God and Christ are wondrously pleased with faith. Thou ha•t wounded me with one of thine eyes. 1Faith, and love from faith wounds the breast of Christ: therefore let us labour for faith. Oh woman, great is thy faith. It it is such a grace, as binds and overcomes God, it honours him so much. Let us ⟨p. 199⟩therefore labour for faith, and in believing for all graces: they are things that God loves, therefore let us labour to be furnished with all things that he loves, especially those graces that have some excellency set upon them in the Scripture, we should most esteem. Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca, he sends her jewels beforehand, that having them, she might be more lovely in his eye. So Christ, the husband of his Church, that he might take more delight and content in his Church, he sends her Jewels before hand, that is, he enricheth his Church with the spirit of faith, meekness, humility and love, and all graces, that he may delight, ⟨p. 200⟩and take content in his Spouse. Those that have not somewhat that God may delight in them, they have not the spirit of love. Those therefore that rebel in stead of giving God content, that resist the Spirit, and the motions of it, in the ministry, and in reprehension, and the like: those that live in sins directly against Gods command, that are common swearers, and filthy persons, neglecters of holy things, profane, godless persons; do they talk of the love of God, and of heaven? you may see the filthiness of their hearts, by the filthiness that issues from them. God keeps not such excellencies for such persons: the love of ⟨p. 201⟩God, and living in sins against conscience, will not stand together. A demonstration of love is, exhibitio operis, the exhibition of somewhat to pleas• God. Show me in thy course what thou doest to please God. If thou live in courses that are condemn red, never talk of love. It is a pitiful thing, to see in the bosom of the Church, under the glorious revelation of divine Truth, that men should live apparently, and impudently in sins against conscience, that glory in in their shame. It is a strange thing that they should glory in their profaneness, and swaggering, that they should glory in a kind of Atheistical carriage: as ⟨p. 202⟩they have been bred, so they will be still. Many are marred in that, they are either poisoned in their first breeding, or neglected in it.
God and Christ are wondrously pleased with faith. Thou ha•t wounded mee with one of thine eyes. 1Faith, and love from faith wounds the breast of Christ: therefore let us labour for faith. Oh woman, great is thy faith. It it is such a grace, as bindes and overcomes God, it honours him so much. Let us ⟨p. 199⟩ther•fore labour for faith, and in believing for all graces: they are things that God loves, therefore let us labour to be furnished with all things that he loves, especially those graces that have some excellencie set upon them in the Scripture, wee should most esteeme. Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca, he sends her jewels beforehand, that having them, shee might bee more lovely in his eye. So Christ, the husband of his Church, that hee might take more delight and content in his Church, hee sends her Iewels before hand, that is, hee enricheth his Church with the spirit of faith, meeknes, humilitie and love, and all graces, that he may delight, ⟨p. 200⟩and take content in his Spouse. Those that have not somwhat that God may d•light in them, they have not the spirit of love. Those therfore that rebell in stead of giving God content, that resist the Spirit, and the motions of it, in the ministery, and in reprehension, and the like: those that live in sinnes directly against Gods command, that are common swearers, and filthy persons, neglecters of holy things, prophane, godlesse persons; doe they talke of the love of God, and of heaven? you may see the filthinesse of their hearts, by the filthiness that issues from them. God keepes not such excellencies for such persons: the love of ⟨p. 201⟩God, and living in sinnes against conscience, will not stand together. A demonstration of love is, exhibitio operis, the exhibition of somewhat to pleas• God. Shew me in thy course what thou doest to please God. If thou live in courses that are condem red, never talke of love. It is a pittifull thing, to see in the boso•e of the Church, under the glorious revelation of divine Truth, that men should live apparantly, and impudently in sins against conscience, that glory in in theirshame. It is a strange thing that they should glory in their prophanenesse, and swaggering, that they should glory in a kinde of Atheistical carriage: as ⟨p. 202⟩
- 1Love from faith woundeth the breast of Christ.
