4. The Soul is still with God by faith, unbelief is called, a drawing back from God, Heb. 10.39. and faith, a drawing near to God, Heb. 10.22. by an eye of ⟨p. 287⟩faith, through the perspective glass of a promise, we look into heaven. The people of Israel stood in the outer Court of the Temple, but the High-priest entered within the veil, into the holy of holies; thus the senses stand in the outward Court of the body, but faith enters within the veil, it sees Christ clothed with the Robe of our humane nature, and sitting down in glory above the Angels; faith embraceth Christ. Austin moves the Question, how shall I put out a long arm to reach Christ in heaven*, crede, et tenuisti, believe (saith he) and thou hast laid hold on him. Faith is aureum vinculum, the golden clasp that knits us to Christ; by faith we put on Christ as a garment, Rom. 13.14. By faith we receive and concoct him as food, Col. 2.6. by faith we are ingrafted into ⟨p. 296⟩him as the scions into the stock John. 15.5. indeed, a believers life is out of himself; he lives more in Christ then he lives in himself, 2tanquam radius in Sole as the beam lives in the sun; as the branch in the root, Col. 3.3. even as Judah said concerning Jacob, his life is bound up in the lads life, Gen. 44.30. so is a believers life bound up in Christ. And thus is the Gracious soul ever with God, by faith.
4. The Soul is still with God by faith, unbelief is called, a drawing back from God, Heb. 10.39. and faith, a drawing near to God, Heb. 10.22. by an eye of ⟨p. 287⟩faith, through the perspective glass of a promise, we look into heaven. The people of Israel stood in the outer Court of the Temple, but the High-priest entred within the vail, into the holy of holies; thus the senses stand in the outward Court of the body, but faith enters within the vail, it sees Christ cloth'd with the Robe of our humane nature, and sitting down in glory above the Angels; faith imbraceth Christ. Austin moves the Question, how shall I put out a long arm to reach Christ in heaven*, crede, et tenuisti, believe (saith he) and thou hast laid hold on him. Faith is aureum vinculum, the golden clasp that knits us to Christ; by faith we put on Christ as a garment, Rom. 13.14. By faith we receive and concoct him as food, Col. 2.6. by faith we are ingrafted into ⟨p. 296⟩him as the ciens into the stock John. 15.5. indeed, a believers life is out of himself; he lives more in Christ then he lives in himself, 2tanquam radius in Sole as the beam lives in the sun; as the branch in the root, Col. 3.3. even as Juda said concerning Jacob, his life is bound up in the lads life, Gen. 44.30. so is a believers life bound up in Christ. And thus is the Gracious soul ever with God, by faith.
- *Quomodo in Caelum manum mittam? Aug.
- 2Bernard.
