1Answ. There are seven things which I shall say in reply to this. §11. A little faith is faith; as a sparkle of fire is fire: though the pearl of faith be little, if it be a true pearl, it shines in Gods eyes. This little ⟨p. 261⟩grace is the seed of God*, and it shall never die, but live as a sparkle in the main sea. 2 A weak faith §2will entitle us to Christ as well as a stronger. To them that have obtained like precious faith, 2 Pet. 1.1 not but that there are degrees of faith; as faith purifies, so all faith is not alike one is more then another; but as faith justifies, saith is alike precious; the weakest faith justifies as well as the faith of the most eminent Saint; a weak hand will receive the alms: for a man to doubt of his grace because it is weak, is rather to rely upon grace, then upon Christ. 3. The Promise is not made to strong faith,§3 but to true. The Promise doth not say, Who ever hath a faith that can remove mountains, that can stop the mouth of Lions, shall be saved; but whoever believes, be his faith never so small, the Promise is made to true faith, and for the most part to weak. What is a grain of mustard-seed, ⟨p. 262⟩what is a bruised reed, but the emblem of a weak faith? yet the Promise is made to these: A bruised reed he will not break*. The words are a miosis, where the lesser is put for the greater: He will not break. that is, he will bind up: Though Christ chides a weak faith, yet that it may not be discouraged, he makes a Promise to it. Hierom observes upon the Beatitudes, there are many of the Promises made to weak grace: Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit; Blessed are they that mourn, ver. 4. Blessed are they that hunger, ver. 5.
1Answ. There are seven things which I shall say in reply to this. §11. A little faith is faith; as a sparkle of fire is fire: though the pearl of faith be little, if it be a true pearl, it shines in Gods eyes. This little ⟨p. 261⟩grace is the seed of God*, and it shall never die, but live as a sparkle in the main sea. 2 A weak faith §2will entitle us to Christ as well as a stronger. To them that have obtained like precious faith, 2 Pet. 1.1 not but that there are degrees of faith; as faith purifies, so all faith is not alike one is more then another; but as faith justifies, saith is alike precious; the weakest faith justifies as well as the faith of the most eminent Saint; a weak hand will receive the almes: for a man to doubt of his grace because it is weak, is rather to rely upon grace, then upon Christ. 3. The Promise is not made to strong faith,§3 but to true. The Promise doth not say, Who ever hath a faith that can remove mountains, that can stop the mouth of Lions, shall be saved; but whoever believes, be his faith never so small, the Promise is made to true faith, and for the most part to weak. What is a grain of mustard-seed, ⟨p. 262⟩what is a bruised reed, but the emblem of a weak faith? yet the Promise is made to these: A bruised reed he will not break*. The words are a miosis, where the lesser is put for the greater: He will not break. that is, hee will bind up: Though Christ chides a weak faith, yet that it may not be discouraged, he makes a Promise to it. Hierom observes upon the Beatitudes, there are many of the Promises made to weak grace: Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit; Blessed are they that mourn, ver. 4. Blessed are they that hunger, ver. 5.
- 1Answ.
- *1 Joh. 3.9
- *Mat. 12.20.
