That afmallandweakefaithmay bea truefarth. 553 vfedbyour Sauiour when they were in Cone appearance of danger: Mat.8.26.Wherefore are ye fearfull,0je offittle faith? Matth.s.ztí. And therefore though we finde our faith tobe weake and 4. Seel.3. lirtall, yet let not Satan perfwade vs that for this caufe it is That all power falfe and counterfeite,or that we (hall eafily be ouercome of ofhell cannot euery tentation, and neuer perfeuerevnto the end that wee p`Jepa eaúg(1trft may be faued ; feeing a weake and fmall faith may bee a true ma/f c efíra faith, againfwhich, howweake in it felfc foeuer it be, yetfaith. the gatesofhell ßiall neuer preuaile againft it; for thewea- Phil.3.'r. ker our faith is,the ftronger (hall we findeGods power in fu- fainingand preferuing vs; the more that Satan laboureth to winnow vs in. 5i fieue ofhis temptations, themore effe6tual- lywill our Sautour Chrifl make intercef(ion for vs, .that our faith faile not ; the feebler our faith is in apprehending Chrift,themore powerfuliwill his fpirit be inapprehending vs,and in ioyning vs infeparably in a holy communionwit him. But yet we mull not content our felues with a fnali and weake meafure of faith,but carnet}ly labour after more per- feetion,and to growfrom faith to faith, till we attaine vnto fulneffe ofperfwaíion. Otherwifewe fmall make it manifef }., That we szrt E that we deceiue our felueswith a (hew and fhadowof faith, not content our and that as yet weh!.te no true faith indeede, which as it re- fillos pith a 4embleth the graine ofmufcard feed inrefpca ofthe fmalnes Ball nreajoie at thebeginning thereof, fo alío in the growthand increafe; t' and therefore ifeuer we would attaine vntopeaceof confci- ence,and affurance that we are indued with a true andhuely faith,we mutt earnef}ly labour in the vfeofthòfe meanes or- dainedofGod for the increafe offaith, and feruently pray. vnto God,that he will not onely fowe the feedoffaith inour hearts, but alto that he will fo water it.with the dewofhis- graceand holy fpirit,that it maygrow from a fmall feede to a great trce,and that he will neuer ceafe blowing this finoking flaxe with the breath ofthe fame his holy fpirit,til it increafe from a little fparke to mighty flarne,whereby our harts be-. ingwarmed with truecáfort, may with feruent zealefeck to glorifie his holynamebyourchrif}ian &holy conuerfation. . Secondly, we are toknow, that howweake and final foe- §Seri. ; tier our faith be,fo it betrue,the. L.ord,willnot rcie6tit,ner vs in.
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