The poor doubting christian drawn to Christ· Wherein the main lets and hindrances which…The poore doubting christian drawne to Christ· Wherein the maine letts and hindrances vvhich…

Object. It is a weak plea for a man to say, I dare not look to the promise, I cannot believe, if I could then I might expect some good.

Object. It is a weake plea for a man to say, I dare not look to the promise, I cannot beleeve, if I could then I might expect some good.

Answ. Thou shalt never believe upon these terms, thou must not first have faith and then go to the promise, but thou must first go to the promise, and from thence receive power to make thee able to believe the promise, ⟨p. 148⟩O Lord remember thy word to thy servant, ¹wherein thou hast caused me to trust. When men are enlarged in love to a man, and make fair promises, this persuades the heart to trust to them, and to rely upon them for good; therefore a man doth use to say, I durst not have thought it, nor expected, if you had not promised it; so the promise of God made to the soul, makes the soul to rest upon it.

Answ. Thou shalt never beleeve upon these tearmes, thou must not first have faith and then goe to the promise, but thou must first goe to the promise, and from thence receive power to make thee able to beleeve the promise, ⟨p. 148⟩O Lord remember thy word to thy servant, ¹wherein thou hast caused me to trust. When men are enlarged in love to a man, and make faire promises, this perswades the heart to trust to them, and to rely upon them for good; therefore a man doth use to say, I durst not have thought it, nor expected, if you had not promised it; so the promise of God made to the soule, makes the soule to rest upon it.