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Of
t
hesneanes whereby
vur
faith
may be
17ren{tbened.
terfaite,
for
as Toone
as
the
feede
of
true faith
is Towne
in vs,
and bath taken
roote,it
fprouteth
vp,
vntill it
come
to
full
ripenes;in which
refpe i
our
Sauior
compareth
it
to
a
graine
of
muffard
{cede,
which though-
t be
one
ofthe
leaf{
feeds
of
the garden,yet
itgroweth
to
a
great tree.
Neither
in
truth
is
it
poífible
that
any
who
haue
tailed
oftrue
faith,
and
of
thole
incllirnable
benefits
which it
affiirethvs
of,
fhould
content
themfelues
with
a
final
pittance,and
ncuer labour
after
more:
for
who
is
it
that
hailing tailed and eaten
a
little
bit
of
foine
delitious meate,
Both
net
with a.hungring, appetite'delire
more till
he
bee
filled,and
fatisfied?
who
is
it
thathauing
any
tiveake
title
and aßürance of
Tome
goodlie inheritance,doth
not
earneftly
defire
and
vfe
al
good
and
lawful meanes
whey-
by
his
title
may
be ({rengthened,and
his affürance confirmed?
and
can we
thinke
that
any haue truelie tailed
offaith,
and
the excellent benefits which accompanie
it,
as
nanielie
affu-
ranceof
Gods loue,
and
the
"remiffìon
ofourfinnes,
peace
of
confcience,
soy
in
the holy
Ghofl,
who
content
thetfelues
with
a
little modicum
and neuer
hunger after more
?
or
can
wee imagine
that
we
haue any final'
title or
true
affurance
of
thofe vnfpeakable
ioyes
of
Gods
kingdome,and that
mua-
luable
patrimonie
of
euerlafling
glory,if
we neuer
vfe
means
to
confirme
our
title,and flrengthen
our
affurance
?
Surelie
it
is
impoífible;and therefore
if
we
would
haue
any found
com-
fort and
peace
of
confcience;
if
wee
would
euer
attaine to
a
certaine
perfwafion
that
we haue true:faith indeed,let
vs vfe
moft
carefullie
and
diligentlie
all
good
meanes,
whereby
we
may
flrengthen
and
confirme
our faith, vntill it
grow
from
a
fnall
feede
to
a
great tree,
which
will
bring forth
plentiful!
fruites
of
godlineffe and righteoufüeffe;and vntil
it
ware
ofa
f
nail fparke,vnto
a
great
flame which
will
throughly
warme
our
harts
with
true cornfort,which
are
naturally
frozen
with
'feare
and
doubting
:
for
howfoeuer
Satan
cannot
quench
the
leaf{
f
arke
ofliuely faith,yet
he will
fo
co.ueritwith
the
afhes
ofhis
tentations,that
we fhal
neither
difcerne
the light
of).
Se1.2
..nor
feele
the heate
thereof.
The
fi,jt
Now
the
meanes
which we
are
thus
carefullyto
vfe,are
of
..nneaßec to en-
,
two
forts:the
fiat
tending to
the encreafing
&
firengthening
of