:

~ believe, with Heb. 5. 9. where he Volume is faid to be the author of eternal SalXII. vation unto all them that obey him. As alfo by comparing, Gal. 5. 6. where it is faid, For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision: but faith which worketh by love, with 1 Cor. 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: but the keeping of the commandments of God. And fo likewife by those Texts, where Unbelief and Disobedience are equivalently ufed. I will but mention one, Heb. 3. 12. The Apostle, from the Example of the Ifraelites, cautions Chriftians againft Unbelief, Take heed, brethren, left there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. And repeating the fame caution in the - next Chapter, at the 11. verfe, he varies the Phrase a little, Left any man fall after the same example of disobedience; the word is ἀπειθειας, which in deed our Tranflators render Unbelief, but that confirms that which I bring it for, that Disobedience and Unbelief are the fame. And fo likewise

we find Faith and Disobedience oppofed

posed frequently in Scripture. John
3. 36. He that believeth on the Son, Sermon
hath everlasting life and he that be- VIII.
lieveth not the Son, shall not fee life.
In the Greek it is, he that obeyeth not
the Son, as you will fee in the Margin
of the Bible. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto you
therefore which believe he is precious : but
unto them which be disobedient, the stone
which the builders disallowed, the fame
is made the head of the corner. And
this doth likewife appear in all those
Texts, wherein Repentance, and our
forgiving of others, and several other
Acts of Obedience are made the con-
ditions of our juftification; or the o-
miflion of them, fins, as well as Faith.
So that we cannot be faid to be justi-
fied by faith alone, unless that Faith in-
clude in it Obedience. I have infifted
the longer upon this, because the right
understanding the Scripture notion of
Faith in Chrift, doth very much de-
pend upon this: and if this one thing
that the Scripture notion of Faith doth
include in it Obedience to the Pre-
cepts of the Gospel, were but well
understood and confidered, it would

filence and put an end to those infi-
nite

nite Controverfies about Faith and Volume orume Juftification, which have fo much : troubled the Chriftian World, to the great prejudice of practical Religion, and Holiness of Life.

XII.

Secondly, That this is truly and properly Chriftian Faith. Which I shall prove by these two Arguments,

1. Because it includes a belief of the whole Gofpel, or of all the Revelation which God hath made to the World by Jesus Christ. And certainly there cannot be a more proper notion of Chriftian Faith, than to believe the Revelation which God hath made by Jefus Chrift: but to believe that Jefus is the Christ, the Son of God, doth include this. For whofoever believes him to be the Meffias, and the Son of God, believes him to have come from God, and to be Authorized and Commiffioned by him to make known his mind to the World, and confequently will believe whatever he delivers. For whoever believes the goodness and veracity of God, as every Man does that believes a God, can

not

not but affent to the truth of every v thing which he is satisfied comes from Sermon

God.

2. That to believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, is truly and properly Chriftian Faith, or the Faith of the Gofpel, will appear, by confidering how the Scriptures of the New Teftament do constantly describe to us the Faith of the Gofpel; and you shall find they do it, either by the very Phrafe in the Text, or other Phrases or Metaphors equivalent to them, or else by a belief of that which is the great Argument and Confirmation of Chrift's being the Meffias the Son of God. Very often the Faith of the Gospel is described by the very Phrafe in the Text, believing that Jesus is the Chrift, and that he is the Son of God. John 4. 41, 42. And many more believed, because of his own word; and Said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him our selves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. John 6. 69. And we believe and are fure that thou art that Chrift, the

VIII.

the Son of the living God. John 11. Volume 27. fays Martha to Chrift, Yea, Lord, XII. I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son

of God, which fould come into the world. Acts 8. 37. I believe that Jefus Christ is the Son of God. 1 John 3. 23. And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment, that is, that we should believe on him under this Name and Title of Jesus Chrift the Son of God. 1 John 5. 1. Whofoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And ver. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? And ver. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God, that is, believeth Jefus to be the Son of God; and ver. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.

Sometimes the Faith of the Gofpel is described to us by other Phrafes that are tantamount to these; fuch as fig