10 HowGod produced') Faith. § 4. How codpro- uce iril d t6fa. t.. ,.. Cor.4.6. arrm.,.9' Dan.11.36. 2. effe&ually willeth and intendeth towork, fo farhe putteth forth hisomnipotent power to accomplifh. But God doth intend, and effeolually will todraw fomeunto him before other Tome. §. 4. Inproducing faith, hill Godbeflowethupon man ll and f ld thegiftof underhanding iritua wi ome, opening b and illuminating the eyes ofhis mind, to know the pro- mile in Chrifl, and tojudge andefleeme thofe thingsrevea- led of God, tobe themoli undoubted and infallible truth. Thisunderflandingisrequifitetofaith : foritis impoflible for a man tobeleeve that, whereof he hath noknowledgeor underhanding. Out of quefiion,faith is a moll wifegift,or grace of Gods holy Spirit, making thofe that bee endued therewith wife unto falvation : whichwee (hall eafily dif- cerne,ifwe confider howgreat thefubtiltieof that oldSer- pent the Devillis, as alto thedeceitfulnefreof fanne; both which aredefeated byfaith. Thisunderhanding is thegift ofGods grace ; for as rea- fónable underhanding is beyond the compaffe of that knowledgewhich thebeatls haveby kind : fo is this under- handingfarbeyond the reachofall that wifdome leftincor- rupted nature. It isa work irrefihible, for it is wrought ac- cordingto thepurpofeoftheLord, and the counfellofGod cannot be frufirated. In illumination the mind fuffereth notfrom anynaturali power, which it bath to conceive or underhand fpirituall things, butfrom that hateof obedi- ence that the mindhandeth inuntoAlmightyGod, where- by it mull neceffarily fee whatfoever he will enlighten it to behold, and let before it. There is no naturali power in an eyenowblind toreceive fight : but if Godwill enlighten, it mull needs fee : So thereis no naturali power in theeye ofthemindnow becomedarknefie, toreceive the light of favingknowledge,which is everie way a thingboth for mat- ter andmanner fupernaturall unto it : but ifhee open the eyes of the underfianding,and thine into the heart,itmull needs underhand. Secondly, Goddoth infnfe orpowre the habit of faith into
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