What is it to live by Faith,&c. 207 nature, thenofmy felfe unable to remove it : unto thee therefore,do I lift up my foule ; O tame in me the fierce- neffe ofinfidelity, and teach me to believe as thou haft commanded : then fha11 Icleave unto thee infeparably, waste confidently on thy falvatiorr, and ferve thee cheare , fullyas long as I live, Thus are we to finde out, and make infidelity odious. Secondly, We muit labour to fee the neceility,andpre- Z,S e the of ciouíìnefle of faith ; and there feene will make a man iee/repre hold hard, ere h part with it. A man that bath a great Fair,,. charge, his whole Bare about him, will as Toone lofe his as part with his treafure. Of what excellency and ufe is this grace of faith, whis;h fubdueth paffions, over- cornmeth allurements, maketh things, irnpoffiblo to the flefh, eafie and delightfome ; hsableth to fland fall whe,i weare buffeted by Satan, liketh up the head amidff all thefùrges oftemptation ,rernainethvtaorious in all com- bats, raifeth us up when we are laidalong, and our wea- pons beatenon our Heads ; knitteth the heart fait to the heavenly Commandements, qúickeneth in deadnefle,and holdeth the Lord fá& when he leadeth us into the dartre. Whowould not preferre the cuitodieand increa'e offuch agrace before life it felfe ? Nay, what is our life without ït ? If faith live in us, we livebleffedly, whatfòever mite- ry compafl'eth us about; if faith decay,we die;if it die,wc perifh. Thirdly,We mutt confider whom we trull, and medi- 3 Merltrate os rateon thegrounds offaith (to wit) the grace, power, t hegrout cis o; goodnelle, truth, and unchangeahleneffe of God z for this Faith, will fl i rengthenbeliefe.We mu t confider the promifes of God, that we may fed whathis good will and pleafure is, what a Fatherly care ofour welfarehe bath, and not onely how ablebut how willing alto be is to helpe and fuccour w ; what promifes he bath made, andhow faith- fiillhe is in performance, for his owne names fake,and of free undeferved love. The Mother of unbelicfe is igno- rance of God; his faithfullnel{le, mercy, and power. Thore
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