A25241:626
Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…
Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...
London: printed for Richard Chiswel, 1680
Book 3 › Chapter 2 › Section 9: Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. Faith hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant of Grace, it stirs up in the heart a serious consideration of their blessed condition, that are in covenant with God; Blessed art thou O Israel, a People saved by the Lord—What Nation in the Earth is like thy People, 1even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a People unto himself? Time was, (saith the Soul) that I counted the proud blessed, and the rich blessed, and the honourable blessed; time was when I placed my blessedness in other things, as in Riches, Preferments, Favour, Credit with men; but now these are become vile, and things of no value; Faith makes us change our voice, and to speak as the Psalmist, Blessed are the People whose God is the Lord.2
2. Faith stirs in the heart a longing desire after this condition; good being believed, cannot but be desired and longed for; Desire naturally springs from the apprehension of any good being made known; hence Faith (we say) is both in the understanding and in the will; as it is in the understanding, it opens the eye to see, and clearly to discern the Blessing of the Covenant; as it is in the will, it pursues and desires the attaining of the Grace revealed; nor are these desires faint desires, but very earnest, eager, violent; sometimes it is called a thirsting after God; and sometimes a panting after God; and sometimes a gasping after God: it is such a desire as cannot be satisfied by any thing without God himself.