Ball - BT770 B3 1637

Faith is afpirituall tafte. 37 tioner,a begginghand,receivingall things offavour, chal- lengingnothing to it felfe, afcribing all good to the praifeof grace. It fighteth manfully, triumpheth vi6forioufly, wor- keth by love : but inall this it magniSeth thegraceofGod, relyethuponhim and feekethhis praife. §. 6. Laflly, juflifying faithfor nature andqualitie is a ipirituall tafle,howfoever defective for degree. It receive th theWord, talleth, relifheth, and retaineth it, as the moll fweet, wholfotne, anddeleoiable food. There is the fame roportion betwixt theword cf life, the foodof the foule, and the livelyfaith, that is betw.ixtbodilyfood andthe in- flrument ofbodily tafle. Hearken diligentlyunto me, and eatyee thatwhich is good,andlet yourfettle delight it feufe infatneffe. The wordpzofiteth themnet (faith theApoflle, fpeakirgcf the Ifraelites¡ 6ecaufe it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it : where the do&rine of falva- tion is compared towine, which profiteth not ,unl'efíeitbe drunken, that is, received byfaith: and tobeleeve, is fpiri- tually todrinke thecup offalvation. Myjoule thirffeth: for thee (faith David) Recattle thy loving kindneffe ss better than life, my lip fhallpraife thee : Myfoule fhall befatal: fledas withmarrow&fatneffe, tic, To beleeve in Chrifl, is to eat thefefh of the Sonof man, andtodrinke his blond. Temporarie faith talleth the Word, as men doe meat which they fpit out againe ; receiveth it as a raw flomack Both meat, which it vomiteth up and cannot hold : but it never feedeth kindly upon the feverall parts of the Wordof life, nor flandeth affe&edtowards it, asa good llomack doth to wholfome nourifhment; which- is evi- dent in that theweeds ofearthly-mindednefe,pride,plea- firearenot flocked upby the roots ; and where thefeabide, the fouleis not rightly tempered to apprehend the worth andqualitie, or feedupon the juyceof heavenlymyfleries. :But where true and lively faith bath refidence, the fouleis, tempered to fymbolize with divine goodneffe, and flan- deth affe6led to the feverall branches of the Word,: as a good appetitedoth,to wholforne foodof diverfequalities., D ; This § 6. Faith u afliiri- tualltafle. IfaY 55.2 Heb.4.2. Pta1.63.,,3,5 Job.6.3 5,5041, 53,54. Heb.6.5

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