A03064:143
A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the…A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the…
A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the second, the life of faith. ... By John Ball.A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the second, the life of faith. ... By Iohn Ball.
London: printed by William Stansby for Edward Brewster, 1631
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Belief of Gods power, wisdom, grace, love and mercy manifested in Jesus Christ, doth frame the image of God or Christ in our minds, and proposeth it as a visible pattern for our imitation in all our works, thoughts, and resolutions, and stirreth up to works of piety, justice, mercy, long suffering and the like.
Beliefe of Gods power, wisedome, grace, loue and mercie manifested in Iesus Christ, doth frame the image of God or Christ in our mindes, and proposeth it as a vi•ible patterne for our imitation in all our workes, thoughts, and resolutions, and stirreth vp to workes of pietie, iustice, mercie, long suffering and the like.
§. 4. Besides •he promise of forgiveness of sins in and through the blood of Christ,1 there be many other precious and rich promises spiritual and temporal, concerning this and the life to come: all which, as proceeding from the same fountain of truth, faith doth rest upon and embrace, and that so much the faster, as the promises be more excellent. There is a mutual relation betwixt God promising any good blessing in Christ, and the fai hfull soul putting forth it self to embrace grace offered. For faith hath not only eyes, by which it doth see the good promised, but hands wherewith it doth lay hold upon the good things bestowed: and the more excellent the good, which is reached unto us in the word of promise is, the closer doth faith stick unto it, the stronger doth it hold it. Men are credulous in thing• that may concern them in their name, goods or life: and the more weighty the matter, the more earnest they be in seeking resolution, and the stronger hope or fear it begetteth in them.2 All the promises of God be yea and Amen, sure in themselves, certain to the believer, and therefore he cannot but receive them with closer and stronger repose and adherence, the more he doth apprehend their goodness and worth. Amongst the great and more principal promises those are to be reckoned,