Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

36 The ofateop Chit /tztsa 'r, Pí,77.z. appeare inDauid,a In thedayofrny trouble (faith he) I fought the Lord:my fore 3 ranaidceafednot in the night:my f ulre(ufedcomfort:lelidthinkvponGod& was troubled:Iprayedaneir> yprit wasfill ofangrazJh:& he addeth the wordSe- ! p131:11103.1 lah,a note (very likelie)offomewonderfiul thing, PAgaine,he being almoftin thegulfesofhel,euen then cried to the Lordfor help .lob faith, ...Ifgodfhould q Iob,t3.15 deftroyhirn,yet he rvo.iidfor allthat beleeue inhimflsld. Vndoubtedly, ilrange is theband offaith knittingChrii andhis members together, which theanguifh offpirite cannot,and theftrokes ofGodshand do not vnloofe. V. This apprehendingofChrift isnot done byany corporali touchingofhim, but fpirituallybyafftarance, which is, when the eleet are perfwvaded in their hearts by the holyGhofl,ofthe forgiuenef eofthcir owde firm es, and ofGods r i,Cor,z. infinitemercie towards them in lefus Chriti,According to that of rPaul. Nov a a tvc hauerececiued,not the f triteofthe zvorld,btit the f irit nvhich is ofGod, that wemight Owethe thingeswhich aregiuen vJofGod. The thinges which the fpiriteofGodmakethknowneto thefaidullparticularly ,are their ruflificati- on adoption,fanaification,cternall life : and thus when any are perfwaded of theí things concerning themfelucs,they doe in their hearten applie and appropriate Chrift and his benefites to themfelues. VI. NowGod Themanerthat God vfeth in thebegettingoffaith is this. Fir(k, heeprepa- worked' in reth the heart that it maybe capableoffaith. Secondly, he caufeth frith by line the heart, andTitleto fpring& tobreed in the hart. The preparation ofthe hart isbyhum. blingandfoftening ofit : and to the doing ofthis thereare fourethingsrejuifit. knowledge- The firß oftheni is the knowledgeofthe wordofGod,bothofthe laweand of the Gofpell,without the which therecan be no faith; according to that laying fEîa.53.n . ofEfaiah: fBy hid knarvledde'hallmyrighteous fer. antic flíiemany. And that t Iohn.t7 òflohn, t7his iset ernallÍifethat they l `nonv thee to beethe onlie ve,.y God, and u lob.33.23 whorze themhaflfeat term C'ior f . The a only ordinariemeanes to attaine faith Ïtom.to,i4 by, is the word preached: whichmtrll-be heard,remembredr, praaifed, and continually hid in the heart.The I eafl: meafureofknow ledge, without which a man cannot hauefaith, is the knowledgeofEiements,or thefundamentall do- brinesofaChriflian religion.Afundamental do, 'trine is that,which beingob- flinately denied,all religion,and all obtainingoffaluation is ouerthrovcn This knowledge hash a generall faithgoing with it,v\lrich is an a entofthe heartto theknowne truethofGods word á hisfaithwhen it isgrownvpto2fomegreat IyColo. 2,2 nseafure, itiscalled 7emesao°la'reîscvassemr,theYfi IlafUranee ofvnderfEanding,and Rom. 14'14 iris tobe feene in the martyrs who maintainedGods tructh againii the perle- cutionsofthe falfe Church,vnto death. VIL. Although botheleei and reprobate maybe enlightened toknowe theword ofGod : yet the e1ea in this thing goe faire beyond all reprobates: for it is fpccially faid ofthem, a that Godistheirfchoole-maf er,thatirefofrencth their Bony

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