Secondly, faith stirreth up earnest desires and longings to be made partakers of this mercy of God, and to be refreshed with his gracious and free favour. All holy and fervent desires are both kindled & nourished by it. As our assent to the Divine and heavenly promises is more or less firm, certainea, bsolute, & evident, so are our desires more or less fiery, constant, unsatiable, yea in respect of heavenly things unquenchable: As faith languisheth, these faint: as faith increaseth, these gather strength. And no marvel, for appetite followeth knowledge,1 and desire is answerable to that certain & clear judgement that we have of the necessity and worth, value and digni•y of the object apprehended. Now faith discovereth both the necessity and excellency of the good certainly contained in the word of promise, (which act of faith is signified by the opening or piercing of the ear) and seriously meditateth upon the singular benefits offered therein, & so raiseth the heart uncessantly to hunger and thirst after them. And these desires will be the greater and more constant, the more faith is exercised in the meditation of the goodness, freeness and certainty of these promises. Many things are neglected which are most precious, only because the value of them lieth hid, or is not apparent, or the prejudice of sensible but deceivable experience doth oversway. No marvel then if the pardon of sin be neglected, though the benefit be probably known, ⟨p. 222⟩when it is but slightly thought upon superficially looked into, custom having injured the Mind by long practice to the pursuit of earthly delights or profits, wherewith it is besotted. But with the true believer it fareth much better, for he seeth how happy it should be with him, if his sins were covered, and his soul eased of the burden of them, (how ever it fare with him in matters of this world) and withal, he pondereth the truth and faithfulness of the promise made of mere grace, whereby the heart is stirred up to desire and long after this blessing above all good that can be imagined. And yet, such is our corruption, we must oft breathe our selves in the meditation of these things, or else we shall find our esteem of pardon to decay, and our desire to grow cold and dull.
Secondly, faith stirreth vp earnest desires and longings to be made pertakers of this mercie of God, and to bee refreshed with his gracious and free fauour. All holy and feruent desires are both kindled & nourished by it. As our assent to the Diuine and heauenly promises is more or lesse firme, certainea, bsolute, & euident, so are our desires more or lesse fierie, constant, vnsati•ble, yea in respect of heauenly things vnquenchable: As faith languisheth, these faint: as faith encreaseth, these gather strength. And no maruell, for appetite followeth knowledge,1 and desire is answereble to that certaine & cleare iudgement that we haue of the necessitie and worth, value and digni•y of the obiect apprehended. Now faith discouereth both the necessity and excellencie of the good certainely contained in the word of promise, (which act of faith is signified by the opening or piercing of the eare) and seriously meditateth vpon the singular benefits offered therein, & so raiseth the heart vncessantly to hunger and thirst after them. And these des•res will be the greater and more constante, the more faith is exercised in the meditation of the goodnesse, freenes and certaintie of these promises. Many things are neglected which are most pretious, only because the value of them lyeth hid, or is not apparant, or the preiudice of sensible but deceiuable experience doth ouersway. No marueile then if the pardon of sinne be neglected, though the benefite be probably knowne, ⟨p. 222⟩when it is but sleightly thought vpon superficially looked into, custome hauing iniured the Minde by long practice to the pursuite of earthly delights or profits, wherewith it is besotted. But with the true belieuer it fareth much better, for he seeth how happy it should be with him, if his sinnes were couered, and his soule eased of the burden of them, (how euer it fare with him in matters of this world) and withall, he pondereth the truth and faithfulnesse of the promise made of meere grace, whereby the heart is stirred vp to desire and long after this blessing aboue all good that can be imagined. And yet, such is our corruptiō, we must oft breathe our selues in the meditation of these things, or else we shall find our esteeme of pardon to decay, and our desire to grow cold and dull.
- 1Joh. 4.10.Ioh. 4.10.
