heb. vii. 25.

1 Pet. ii. 20.

everlasting life, or, as it is here, shall not be confounded. I am to deliberate no longer, this is the thing I must do, I must lay my soul upon him, upon one who is an Almighty Redeemer: and it does so. Now, these first actings of faith have in themselves an evidence that distinguishes them from all that is counterfeit, a light of their own, by which the soul wherein they are, may discern them, and say, "This "is the right work of faith;" especially when God shines upon the soul, and clears it in the discovery of his own work within it.

And further, they may find the influence of faith upon the affections, purifying them, as our Apostle says of it. Faith knits the heart to a holy head, a pure Lord, the spring of purity; and therefore cannot chuse but make it pure; it is a beam from Heaven that raises the mind to a heavenly temper. Although there are remains of sin in a believing soul, yet it is a hated wearisome guest there. It is not there as its delight, but as its greatest grief, and malady; of that it is still lamenting and complaining, and had rather be rid of it than gain a world. Thus it is purified from affecting sin.

So where these are, a spiritual apprehension of the promises, and a cleaving of the soul unto Christ, and such a delight in him, as makes sin vile and distasteful, so that the heart is set against it, and, as the needle touched with the loadstone, is still turned towards Christ, and looks at him in all estatés: the soul that is thus disposed, hath certainly interest in him; and therefore ought not to affect an hu mour of doubting, but to conclude, that how unworthy soever in itself, yet being in him, it shall not be ashamed: not only it shall never have cause to think shame of him, but all its just cause of shame in itself shall be taken away; it shall be covered with his righteousness, and appear so before the Father, Who must not think, "If my sins were to be set "in order, and appear against me, how would my "face be filled with shame? Though there were

* Act. xv. 9.

no more, if some thoughts that I am guilty of were laid to my charge, I were utterly ashamed "and undone. Oh! there is nothing in myself but "matter of shame, but yet in Christ more matter "of glorying, who endured shame, that we might "not be ashamed. We cannot distrust ourselves enough, nor trust enough in him. Let it be right faith, and there is no excess in believing. Though "I have sinned against him, and abused his good"ness, yet I will not leave him; for whither should "I go, he, and none but he, hath the words of "eternal life". Yea, though he being so often of"fended, should threaten to leave me to the shame "of my own follies, yet I will stay by him, and "wait for a better answer, and I know I shall ob"tain it; this assurance being given me for my "comfort, that whosoever believes in him shall not "be ashamed."

Ver. 7. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious; but unto them who be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

8. And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.

BESIDES all the opposition that meets faith within, in our hearts, it hath this without, that it rows against the great stream of the world's opinion; and therefore hath need, especially where it is very tender and weak, to be strengthened against that. The multitude of unbelievers, and the considerable quality of many of them in the world, are continuing causes of that very multitude: and the fewness of them that truly believe, doth much to the keeping of them still few; and as this prejudice prevails with them that believe not, so it may sometimes assault the mind of a believer, when he thinks how many, and many of them wise men in the world, reb Joh. vi. 68.