An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

¹The word signifies both believing and establishing, or to believe and establish; and the reason of it is, because faith settles the heart, Faith is the establishment of the soul. An unbeliever hath no bottom, he is built without a foundation, his spirit is unfixed.

1. 1[Greek or Hebrew] Credere, stabile esse.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Credere, stabile esse.

And that act of believing [I would not believe] is the general act of faith, namely, a firm assent to the truth of what another speaketh. An assent to the truth of it two ways. To the truth of it: First, Historically, that such a thing was spoken or done;¹ and then Logically, that the thing is true which is spoken. When he saith, I would not believe that God hath done this, his meaning is, I would not assent to it, as done for my sake, or for my voice; not that he would not believe the thing was done at all. He assented to the word and answer of God, when he did receive it; but in that restriction, he would not believe it, namely in reference to himself, that he hath hearkened to his voice.

And that act of believing [I would not believe] is the generall act of faith, namely, a firm assent to the truth of what another speaketh. An assent to the truth of it two waies. To the truth of it: First, Historically, that such a thing was spoken or done;¹ and then Logically, that the thing is true which is spoken. When he saith, I would not believe that God hath done this, his meaning is, I would not assent to it, as done for my sake, or for my voice; not that he would not believe the thing was done at all. He assented to the word and answer of God, when he did receive it; but in that restriction, he would not believe it, namely in reference to himself, that he hath hearkned to his voice.