Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .D75 1628z

404 ThefecortdBooke ofDiui,itie, CHAP. 7. may affurehim, whether hee beleeue, and fo haue Chrifl or no as his fences can tell him, whether hee reach forth his hand or no. Therefore the Apofile fayth, z lice that 6eleeueth, bath this teJtirnony in himfelfe. Howbeit, wee cannot fa.y,that affurance is an infepa- rable companion of Faith alwaycs and at all times ; for as ahand that is benummed,may hold a thing,though it doth not feele not difcerne the hold it bath : fo may it be inFaith, That though indeedand truely it apprehend Chrift, yet fometime by the rage and violence of finne, that lulleth vs afleepe, and fometimes by othermeanes it may fall out, that wee fhail haue no fence nor feeling that wee haue him. Thirdly, Thepeculiar and fpeciall propertiewherein thevery point ofFaith doth lye, is in the heart and will, particularly applying to one felle that which he iudged to bee fo true and good; for Faith is the hand of the foule, to apprehend Chrifl, and lay hold vponhim , as the hand of the bodie apprehendeth outward things, and layeth hold vpon them : And therefore hereby wee apply Chrifi vnto our felues , and receiue him for our owne. And this to be the nature of Faith, theEuangc. lift exprefly teaclaeth, when bee fayth, g e/ismany aa re- ceitsedhim (or laid hold vpon him) hegame them this dig- nitie ; to bee thefonnes ofGod , euen to thofe that 6eleeue in his Name. And againe, b He that commeth vnto me, 112411 neuer hun e ,and he that beleeueth inme,/hall neuer thirf6. Where comming unto Christ, is expounded by the words following of beleeuing in him, and that this carieth with it a particular application,as theword it felfedoth thew. So the Apofile c `Peter The Papií}steach,thatFaith lay. doth more exprt fly de- eth hold onely vpon a general mer- clare,when he calleth it cie propounded generally to the The riming of the Churh, and not otpered parti;u1`r- ly to the fcuerall members 61UUdofChris,particu- .hereof, laxly and fpecially applyed to our foules, for the wafh- z I.Iohn f. 04 a lohn r. I b Iobn 6. 3 f. c r.Petr.x. ing

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