on the119.`1' %aline. 675 (hied himfelfe oneand twentieyeeres, vntill he alto obtained : and ifwee call to tminde how long the Lord proued fofeph,afterhe had dreamed,andhow he triedDavidwith ma- ny troubles,and yetnocwithftand ing after fo many temptations and dangers they belee- ucd,we (hall fee approued witneffes of this true effeEtuall faith. And as it nthe nature of true faith towaite ; fo it is the nature of incredulitieto be hau se : fo that if weehaue not 3,nrdutitre things prefently tohelpe vs,we cannot be merrie, we muffmake force fhifts to helpe our bahre. felues.For how common a fruitdoor vnbeleefc is it,that the fooften hauein our troubles, and bringforth oftherotten ftockeofour corrupt rature,wlsen helpe is a little deferred, to fay,Ihaue prayed,Ihaue asked counfell ofPlutitions,i haue vied allthe manes I can,I haue (hied thus long, I maywaite indecde vntill my heart breake, I haue made hue and crye,I can findcno releali, I am neuer thebetter, I snuft needesgot feckeout,I mutt aske counfell abroad, I mud needes goe to tome wifcman, I thinkenow the Lord would bane meto vie toremeanes for my reliefe. ThusSathan,after our Sauiour Chuff had long fa- fted,thinking that after fo longwaiting, his temptationMould comein tome good fealon, moved our Sauiour Chrilt to feekeout,and to maketome fhift tohelpehimfelfe, andas hewas the Sonneof God, fo hemight the fetterand more eafily providefor himfelfe. Thus we lie themanof God fpeaketh not onely of a (mall faith, but of a patientfaith, and ,opariet faith. the caufeof impatiencie is want of faith. Of this faith fpeaketh the Prophet Efay 28.16. Re- imponeste. hold, I will lay III Sion a flow, a tried flow, apretioao cornerliane, a fire foundation. Hee that beleeuethflailnot make hafte, towit, to by-wayesand indirect meanes,as caning off his hope of Godhis promifes. Of thecontrary the want of faith fpeaketh our Sauiour Chrin , Luker 8.8. When the Sonneofman commeth , Jlal hefind faithon theearth? LikewifeHebao. when the A- polite hadfaid, The iuflj1.ailitreby faith, If any withdraw himfelfe, (his mind is not vpright in him) my fouleJl,atlh..ruenopleafureinhim. Againe Habac. 2. oben theLord hadcommanded the Prophet towait, he faith, Hethatbfteth mp himfelfe, his mind is notvpright in him, that is,he bath a troubled mind, and vnquietfpirir. Wherefore let vs attendvpon thatexhortationof the Apol &, lam.S.1 t . Teehaue heard of thepatience of lob, and haue known what ende the Lord made : as ifhe (hould fay,ye are not ignorant of thatmyrrour ofpatience,swho, when the Lord fufpendedhis judgements, (kill waited for the accomplifhsnentsof his promifes. Whofoeuer then thinketh hiintelfeto Kanefaith,and by patience cannotwait forthe Lordhislesfure,and due timeofhelix , but withdrawethhimfelfe , and makcth bane to othermeanes , andnot flaying himfelfe on (;od hisword and promiles,but haflneth,and cannot be quiet in his mind,vntilpre- fentlyhehaue gotten tomehelpe, he isas yet an vnbeleeuer. And I bauedone thy Commandements . Euen as without faith it is impofble topicafe God, fo is it i mponible tritely to true inGod his faluation, vnleffe wee labour by faithto time him in True faitbaot lone, and topleafehsins with good works. Wherefore as the Apolilebath taken vp the !methofe;thoutgood this rule, fohe ltewethHeb. r r . how allthe fathers by theirfaith did rrauell in good corks : Ey worker. faith ( faithhe) Abe1 ostfetedvetoGod, a createfacrificethen Cain; byfaitswasEnoch takena- way;by faith Noahprepared the Arke;by faithAbrahamobeyedGod; throughfrithSarah re- coineditrength toconceine,&c. A contrary argumentto thatwhich we hauein our times, whereour faithandprofeffion is fo barrenofgoodworks. True itis,that whetswe wit glory before God,allbonding n good works is (bucolic , in that, ifhe entreth into iudgement with thebenof ouraelions,hee(hall find them polluted withmanyimperfeftions , fo thatwee can by nomeanesnand before him,but in faith, but Ions.a. zo. Wilt thouvnderitand,O thou vaine man , that the faithwhich is withoutworhe,io dead? was not Abraham our father iufti%ied throughworks. etc where wee mutt note the di- To iin:fedi- nersfsgnificationsof theword (iufïifìe) ifwewill Thewthefe two propofitionstobe true , and oornf sake how they may beereconciled, we areiaftfudbyfaith, tee areiuftifledbyworks. For as God fan- tifleth es, when hemskethvspartakersof his holinelt; and wee fandliflehim, when we (hew him tobe holier fo Godis faid to iunifievs, whenwe are approued runbeforeGod; and we tu- ftifie God, when we tenifie that heis inn. In like manner faith iunifieth vs,inthat it acquiterhvs before God from our finnesfor Chrin his fake, in whom webeleeue:works iulhfievs,inafmuch as they watne fie to vs, and to men,that we areiutlifted by faith before God,whereof our faneti flcation is apledge. 111 ema So
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