And fourthly, faith had need be increased, in respect of the acts, the proper acts of faith, which are chiefly persuasion and trust upon the name of Christ, and those heavenly truths, in which the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed, and graciously dispensed unto the hearts of his people, even these also had need to be marvellously enlarged in Christian men, above what at the first they do arise unto; see them both put together, Peter when he walked upon the water he was fully persuaded, and did trust upon Christ for protection in a very doubtful and dangerous case, he did trust upon him, ⟨p. 197⟩Matth. 14.30, 31. but when the wind began to blow, and the storm to arise, then Peters faith began to shrink, and his body to sink, and then he cries out, O Master, save me, else I perish. O thou of little faith, saith our Saviour, to show you, that a mans faith had need be further increased, for you see our Saviour rebukes him for his little faith; not only weak in the habit of it, but little in the proper act of it. He begins to shrink in his persuasion, and in his trust, and that was thought the littleness of his faith; and so the two Disciples that went to Emmaus, they looked sadly to think of the death of Christ, and complain of it to Jesus, and when he asked them, why they looked so sadly, they tell him the cause, concerning the death of Christ, and say they, we trusted this had been he, that should have delivered Israel; O fools, and slow of heart, vers. 21, 22. & 24. ought not Christ to have suffered these things? to show you, that there is even in Gods own servants that are true believers, something to be supplied in the acts of their faith, their persuasion and trust is many times very much overwhelmed, so as that many times they call in question the main principles and foundations of their faith. We trusted this was he, but we are doubtful whether we be not deceived or no, God knows whether it was he or no; but we have just occasion of doubting, for they thought the Messiah should have lived forever, and now this is the third day since he was crucified, and we trusted this was he, but now he is dead, and hath lain so long in the grave, and we are therefore doubtful whether this was he or no, and therefore in this regard faith had need be increased.
And fourthly, faith had need be increased, in respect of the acts, the proper acts of faith, which are chiefly perswasion and trust upon the name of Christ, and those heavenly truths, in which the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed, and graciously dispenced unto the hearts of his people, even these also had need to be marvellously inlarged in Christian men, above what at the first they doe arise unto; see them both put together, Peter when he walked upon the water he was fully perswaded, and did trust upon Christ for protection in a very doubtfull and dangerous case, he did trust upon him, ⟨p. 197⟩Matth. 14.30, 31. but when the wind began to blow, and the storme to arise, then Peters faith began to shrinke, and his body to sinke, and then he cryes out, O Master, save me, else I perish. O thou of little faith, saith our Saviour, to shew you, that a mans faith had need be further increased, for you see our Saviour rebukes him for his little faith; not only weake in the habit of it, but little in the proper act of it. He begins to shrinke in his perswasion, and in his trust, and that was thought the littlenesse of his faith; and so the two Disciples that went to Emaius, they looked sadly to thinke of the death of Christ, and complaine of it to Jesus, and when he asked them, why they looked so sadly, they tel him the cause, concerning the death of Christ, and say they, we trusted this had been he, that should have delivered Israel; O fooles, and slow of heart, vers. 21, 22. & 24. ought not Christ to have suffered these things? to shew you, that there is even in Gods owne servants that are true beleevers, something to be supplyed in the acts of their faith, their perswasion and trust is many times very much overwhelmed, so as that many times they call in question the maine principles and foundations of their faith. We trusted this was he, but we are doubtfull whether we be not deceived or no, God knowes whether it was he or no; but we have just occasion of doubting, for they thought the Messiah should have lived forever, and now this is the third day since he was crucified, and we trusted this was he, but now he is dead, and hath laine so long in the grave, and we are therefore doubtfull whether this was he or no, and therefore in this regard faith had need be increased.
