And then again faith stirreth up such ⟨p. 35⟩graces, as do comfort the soul, as hope in all good things promised. And therefore in the next Verse he adds to comfort them, In my Fathers house are many mansions; and faith is the grace that apprehends the joys thereof, and hope expects that which faith believes, and that hope becomes an anchor to the soul, that stayeth the soul in all the waves and troubles of the world; and what is the ground of that hope but faith? Faith stirreth up hope, and hope pitcheth on the promise, especially of life everlasting. And thus faith becomes a quieting and a stilling grace, because it raiseth the soul by representing and making real to it, better things then the world can give or take, as it doth also at other times present §6heavier things then the world can threaten: faith makes things present to the soul; and because it lays hold on divine things, greater then any thing here below, therefore it overcomes the world, and all things in the world, yea hell it self, because it lays hold on heaven and happiness; ⟨p. 36⟩upon the power of God, and the mercy of God in Christ, and upon those rich promises: What is in the world, or in the rank of good things, but faith out-bids it by setting heaven against it: and what evil is there but faith overcomes the fear of it by setting hell against it. I shall have such a good, if I yield to such a lust: I, but what is that to heaven, saith Faith? For faith being the Hypostasis the substance of things to come, makes them substantial, and evident to the soul, as if they were already subsistent, being looked upon in the certainty of the word; and so it affects the soul deeply, and upholds it strongly, even as if the things themselves were present and so it banisheth and dispels all discomforts, the 11. Chapter to the Hebrews is a Comment upon this truth in the example of Moses, and many others. What greater object of fear might be presented to a man then the angry face and countenance of a terrible Tyrant? Yet when by the eye of faith, he saw him that was invisible, and then looked ⟨p. 37⟩upon Pharaoh, what was Pharaoh, to God? When Micaiah had seen God sitting on his Throne, what was Ahab to him? And when the soul hath entered into the veil, and sees the glorious things of heaven, and happiness, what are all things below?
And then againe faith stirreth up such ⟨p. 35⟩graces, as do comfort the soule, as hope in all good things promised. And therefore in the next Verse he addes to comfort them, In my Fathers house are many mansions; and faith is the grace that apprehends the joyes thereof, and hope expects that which faith beleeves, and that hope becomes an anchor to the soule, that stayeth the soule in all the waves and troubels of the world; and what is the ground of that hope but faith? Faith stirreth up hope, and hope pitcheth on the promise, especially of life everlasting. And thus faith becomes a quieting and a stilling grace, because it raiseth the soule by representing and making reall to it, better things then the world can give or take, as it doth also at other times present §6heavier things then the world can threaten: faith makes things present to the soule; and because it layes hold on divine things, greater then any thing here below, therefore it overcomes the world, and all things in the world, yea hell it self, because it layes hold on heaven and happinesse; ⟨p. 36⟩upon the power of God, and the mercy of God in Christ, and upon those rich promises: What is in the world, or in the rank of good things, but faith out-bids it by setting heaven against it: and what evill is there but faith overcomes the feare of it by setting hell against it. I shall have such a good, if I yeeld to such a lust: I, but what is that to heaven, saith Faith? For faith being the Hypostasis the substance of things to come, makes them substantiall, and evident to the soule, as if they were alreadie subsistent, being looked upon in the certaintie of the word; and so it affects the soul deeply, and upholds it strongly, even as if the things themselves were present and so it banisheth and dispels all discomforts, the 11. Chapter to the Hebrews is a Comment upon this truth in the example of Moses, and many others. What greater object of feare might be presented to a man then the angry face and countenance of a terrible Tyrant? Yet when by the eye of faith, he saw him that was invisible, and then looked ⟨p. 37⟩upon Pharaoh, what was Pharaoh, to God? When Micaiah had seene God sitting on his Throne, what was Ahab to him? And when the soule hath entred into the vaile, and sees the glorious things of heaven, and happinesse, what are all things below?
