Faith is Gedsgift, but we mme ufe themean for n, he beleeveth not becaufe he will not beleeve ; which di- fpofition the will hathof it lelfeby nature. But the reaCon why one beleeveth andnot another, is, becaufe theHoly Ghott doth not inwardly teach all men , but whom bee will, _and ;_joyne his efficacie to the Word preached and heard in whom he will. Thecaufeof this hiswill wee are not bound to render, we cannot render, but mußt reti in the goodpleafure of God. T"haugh faith And though nomandoe beleeveby the external' hearing be thegilt of of the Word , unleffe the inward operation of the Holy God, raen mufzi Ghoft regenerating andgiving faith doe accompany it, yet the meaner obtaine it. give , mule all men attendance ro the hearingof the Word to preached,, anddiligent reading , becaufe it is the meanes that Godbath ordained for the begettingof faith , and by precept divine theyare thereunto obliged. Neither (hall it excufe any man tofay , he could not beleeve; and ifhe fhould make triall, his endevourwould be in vaine. Such frivolous pretences (hall nothing availe before God. The Idle able we are tobeleeve of our felves, the more carefuIl should webe to ufe the meanes that God bath ordained, that we might obtaine it. Marriagewas never held fuperflu- ous or unneceflàry for thepropagation ofmankind,becaufe the reafonable foule is not generatedby our Parents, but immediately created and infufed of God.That faith is the fole gift of God, wholly infufed,not partlyacquired by us, \ fhould rather incite than any way abate our endevours forattaining ir. For faith isnotgivenbut in the ufe of the meanes : and thoughhe give not faithunto allmen, he vio- lently with-holds faith fromno man that feeketh it, but deniethit jußly tothem that willingly prefer the pleafures of finbefore the pearleof the Gofpel. And as Chrift in- fufednot humane lifeinto trees , ilockes, andhones , but intobodies paffively organized and figured for the fit ha- bitationof thehumane foule: fo neither doth he ordina- rilybellow fupernaturall grace on everyone that bath a re afonablefoule, but onfuch onely asare by him paffively Éprepared forit. The
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