Christ the fountain of lifeChrist the fountaine of life

Thirdly, It may be increased in the comfort of it, in the sense and feeling of it, for it may so fall out, that many a good soul may come to a large measure of a lively faith in ⟨p. 196⟩the Lord Jesus Christ, as that they may cleave to him, and seek him early, and do and suffer any thing for the name of Christ, and yet sometimes doubt, whether their faith be sound hearted or no; in such a case he doubts whether his faith be true or no, he wants the sense of his faith, for he believes not that he hath faith; now this faith of his had need to be increased in the sense and feeling of it, that he may plainly see the faith he hath is no fancy, or presumption, or delusion, as he hath very much suspected; but that he may see the faith he hath is the faith of Gods Elect, he had need be built up in his faith more and more: Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief, Mark 9.40. He could not tell whether he might call his faith, faith or unbelief, he could not tell what to call it, he was willing to believe, but it was with so much difficulty, and so much impotency of faith, that he prays for the removal of his unbelief; so that in regard of the doubts that a man hath many times of his own faith, he had need grow up in faith, that he may believe that he doth believe, and this is that you read, Phil. 1.25. For the joy of your faith. This was something in which they were to be furthered, it was the joy and comfort of their faith; so to rise up in believing, as that they might have comfort in it, for so far as a man believes, and yet is doubtful of it, he hath little comfort and joy in his faith, and therefore the Apostle would have them furthered in their joy, that their faith might be a joyful faith, such as where in they might have comfort, and might be joyful for that they had received faith.

Thirdly, It may be increased in the comfort of it, in the sence and feeling of it, for it may so fall out, that many a good soule may come to a large measure of a lively faith in ⟨p. 196⟩the Lord Jesus Christ, as that they may cleave to him, and seeke him early, and doe and suffer any thing for the name of Christ, and yet sometimes doubt, whether their faith be sound hearted or no; in such a case he doubts whether his faith be true or no, he wants the sence of his faith, for he beleeves not that he hath faith; now this faith of his had need to be increased in the sence and feeling of it, that he may plainly see the faith he hath is no fancy, or presumption, or delusion, as he hath very much suspected; but that he may see the faith he hath is the faith of Gods Elect, he had need be built up in his faith more and more: Lord I beleeve, help thou my unbeleefe,