To the j3î"t ,Fl1Qi2 `er"lder. Ood.Reader,it`isa thing to be conzdered, that a mass mayfeeme both vr.'to hinifelfe ftsid to the Church of Godtobe rr trueprefeff,"ur ofthecofel,andyet indeed benone.e ullpróftjorsthatbeofthisfort,areexceltent- lie defcribcd,Euke 8.verf.'i3.in theft words, And they which are Vpoii the flonieproundeare they ,which whcn theyfhailheare,receiuethe word withioy :but hauing:io route belecue foratime,and in the time oftemptationgot away. where are to tee notedthree :hinges. Firft , theirfaith , in that tby arelaid to beleeuefor a feufon. Se condlie,thefruites ofthatf:"tith,in thattheyarefail to receistethewordpreached with ioy.7 birdly,theirvnfounctneffe,in that they are compared t of'oryground, and in thetimeoftemptation goc away. Concerning theirfaith,whereas the s` írite ofGod f ith,tbat theydoe belceue, thefethinges are to bee canfdered. Firfl, that they hat.e the knowledgeof the word of God. Secondly , that the), both can an;' doegiue3ff ?t veto the wade ofGod,that itis rno§1 true. Thirdly,in more (Jieciall rnaner theyglueaffnt veto the covenant ofgracemadein Chriii,that it is mefl certaine andlitre: andthey are perfWadedinagenerallandconfafed manner, that Godwill verifiethefame couenant in themembers ofhis church. This is a!1theirfaith ; whir.b indeedpro- ceedethfromthe holy Gboil,butyet it is notfaficient tomake themfound Fro- feffrs .For albeit they doegenerallie beleeue Godspromifes,yet herein they de- ceive thensfelues,thatthey nesrerapplie andappropriate thefarmpromifestotheir owns locales. An example ofthisfaithwe haste, John z. verfe 24. where it is Paid ; that when our Sauiour Chrill" came to Ierufalem at the _Pall ofEafter, maniebeleeuedin his nameandyet hewouldnot commithimfelfev=nto them, becaufe heknewthem all,and what was in them. To come to theferand thing: thofcprofe(forswhichare indued with thusmuch grace,as to beieaue in Chrifl ina cos: f'4fedmanner,goeyetfarther :for this their faith, though it bee notfujicient tofiluation,yet it fheweth itfelfe by certaine finites which itbringethfoorth:foras 4 tree ora branch ofa tree that bath no deepsrooting , but eyt her is covered with aferee modes l > or els lyeth in the wa- ter, at thefeafono f theyearebringethforth ¡eaves andblo f fomes, andfamefruit too,andthatforoneortwo,ormoeyeares:foone that is anhearer ofthereerd,may receivethetword: andtheword asfeedc, by this generallfaithmay beefomewhat roared in bùheart:andf (itlcdfara feafoaa;artriMg bringfourth fmefrutes inhis life
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