Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

The chief and (upon the matter) almost only acquaintance we have with God, and his Dispensations of himself, is by Faith. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that seek him, Heb. 11.6. Our Knowledge of him, and his Rewarding, (the bottom of our Obedience or coming to him) is believing. We walk by Faith, and not by Sight, 2 Cor. 5.7. [Greek or Hebrew]; by Faith, and so by Faith, as not to have any express Idea, Image, or species of that which we believe: Faith is all the Argument we have of things not seen, Heb. 11.1. I might here insist upon the Nature of it, and from all its Concomitants and Concernments manifest, that we know but the back-parts of what we know by Faith only. As to its Rise, it is built purely upon the Testimony of him whom we ⟨p. 139⟩have not seen; as the Apostle speaks, How can ye love him whom you have not seen? That is, whom you know not but by Faith that he is: Faith receives all upon his Testimony, whom it receives to be, only upon his own Testimony. As to its Nature it is an Assent upon Testimony, not an Evidence upon Demonstration; and the Object of it is (as was said before) above us. Hence our Faith (as was formerly observed) is called a seeing darkly as in a Glass: All that we know this way (and all that we know of God we know this way) is but low, and dark, and obscure.

The chief and (upon the matter) almost only acquaintance we have with God, and his Dispensations of himself, is by Faith. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that seek him, Heb. 11.6. Our Knowledge of him, and his Rewarding, (the bottom of our Obedience or comeing to him) is believing. We walk by Faith, and not by Sight, 2 Cor. 5.7. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; by Faith, and so by Faith, as not to have any express Idea, Image, or species of that which we believe: Faith is all the Argument we have of things not seen,