The saints sacrifice

Faith worketh in man assurance of Gods gracious acceptance, and so ministereth unto his soul an holy boldness: according to that of the Apostle, ^mWe have boldness and access with confidence by faith.

Faith worketh in man assurance of Gods gracious acceptance, and so ministreth unto his soule an holy boldnesse: according to that of the Apostle, ^mWe have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by faith.

1. mEph. 3. 12.

Faith is the first of the mighty works of Gods Spirit that are wrought in man. The mother of all sanctifying graces: that which addeth power and efficacy to all the rest: and therefore must needs in it self be powerfully operative. It is so spiritually hot as it cannot be smothered, much less extinguished; like an hot fiery vapour, the more it is suppressed, ¹the more violent it waxeth. Philosophy teacheth that hot vapours by a repulsion of contraries wax violent, whence proceedeth the violence of thunder, of winds, of earth-quakes, and such other meteors. And Theology teacheth, that the fervent graces of Gods Spirit, among which faith is most principal, wax the more spiritually violent by opposition.

Faith is the first of the mighty works of Gods Spirit that are wrought in man. The mother of all sanctifying graces: that which addeth power and efficacy to all the rest: and therefore must needs in it selfe be powerfully operative. It is so spiritually hot as it cannot be smothered, much lesse extinguished; like an hot fiery vapour, the more it is suppressed, ¹