Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

As to God, the believer sees the invisible one, and that after another rate then mere Naturalists and Notionalists do, he hath more then a bare notion, he hath the mystery of God in his heart, as the phrase is, Col. 2.2. he that hath but the mere notion sees him afar off, and knows not how to sanctify such a Majesty in his heart, no more then Cardinal Perron did, who first in an excellent Oration before the French King proved there there was a God, and then being much applauded by the Auditory, offered the next day to prove the contrary, but he that hath the mystery, sees him near at hand, and so prepares a room for him in his heart; a fear for his Majesty, ⟨p. 172⟩a love for his goodness, a faith for his truth and mercy, a joy for his salvation, putting each affection into a posture suitable to some one or other of his Divine Attributes: he that hath but a notion of Gods Omnipresence, can sport with his sins, as if there were no God in the place, but he that hath the mystery of it, Abraham-like, walks before God, on to his faces, as the Original is, Gen, 17.1. every where there is a face of God appearing, to deter him from sin, and excite him to holiness; he that hath but a notion of Gods grace, hath no favour, no relish of the sweetness thereof; which I suppose makes the converse of some great Scholars as dry and sapless as Cardinal Pools Sermon about the Pall; but he that hath the mystery of it, tastes how gracious the Lord is, and is ravished, as if heaven opened, and some drops from the rivers of pleasure there, were let down upon his heart; he that hath but a notion of Gods justice, can sit in his lusts before the sparks of his own kindling, and be no more afraid at the threatenings in Scripture, then Jehojakim was at the burning of the roll, Jer. 36.24. one lust or other consumes all the roll of Divine threatenings, but he that hath the mystery of it cannot do so; to him hell flames out in every threatening, he trembles at the word, and saith, O my soul, be not deceived, if thou live after the flesh, thou wilt dye, if thou sow unto the flesh, thou must reap corruption. He that hath but a notion of Gods power, can despise ⟨p. 173⟩Gods hand in small crosses, just as the proud Greeks, who when Callipolis was lost, said the Turks had taken but a bottle of wine;