Verf io. the ,Epiß'le 2 Dolt. Doubt.' tòihe Romans. 405 ti m. What are We to th ink of them thtt Doubt. are.bornedeafe, and cannot hear? S 1 L.'The holy Ghoft, both by his extraordinary Motion in their hearts fupplies the want of outward meanes in to many deafe ones as be his chofen; whereof iìindry examples both in for- mer, and in this age.` Our text fpeaketh of the ordinary way whereby Chriftians do obtain the gift of faith, (to wit) by external! hearing,, which is as neceflary CO faith, as faith is to prayer, or prayer to falvation. T t m. What realms can be given why external! hearing of the 12 ord, (bould avarie unto faith ? S i L. Firft,Gods ordinance hath at. Rea pointed it be fo,that by hearing,faith, fhould be engendred, I Cor. I. 21, Se, condly,his promife here made unto hea ; ring that thereby he will work faith. Thirdly, a&uall faith cannot be had without Tome good meat-tire of a&uall knowledge, which we have put into us by fuch as inflru& usin thetruth,whofe. voyce therefore is it needful! to heare; for the thing beleeved is Gods word, and that is received by hearing. Fourth- ly, as our fir!' parents were turned from God and drowned in unbeleefe, by hea- ring the Serpent, fo k is but convenient that theele& by hearing Chrifts voice, fhould be converted to she faith, and fo requrn to God. T 1 to, What ufe are Chri ftiant to make hereof? S i L. Firfi, it teached the fente of hearing to be a great and necefíary blef- fing. The Philofopher Ariftotle calleth this the feule ofunderfianding, ( fenfus difciplin.e:) and Paul calleth it the tenie of beleeving, ( fenfes ftiei:) Our other: him. Secondly,to reprove fuch as do of- fer to pray, having their hearts void of this holy confidence, without which all prayers be vain and. idle. Thirdly, to comfort fuch as feel their hearts fir, red up to defire of Gods bleffings, with a confidence to obtaine, becaufe this is a certain note that they have faithswith- out the which they could not have fuck defires and fuch confidence, Ephej. 3. 12. Fourthly, to convi& the Papifts of error, for their calling upon Saints de- partqk in whom becaufe they may not put r truft, (for turfed is he that tru= fah in man,)therefore no prayer ought to be made to them, but to God alone, in whom alone it is that we may put our confidence. Therefore all religious, prayers, to him are only to be made, and CO none other. Alto this confuteth Bellarmine, who faith, that unto prayer it is not needful' that he that prayeth have faith to affure him of being heard; dire &ly againft the Scripture, and James i . 6, 7. T I m. Proceed and tell us what hea- ring he [peaky of, in raying [How can they beleeve in him, of whom they have not beard ?] S I L. Not only the hearing which is inward of the minds and heart,but of the outward hearing by the fente of the care; neither is it the hearing of every found or voice, but the hearing of the word, (even the word of theGofpell, ) which is meant in this place. T i M. What is the inftre i1ion from hence? S I L. That unto true beleef in God, the hearing of the Gofpell with our bodily care, is neceffarily required. T t M. But how then pall ele£1In- fants beleeve, Peeing they are not capable of Solution. this hearing, through the weakneffe oftbejr fenfes ( efpecially our eyes) are good Organ? helpes of many notable things; for S i L. This text fpeaketh of the thereby we read in the great book of mearles how to come by a&uall faith, which is joyned with difcourfe, and is got by inflitution ; and not of that ha- bitual! faith or faculty of beleeving, whereby infants are endowed through the wonderfull fecret operation of the Spirit, ,engraffing them into Chriff for falvation. Gods creatures,wherein we behold the glory of the Creator, his miraoulons wifdome, his eternal! power and God- head, Pfd. 19. I, 2. I Cor. a. 2I. Rom. 1.' 19, zo. Yea moreover by our eyes we read in the word of God, and other good bookes made and penned for in- creafe of godly knowledge; fithence the vf: on.
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