591 / 772
'That
the
n-eakeß
faith
cannot
be
finally
euerthrowne.
563
Secondlie,
it
appeareth
manifeffly
by
Gods workes,
ad-
§.Sell.
5.
miniflration
and
pra6life,that
he
wil
not
depriue any
of
that
The
former
fan6lifying grace
which
he
bath
once
bellowed, though the
Pint
ill
afira-
meafure
thereof
be neuer5o
finali;
neither
can
we obferue ei-
teiti by
exam
-
ther
by our reading the ishole book
ofGod,or
by our
owne
pies.
experience,
that
any man
hauing
receiued the
leafs
graine
of
true faith bath vtterlie been
depriuedof it,
and reie&ed
of
God
.Euen
the
Difciples themfelues
when they
were
reproo-
ued for
their little
faith,were by him firengthened and con
-
firmed,fo
that
all
the power
ofhell
could
not
preuaile
againfl
it:and
though
Satan
indeuoured
to
lift
them
as
wheate, yet
Chris
interceffion
was
more mightie to defend them,
then
the
diuell
to
defiroy
them,
and
his
interceffion a
fronger
prop to vphold them,then the
waight
of
Satans
temptations
to ouerthrow
and
bring them to
ruine
:
fo
he
who
cried
out,
I
beleeue
Lord,helpe thou
my
vnbeliefe;though
his
faith was
weake, yet
itperifhed
not,
but
rather
receiued
a
greater
in-.
creafe.Yea,he reie6led
not
Thomas
in
his
wilful
doubting and
obílinate incredulitie,but
offered
all
occafions
ofconfirming
his weak
faith,and
neuer
ceafed till he
had
fully allured
him
ofhis
refurre6lion.In
a
word,
al
the
faints
ofGod
at one
time
or other
haue
had
experience
of
this
mercy,power,and
good
-
neffe
ofGod
in
fupporting their weakneffe,vpholding them
in
their great infirmities,and
in
railing them when they were
fallen to
the ground;and to
this
end,our
Sauiour was
anoin-
ted
by
Gods
fpirit
veto
the
office
of
his
mediation, that
bee
fhould
preach the
Gofpell
vnto
thepoore,heale the
broken
harted,
that
he¡hotsl
l
preach
deltuerance
unto
captiues,
and
recouerie
of
fight
to the blind,
andfet
at
libertte them
that
are
brufed,Luk.4.
Luk.4.18.
z
8.
To
this end
hee
had familiar focietic
with the
fraile and
weake,with thofc who had little faith,that
he
might
increafe
it,
and no
faith,that
he
might beget it,with
publicans
and
finners
and
men
full
of
infirmities;
to
this
purpofe he calleth
filch
as
thirfi
and
hunger,feeling their
owne
emptineffe
of
grace, andearnefily
defiring
to
bee
filled
and
fatisfied,
and
filch
alto
as
labour,and
are
heauy laden
with
the vnfupporta-
bic
waight oftheir
corruptions, promifiug
that
hee will
eafe
thein:lafily,to this end
he
hath ordained
the miniflery
ofthe
0
o
z
word