to the bargain, and is not satisfied
with any thing in himself, that draweth back, or consenteth not, and
with the little skill or strength he hath is writing down his name, and
saying, even so I take him; and is holding at this, peremptorily
resolving never to go back, or unsay what he hath said; but, on the
contrary, is firmly purposed to adhere, and as he groweth in strength,
to grip more firmly, and adhere to him, he may conclude that the bargain
is closed already, and that he hath faith already; for here there is an
accepting of Christ on his own terms, a real consenting unto the
covenant of grace, though weak, and not so discernible as the soul would
wish. The soul dare not say but it loveth the bargain, and is satisfied
with it, and longeth for it, and desireth nothing more than that it
might partake thereof, and enjoy him whom it loveth, hungereth for,
panteth after, or breatheth, as it is able, that it may live in him, and
be saved through him.

But some will say, If I had any evidence of God's approbation of this
act of my soul, any testimony of his Spirit, I could then with
confidence say, that I had believed and accepted of the covenant and of
Christ offered therein; but so long as I perceive nothing of this, how
can I suppose, that any motion of this kind in my soul is real faith?

For _Answer_--1. We would know, that our believing, and God's sealing to
our sense, are two distinct acts and separable, and oft separated. Our
believing is one thing, and God's sealing with the Holy Spirit of
promise to our sense, is another thing; and this followeth, though not
inseparably, the other, Eph. i. 13, "In whom also, after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise."

And so, 2. We would know, that many a man may believe, and yet not know
that he doth believe. He may set to his seal, that God is true in his
offer of life through Jesus, and accept of that offer as a truth, and
close with it; and yet live under darkness and doubtings of his faith,
long and many a day; partly through not discerning the true nature of
faith; partly through the great sense and feeling of his own corruption
and unbelief; partly through a mistake of the Spirit's operations
within, or the want of a clear and distinct uptaking of the motions of
his own soul; partly because he findeth so much doubting and fear, as if
there could be no faith where there was doubting or fear, contrary to
Mark ix. 24. Matth. viii. 26, and