1§. 5. Faith then is the gift of God, and the act of man: a wonderful and supernatural gift of God, and a lively motion of the heart renewed by grace, and powerfully moved by the Spirit. The power to believe, and will to use that power, is of God: But the act of the will in resting upon Christ is mans. It is man that believeth, but it is God only and altogether that enableth, stirreth up, putteth forward and inclineth the heart to believe. By Gods enlightening man seeth, by his teaching he understands: and the Lord inclining his will, he willeth, embraceth, possesseth and keepeth Christ with all blessings promised in him. So that faith is the motion of mans heart wrought in him by the Spirit of God. Even as a wheel which of it self cannot move, yet being moved of another, doth move; whose motion though but one, is said to be the motion of the mover, and of the thing moved: so faith is nothing but the action of God in man, but considered in a divers manner it is both the act of God and man; as wrought by God in man, it is the work of ⟨p. 13⟩the Lord; as the motion of man his heart being moved of God, it is the act of man. For the action of man in believing with the heart, is nothing but his knowing and acknowledging of things, by Gods making him know and acknowledge them; his apprehending, willing, choosing, embracing, and retaining them, by Gods making him to apprehend, will, choose, embrace and retain them. It is true, that we Believe, because we will Believe: but, we will Believe, doth note not the princip ll cause, but a cause subordinate working by way of free disposition, which disposition it receiveth from an higher cause,2 not from natural strength. The Just is said to live by his own faith, and faith is called ours, or our own: not that we are the Authors, cause or workers of it: but because we possess it, and are the special subjects in which it is wrought by God. And also because it concerns our selves in particular, and what we believe we believe it particularly concerning our selves.
1§. 5. Faith then is the gift of God, and the act of man: a wonderfull and supernaturall gift of God, and a liuely motion of the heart renewed by grace, and powerfully moued by the Spirit. The power to belieue, and will to vse that power, is of God: But the act of the will in resting vpon Christ is mans. It is man that belieueth, but it is God only and altogether that inableth, stirreth vp, putteth forward and inclineth the heart to belieue. By Gods enlightening man seeth, by his teaching he vnderstands: and the Lord enclining his will, he willeth, embraceth, possesseth and keepeth Christ with all blessings promised in him. So that faith is the motion of mans heart wrought in him by the Spirit of God. Euen as a wheele which of it selfe cannot moue, yet being moued of another, doth moue; whose motion though but one, is said to be the motion of the mouer, and of the thing moued: so faith is nothing but the action of God in man, but considered in a diuers manner it is both the act of God and man; as wrought by God in man, it is the worke of ⟨p. 13⟩the Lord; as the motion of man his heart being moued of God, it is the act of man. For the action of man in belieuing with the heart, is nothing but his knowing and acknowledging of things, by Gods making him know and acknowledge them; his apprehending, willing, chusing, embracing, and retayning them, by Gods making him to apprehend, will, chuse, embrace and retaine them. It is true, that we Belieue, because we will Belieue: but, wee will Belieue, doth note not the princip ll cause, but a cause subordinate working by way of free disposition, which di•position it receiueth from an higher cause,2 not from naturall strength. The Iust is said to liue by his owne faith, and faith is called ours, or our owne: not that we are the Authours, cause or workers of it: but because we possesse it, and are the speciall subiects in which it is wrought by God. And also because it concernes our selues in particular, and what wee belieue wee belieue it particularly concerning our selues.
- 1§. 5. Faith is the gift of God, and the act of man.
- 2Heb. •.4.
