Ball - BT770 B3 1637

.¡.:.._......,..... 22 ¡PAT .72.17. ,3an.244. Mts 3.Evìdent. Faith is an 4Eent. ourSaviour intoHeaven, and till the commingof the Holy Ghoft uponthem, looked for the eáablifhtuent ofan earth- lyKingdome in thisworld by their Lord andMaffei-. Did they notflip into thiserrour, bymif-beleeving the prophe- ciesof the OldTef}amenr,concerning thev7'(efjîahs King- dome: yet were theyout ofdanger ofdamnation, and in theElateofgrace all that time,becaufe they refled on Chrift, as the fpirituall Saviour oftheir foules, that fhould take a- way their finnes, and bring them to everlafting life in Heaven, though they erroneouflyhoped for a temporal! kingdomealto. And after theyhad received the giftsofthe i Holy Ghofl, for a time they were ignorant of theconver- lionof the Gentiles. Hee that beleeveth the truth inone thing, becaufe God bath revealed it, will beleeve everie thing that heunderPcandcth to be revealedofGod : But he that holdeth the foundationoffaith firme, and ftable, may difl'ent inTome things fromthat which is enerally holden, withoutperil lofdamnation, becaufe hee g it not tobe ofGod. Faith is an evident afient : perfpicuitieof truth in the objeó1apprehended, and certaintieof perfwafion, are two twins that live and dye together. In this lifeit is impof fible forus fully to comprehend any onepoint of Chriftian faith ; yet are they plaine and perfpicuous in a fort to the fpirituall, not to the naturali man. There is a manifefta- tionof things by reafon, andby revelation : and thereis an evidence dire&, and an evidence by confequence : an evi- cenceof' the thing in it felfe, and by the effeé : an evi- dence to thenaturali man, and anevidence to thefpirituall man. Matters of faith are manifell by revelation, but to reafon unfearchable, incomprehenfible : feene byfaith, to thenaturali maninvilble, incredible. TheDivinitieof the Scripture is in it felfe evident to the fpirituall man, fo is it, that thereisa Providence : other thingsare evident from this ground; That all truthcontained in Scripture is tobee imbraced though with oppofition to all other profefsi- ons : and thatthe profefsionof Religion is not to beere- linquifhed,

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