Hieron - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.H54 S4 1624

62.8 ellCauca, anda f om 6rtforBeleeuers. e Luke1244 did the Lord look.:backe vpon Peter,but Hewentoutsndwept abandantlly <, So 6a then thisis thearifwere,A great (inmay /Mother faith, asaches may the coles, but it cannot quench it. Theworking of faithmay be ftopped,whenthe being thereofcontinueth, 3.0biell. A third obie&ion.Many that haue giuea great enidenceenenoffirongfaith, 'and touching whom there isno caufe in the world,bnt toaccount them truebe. keuers, are by the teflimonyoftheir owne mouthes, vttering the famewith great earnefines, a-tcftimonyoftheir not diffembling, utterly withoutfaith: theyfay they haueno comfort nor tafteofany goodnes,theycannot pray,they Cannot fomuch as thinkcomfortably vpon God,or anyofhis proinifes.Iudeed theywill fay, it hath binwith them thus& thus heretofore, but all this is vani_ fhed,and now there isnothing butdeadnes and infidelitycome vpon them: }lanenot there loft their faith?And was it notafro thus with Daaid,wlien he Pre.5141. praied that God wouldrefore vetobias thrill effalaatioa,c¢cr. That reflori,og,ar. guctha departure andloffe ofthat whichhis defire was hemight again enioy, AIafwer.' AsI laid inanfwering theformer obieetion ,thatthere isa differencebetwixt the beingand the working offaith;fo fayInow , that thereis a differencebe. twixt a manhalingof faith, andhis being aware that he hath ir. A manmay haue faith,euenthenwhenhe (lands very peremptorily to it,thathe bath none at all. Phyfitians report ofmenfubie& toMelancholly paffrons,that they haue verily thought themfelues dead, when asyet all that haue beheld them, haue knowne them tobe lining, yet haue they not been able toperfwade themfo Such like fpirituall perturbations are in the minds many times ofGods chic_ dren,that they concludedirealy ofthennelues,that they haue no faith,and they which conic to talke with them, andto comfortthem, cannotbeate away that opinionfrom them,who yet fee in them plaine andapparant evidencesoftrue faith. Indeed thofevery complaints, whicharemulch' thefe diftreffe.s,are an argument of the pretence of that which yet is lamentedas it were not there, Nomanbut a beleeuercancomplaineof the lackeoffaith,Infidelity cannot be perceiued butby faith. The wantofgrace cannot be taken notice ofwithout grace. It is in thematteroffaith, asit is in thepointand cafeofGods lone. Godalwaies Joneshis children thoughhe doenot alwaiesthew it,nor they al. gPfal,;o.y. Walesperceine it.He hidesawaybiefaceferatime,aadthey aretroableds, .}.Okra. A fourth obie&ion. We rendeiii Scripcure,rhattheSpiritofGod departed rSássr6,r4. from Sour/ h i AndPaalfaith by thecorruptdo&rineof Hjtneneru andPbdetar, i a T;s,, '.'s thefaithofcertein wasdeftroyed;andfo,he fpeakes offome which haueerred ich 4.1 to' from the Faithk, and fell away fromthe Faith t, andsssade lhipwrackeof the mChap, 1.11. Faith .:Doenot thfe things argue a poffibility offalling quite from the crate ofgrace,andofansitter holing the Faith ? dafw. Concerning that ofSad, By that fpirit that forfooke him, is notmeant that Spirit ofregeneration, whichworkes in the eleet :For that dwelktb, where it n&om.Srr. once enterethat butacerteinmcaCure ofneceffarygiftes; which God vouch. WedSail, for the enabling him to the duties of his gouernment. Hereup. onit is laid, that whenSaal was firftannoyntedKingbySamae!, Godgone bias e t Sam, to,y. another heart. : NowwhenSaalgrew intoextremities,thenGoddepriued him ofthole gifts t Suchgiftesare tearmed the SpiritofGod;I meane,fuch as con. cerne a man for the difcharge ofhisperfonall callings; aswe may reade that rearme giuen to that knowledge and vnderftanding to worke in curious pEsod,3Y. ;. workes which was bellowed upon Bezaleeland Ahabahr. Asfor the tearmes offaith in choreplaces where deffroyingoffaith , erring from the Faith, &c. are mentioned,wee mutt than conceiuethem,partly to betoken thedodfrin of Oal.r,zs, Faith:fo faith istaken for that which is belieued q.Now that is oftentimes fal- len from by many, they beingcorruptedand poyfoned with falfeopinions: Partlyfor the profeffion of Faith ; and fo even good menmay at a timeby weakncffe

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