A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…

Let one example serve for all: life everlasting is a thing hoped for: Now Faith, not only by infallible arguments grounded upon the word and promise of God, convinceth a mans judgement, that it shall come to pass (insomuch as he dare say; that he knoweth as certainly, there is a life everlasting, as that he liveth and moveth) but this Faith also (as much as Gods word hath revealed, and as far forth as the mind of man is able to conceive of it) so representeth this ⟨p. 6⟩life everlasting to the eye of the soul, as that the soul seemeth to apprehend and enjoy this life everlasting; yea, & often in such measure, as that he contemneth the world, and all the present felicity of it, in comparison of that measure of the joys thereof, which faith representeth to his soul: and thus faith makes that present which is absent: and makes that manifest and visible, which in it self is invisible: invisible to the eyes of the body, it makes visible to the eye of the soul; the sight of which eye is both given, and continued, and daily sharpened by saving faith. And thus faith is a most excellent evidence of things not seen. So then the whole sum of this first effect, is briefly thus much; Whereas things to be believed, as perfection of sanctification, resurrection, glorification, &c. are not yet seen, neither can be, in that they are not yet come to pass; yet if a man have grace certainly to believe the promises of God, these things shall have a being to his soul: in that both his judgement knoweth assuredly they shall come to pass; and his soul, in most lively and joyful representations, seemeth to enjoy them.

Let one example serue for all: life euerlasting is a thing hoped for: Now Faith, not onely by infallible arguments grounded vpon the word and promise of God, conuinceth a mans iudgement, that it shall come to passe (insomuch as he dare say; that he knoweth as certainly, there is a life euerlasting, as that he liueth and moueth) but this Faith also (as much as Gods word hath reueald, and as farre forth as the minde of man is able to conceiue of it) so representeth this ⟨p. 6⟩life euerlasting to the eye of the soule, as that the soule seemeth to apprehend and enioy this life euerlasting; yea, & often in such measure, as that he contemneth the world, and al the present felicity of it, in cōparison of that measure of the ioyes therof, which faith representeth to his soule: and thus faith makes that present which is absent: and makes that manifest and visible, which in it selfe is inuisible: inuisible to the eyes of the body, it makes visible to the eye of the soule; the sight of which eye is both giuen, and continued, and daily sharpened by sauing faith. And thus faith is a most excellent euidence of things not seene. So then the whole sūme of this first effect, is briefly thus much; Whereas things to be beleeued, as perfection of sanctification, resurrection, glorification, &c. are not yet seene, neither can be, in that they are not yet come to passe; yet if a man haue grace certainly to beleeue the promises of God, these things shall haue a being to his soule: in that both his iudgement knoweth assuredly they shall come to passe; and his soule, in most liuely and ioyfull representations, seemeth to enioy them.