Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

The Life ofFaith. our fouls, and stir upour faculties to the moll vigorous and lively excrcife ? and call them off from things that are not to us confiderable, nor fit to have one glance ofthe eye of our obfervation, nor a regardful thought, nor the leaft áfte8ion, uniefs as they fubferve thefe greater things ? When you obferve how much; inyour felvcs and others, the frame of your fouls in holy duty, and the tenour of your lives to- wards God and man, dodiffer fromwhat they would be, if you had jean the things that you believe, let it mind you of the great imperfe8tionof faith, and humble us all in the fenfe of our imbecility. For though I know that the moth perfelï Faith, is not apt to raife fuch high affellions in degree, as tball be tailed by the beatifical vifion in the glorified, and as prejent intuitionnow would ran, if we could attain it ; yet PeeingFaith hath aspire an Object and Revelation 'as fight it fell, though the manner of apprehenfion be 141 affeaing, it fhould do much more with us than it doth, and bring us nearer to Inch effellions and refolurions , as fight would eaufe. Vfe 2. IfFaith be given us to make things to cone as if they were at hand, and things unjeen as ifwe jaw them, you may fee from hence, r. The reafon. of that holy jerioufnefl of Believers, which the ungodly want. 2. And the reafon why the ungodly want it. 3. And why theywonder at, anddifage and deride tbie ferioua diligenceof the Saints. T. Would you make it any matter ofwonder, for men to be more careful of their fouls, more fervent in their requefts to God, more fearful ofoffending him, and more laborious in all holy preparation for eternal life, than the holieti and pre- al felt perfon that you know in all the world, if fo'be that Hea- ven andHell were feen to them ? Would you not rather won- der at the dulnefs and coldneji, and negligence of the bell, and that they arc not far more holy and diligent than they are, if you and they did fee tbeje things ? Why then do you not ceafe your wondering at their diligence ? Do you not know that they are men, that havefeen the Lord, whom they daily ferve ? and Pen theglorywhich theydaily leek ? and lien the place of torments which they fly from ? By Faith in theglaß of Divine Revelations they have jeen them. 2. And

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