Ball - BT770 B3 1637

Faith is certaine in theevent, not everin fenfe. ned. An houle well builded upon a rocke is as fure as the foundation : everie thing hangingon a.pinorpeg, is as lure as the pin or peg on which it hangeth : True faith firmely groundeth it fenfe upon the faithfull promifes of God, and receiveth them asbetter than lifeit felfe,fromwhich it will not be withdrawne by any carnal I allurements: and there- fore inevent it cannot mifcarrie, for theground is firme and unchangeable. The truth of God in it fenfe is more certaine than any thing that can bee apprehended by the feules, but it is not evermorefo apprehended byus : andfaith which buildeth upon the infallible truth of God, commingto him when beecalleth, relyinguponhis grace, becaufe he hathfpoken, is inevent no lefie fure, thanthe foundation upon which it leaneth is certaine and unmoveable ; but in the fenfe of the Beleever it is not alwayesfo : neither are mattersof faith received by us with inch certaintie , as are other things fubje6 tothe fenfes, in themlelves leffe certaine. Things areto us according as weeconceive them, which is not ever anfwerable to the evidence of the thing in it felfe, or to the certaintie in regard of the event. Things moll lure in- themfelves are fometimes but dimmely difcerned of us, becaufe our eye-fight is imperfe& ; and things lefre evident in themfelves doe appeare to us moll cleare and manifell, when theycome within thecotpatle of fenfe or reafon re- maining in us. Betides, the promifes of mercie in Chrill being the higheft and moll fpirituall, it is the hardetl point of llervice inChriftianwarfare firmely tobeleeve them : and thedaily weaknell'es which wee efpie inour felves, the many and firong pafíìons which hill warre within us, and many times prevaile, doe impell the mind todiClrizli. When a Chriflian calleth to mind what flrength worldly allure- mentshave in him, howoften beeyeeldeth untoaftaults many pettie temptations, howweake and fraile, dull and negligent hee is in the duties of Chrillianitie and his parti- cular calling : the confcioufnefie of thefe thingswill, no, G x queflion,

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