. ' 52 T/;,-Corruptitm if the. Undn:fiandin:. State H• of the ·truth. To cvn11ince you in this point; confider thefe three things. . Evidence I. How few are there who have been ble{l wit'h · ~n inward i11umination, by the fpecial op~ration of the fpim ef Chriil:, letting them into a view of divine trmhs in their fpirimal.ar.d heavenly IuHre! How have you ]earned tho tn1~hs of religion, which ye pretend to beJie-vc! Ye have the-m merely by. the benefit of external Jevelatioo, aAd of _l-t>ur education; fo that you are Chrifiians, jufi becaufe you were 11ot bornand bred in aPngant butin ~ Chrifiiancoun- · tf,y, Ye a.re firangers to the imvat'd work of the holy Spi· ·.r·i t, ~taring wit.nefs by ~nd with the word in your hearts; r;..nd fo you cannot have thll <dfura·nce of faith, with refpciC'l: · to that outward divine revelation made in the word, 1 Cor. ii. ro, t 1, I z. And therefore ye are Hill u.nbelievers~ .It if <:.JJritten in the ProphetJ, And they jhal/ be, ail taught of God-Every man therefor~ thathath heard, and bath/(arn- · ed if the Fat her cGmNh untr; me, fays .our Lord, JohJZ vi . 45. Now ye have not come to Chri!t, therefore ye have not been . taught ofGod : ye have not been fo ta ugh t, and therefore ye have not come; ye believe not. B~hold the r(velation from which the [;.tith eveu of the fundamental principles j,~ religion dothfpring. JHattth. xvi. t or 17. Thou art Chr:ijl,. . the Sonofthe liviJJgGod -Bleje·dar/ t hoz1 Simon-B;Hjona : · for J14h and blood hath not t·e·r..ealecLit U1JIO tf.er:, but my i"athe;r 'Which i.r in heaveJz. lf ever the Spirit of the LoRn take a dealir.g with thee, to work in thee that faith whi r.h . is· of the operation ofGod; it may be as much time will be fpen t in razing the old foundation, as will make thee find a neceffity of the 'U)orking if hismightypo'liver, to enabl~ thee to believe the very foundation punciples, which no~ thou./ t hinkeft thou m11keft no doubt of, Eph. i, 19. , . Evid. 2. How man.y profdfors have made fhipwreck of. the ir faith (fuch as it was) in time of temptation and tria l. See hqw they fall, like Hars fr om heav-en, when Antichri fl: · JHevails, 2 The.f!. ii. 1t, I 2. God!hallfendthemjlrong rlelu– fio n, that they lhou!d believe a lie, t--hat they all might be .· ';tgrtmed, rwho he/ieved not the truth. They fa.1i intodamnwg delufions; becaufe they never really believed thetrnth , 1ho' they themfelves and others too thought lhey did be– lieve it.. . Thathe1o1fe is b!8ilt u-pon rpe faoo, and .thil.t.fait.h- , . lS ,,.
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