A77357:527
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.
But now in Luke 17. there is an other occasion, that this expression is brought in by our Saviour Christ: he says unto his disciples, (at the third verse) If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; if he repent, forgive him; if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him: And the Apostles said unto the Lord, increase our faith: And the Lord said, if you had faith as a grain of mustard-seed, you might say unto this Sycamine tree, &c. Here is no miracle here, ⟨p. 198⟩that these words is brought in upon: why should our Saviour put that upon a faith of miracles, in doing a work of Christianity, the forgiving the brother so often thus? the faith that is to be exercised in prayer, and in forgiving our brother ordinarily, is not the faith of miracles: but the faith he here calls for, is a faith that is to be used in prayer, and in forgiving of our brethren: surely, this is a saving faith, a justifying faith that is here intended. And as one says well, what's all the work of faith, but an the removing of mountains? when take our sins, that stand up and hinder the light of Gods grace from shining in our hearts, and remove them off from our selves unto Jesus Christ, to his blood, that they are drowned, as in the bottom of that Red Sea, what is this but to remove mountains? when we take our carnal Reason, and our High thoughts, and bring them into obedience unto Jesus Christ, what is this but to remove mountains? when our great and manifold Temptations are laid level, that the promise may come into the soul freely, what is this but to remove these mountains? Mountains rose up in the way of Zerubbabel when he was to build the Temple:1 Who art thou, O Mountain? Temptation, and Corruption, Mountains; and the Curse of the Law, a great mountain. Would you therefore now remove these mountains? walk over these natural impossibilities? there's no such way as to get a justifying, and saving faith, says our Saviour. What a bundance of Difficulties did Noah's faith carry him through? The Lord commanded Noah to build an Ark; Noah, he might have said thus: Lord, thou hast now commanded me to build an Ark: I was never brought up to that trade; I have been a preacher many years, but I never yet was a Wheel-wright, never yet a Ship-Carpenter: