Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

24 The Life of Faith. folvcd not to change your Ma4.r, and your hopes, and your holy coofe, for any other life or hopes. Whatever come of it you are refolvcd that here you will venture all : Knowing that you haveno other game to play, at which you are not fure to lofe, and that you can lay out your love, and care, and labour onnothing elfe that will answer your expectations; nor make any other bargain whatfoever, but what you arc furs to be utterly undone by, Pfal.i3.25. &4 6, 7.Mat.6.2o,z1. & 13.45,46. Luke 18.33. 3. A found beliefof things invifible, wi0 belofar an effetlual bring of a holy life, as that you will [leek firft the Kingdom ofGod, and its Righteouftefl,] Mat. 6.3 3. and not in your Refolutions only, but in your Praílices, the bent of your lives will be for Goal, and your invifible. felicity. It is not potíïble that you fhould fee by faith, the wonders of:the world to come, and yet prefer this world before it. A dead opinionative belief, may Hand with a worldly fleshly life ; but a working faith will make you fuir, and make the things of God your bufinefs : and the labour and indufl y of your lives will thew whether you roundly believe the things unfair. 4. If you favingly believe the invifible things, you wit'pur- chafe them at any rate, andhold them lager than your worldly accommodation; and will Culler the lofs of all things vifible, rather than you will can away your hopes of the glory which you never Caw. A humane faith and bare opinion, will not bold fail when_trialcomes. For fuch men take Heaven but for a referve, becaute they mufi leave earth againil their wills, and are loth togo toHell : but they arc rcfolved to hold the world as long as they can, becaufe their faith apprehendeth no fuch fatisfying certainty of the things unfeen, as will enema, rage them to let go all that they fee, and have in fenfible po f feffion. But the weakoft faith that's true andfaving, doth ha- bituaCy difpofe the foul, to let go all the hopes and happincis of this world, when they are inconfifient with our fpiritual hopes and happinefs, Luke 14.33. And nowI have gone before you with the light, and [hew- ed you what a Believer is, will you prefcntly confider how far your hearts and lives agree to this defcri.ption ? To know [Whetberyoa live byfaith or not] is eonfequentially to know, whether

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