The Soul's Conflict with Itself

In these words David expresseth the reasons and grounds of his trust, namely from the interest he had in God by experience and special covenant, wherein in general we may observe, that those who truly trust in God, ¹labour to back their faith with sound arguments; faith is an understanding grace, it knows whom it trusts, and for what, and upon what grounds it trusts: Reason of it self cannot find what we should believe, yet when God hath discovered the same, faith tells us there is great reason to believe it; faith useth reason (though not as a ground yet) as a sanctified instrument to find out Gods grounds, that it may rely upon them. He believes best, that knows best why he should believe; Confidence, and love, and other affections of ⟨p. 415⟩the soul, though they have no reason grafted in them, yet thus far they are reasonable, as that they are in a wise man raised up, guided, and laid down with reason, or else men were neither to be blamed nor praised for ordering their affections a right; whereas not only civill virtue, but grace it self is especially conversant in ruling the affections by sanctified reason.

In these words David expresseth the reasons and grounds of his trust, namely from the interest hee had in God by experience and speciall covenant, wherein in generall we may observe, that those who truly trust in God, ¹labour to back their faith with sound arguments; faith is an understanding grace, it knowes whom it trusts, and for what, and upon what grounds it trusts: Reason of it selfe cannot finde what we should beleeve, yet when God hath discovered the same, faith tells us there is great reason to beleeve it; faith useth reason (though not as a ground yet) as a sanctified instrument to finde out Gods grounds, that it may rely upon them. He beleeves best, that knowes best why hee should beleeve; Confidence, and love, and other affections of ⟨p. 415⟩the soule, though they have no reason grafted in them, yet thus farre they are reasonable, as that they are in a wise man raised up, guided, and laid downe with reason, or else men were neither to be blamed nor praised for ordering their affections a right; whereas not only civill vertue, but grace it selfe is especially conversant in ruling the affections by sanctified reason.