i80 The Spirituall-.4Etings of Faith for it is aid, as they went they werecleanfed. Why then fhould they (hew themfelves to the Pries ? They were to (hew themfelves to the Priefts, to bring an offering for their clean- ling : yet, fayes our Saviour, go /he*your felves to the Triefis: They were to beleeve that they fhould be cleanfed, although they faw themfelves full of Leprofie. So, although a foule fees himfelfe to be full of Leprofy, yet A notwithftanding it is to relyupon Jefus Chrift, and to beleeve as if he were fully cleanfed : This is the fecond Propo- fition, 3. The thirdwill make out this the more full : rhui to beleeve, when all meanesfaile,U exceeding pleafing to god, andnaafi ac-' This kindoffaith Chrift commends inThomas : Thomas ( fayes Chrift ) thouhaft beleeved becattfe thouhall feene ; but bleffedare thofe that do beleeve and have notfeen.Bleffed is any man that does beleeve,thoughhis hands may be full offence: but ofall beleevers, bleffed is that beleever , that beleeves be- yond fence, that beleeves and hath not feene. There are two efpecially that Jefus Chrift does commend for beleeving : the CanaanitiAwoman ; and the Centurion. To the one, fayes he , 0Woman great U thyfaith. Concern. Mat Mat. 8 15. io 13 ing the other : Ihave notfeene.fttchfaith, no not in7frael. And bothofthefe beleeved above hope,and under hope,when the meanes in view, feemed to chide themofffrom beleeving, In that eleventh ofthe Hebrewes,manyof the Saints are com- mended for their Faith : They hadother graces, wherein they did excel) : Moles was aadeeke man, he is not recorded there, and commended for his meekneffe, but for his Faith. Sam?. fonwas afloat, and a refoluteman : he is not commended there for that , but for his Faith. They had other excellent graces , but this grace of Faith is tingledout to weare the Crown : They all obtain'da good report through Faith. That weares the Ciowne ofall other graces. Andyou ILA find that that Faith was mingled with many weakpyeres : Rahab, one of thofe beleevers,what a deale ofweaknefle paffed from her, inher beleeving. Yet notwithftanding , though their Faith oh.20.29 Heb.xw3,9
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