A77357:454
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in CambridgeThe vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge: now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The second volume. [sic] Viz. 1. Grace for grace; or, The overflowing of Christs fullness received by all saints. II. The spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities. III. Evangelical repentance.The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge: now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The second volumn. [sic] Viz. 1. Grace for grace; or, The overflowing of Christs fulness received by all saints. II. The spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities. III. Evangelical repentance.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1649
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Abraham being not weak in Faith, considered not his own body being dead. If he had considered, he might have been hindered in his Faith.
Ye read of Zechariah (that good man, Father of John the Baptist) that when the Angel brought him tidings of a child, in way of his special Mercy; he would not believe it. And in the 1. of Luke, and the 20. verse: ye read how he was punished for it: Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not ⟨p. 175⟩able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words. But what hindered him? what kept him off from this work of believing? you shall find at the 18. verse; too much attendance unto, and considering of the means, and the deadness thereof. Zechariah said unto the Angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. He looked too much upon, and considered, he stood poring too much upon the means; and this was the enemy unto his Faith. You know Beloved, that the Scripture hath laid a flat opposition between Faith, and sense. We live by Faith, says the Apostle, and not by sight, or by sense. The reasons drawn from sense, are sense: and when a man does live by reason drawn from sense, and bears up his heart therewithal, he does live by sense. If you live by Faith, you don't live by sense: if you do live by sense, you don't live by Faith. They are as two buckets, the life of Faith, and the life of sense; when one goes up, the other goes down: the higher Faith riseth, the lower sense and reason: and the higher sense and reason, the lower Faith. That is true of the schools, Reason going before Faith, weakens, and diminisheth it: But Reason following upon Faith, increases and strengthens it. Besides, you know Paul says; Not many wise &c. Why not many wise called? Those that are wise, they consider the things of God, and of the Gospel in a mere rational way, and therefore not many wise are called: it hinders them from the work of believing: Luther says well: If you would believe (says he) you must crucify that Question, why? God would not have us so full of wherefores. And if you would believe, you must go blindfold into Gods command: Abraham subscribes to a blank, when the Lord called him out of his own Country.