Faith, especially when we are told, That the Just live by Faith. For Worship is the fupream Act of Man's Life; and whatever is neceffary to inferior Acts of Religion, must not be wanting there.

§. XV. This may moderate the Wonder in any, why Chrift so often upbraided his Difciples with O ye of little Faith! Yet tells us, that one Grain of it, though as little as that of Mustard, one of the least of Seeds, if true and right, is. able to remove Mountains. As if he had faid, There is no Temptation fo powerful that it cannot over-come: Wherefore thofe that are captivated by Temptations, and remain unfupplied in their fpiritual Wants, have not this powerful Faith: That's the true Caufe. So neceflary was it of old, that Chrift did not many mighty Works where the People believed not; and though his Power wrought Wonders in other Places, Faith opened the Way: So that 'tis hard to fay, whether that Power by Faith, or Faith by that Power, wrought the Cure. Let us call to Mind what famous Things a little. John 9. 6. Clay and Spittle, one Touch of the Hem of Luke 8. Chrift's Garment, and a few Words out of his 47, 48. Mouth, did, by the Force of Faith in the PaMat. 9.28, tients: Belierge ye that I am able to open your Eyes? Yea, Lord, fay the Blind, and fee. To Mat. 9.23.the Ruler, only believe; he did, and his dead Daughter recovered Life. Again, If thou canst believe: I do believe, fays the Father, help my Unbelief; and the evil Spirit was chafed away, and the Child recovered. He faid to one,

30.

Go

Luke 7.

Go, thy Faith bath made the whole; and to ano- Mark 10. ther, Thy Faith has faved thee; thy Sins are2 forgiven thee. And to encourage his Difciples 49, 50. to believe, that were admiring how foon his Sentence was executed upon the fruitless Figtree, he tells them, Verily if ye have Faith, Mat. 21. and doubt not not, ye shall not only do this, which 21, 22. is done to the Fig-tree; but also, if ye shall fay unto this Mountain, be thou removed, and caft into the Sea, it shall be done; and all Things whatsoever ye fall ofk in Prayer, believing, ye fhall receive. This one Paffage convicts Christendom of grofs Infidelity; for the prays, and re

ceives not.

Luke 18.

23.

§. XVI. But fome may fay, 'Tis impoffible to receive all that a Man may afk. 'Tis not Mat. 18. impoffible to receive all that a Man, that fo19. believes, can afk. The Fruits of Faith are not 27. impoffible to thofe that truly believe in the God that makes them poffible. When Jefus faid to the Ruler, if thou canst believe, he adds, all Mark 9. Things are poffible to him that believeth. Well, 2 but then fome will fay, It is impoffible to have fuch Faith: For this very faithlefs Generation would excufe their Want of Faith, by making it impoffible to have the Faith they want. But Christ's Answer to the Infidelity of that Age, will beft confute the Difbelief of this. The Mat. 19 Things that are impoffible with Men, are poffible 24,25,26. with God. It will follow then, that it is not impoffible with God to give that Faith; tho' it is certain, that without it, it is impoffible to Heb.11.6. pleafe God: For fo the Author to the Hebrews teaches,

Luke 18.

25,26,27.

teaches. And if it be elfe impoffible to please God, it must be fo to pray to God without this precious Faith.

§. XVII. But fome may fay, What is this Faith, that is fo neceffary to Worship, and gives it fuch Acceptance with God, and returns that Benefit to Men? I fay, It is an holy Refignation to God, and Confidence in him, teftified by a religious Obedience to his holy Requirings, which gives fure Evidence to the Soul of the Things not yet feen, and a general Senfe and Tafte of the Subftance of those Things that are hoped for; that is, the Glory which is to be revealed hereafter. As this Faith is the Gift of God, fo it purifies the Hearts of thofe that receive it. The Apoftle Paul is Witnefs, that it will not dwell but in 1 Tim. 3. a pure Confcience: He therefore in one Place couples a pure Heart and Faith unfeigned togeChap. 1.5 ther: In another, Faith and a good Confcience. James 2. James joins Faith with Righteousness, and John with Victory over the World: This, fays he, is the Victory which over-comes the World, even your Faith.

9.

1 John 5.

4. 5.

Rom.

12.

4.

§. XVIII. The Heirs of this Faith are the true Children of Abraham, though the Uncircumcifion in the Flefh, in that they walk in the Steps of Abraham, according to the Obedience of Faith, which only entitles People to be the Children of Abraham. This lives John 16. above the World, not only in its Sin, but Righteoufnels; to which no Man comes, but

9, 10.

through

through Death to Self, by the Crofs of Jefus, and an entire Dependance, by him, upon God.

Famous are the Exploits of this divine Gift; Time would fail to recount them: All facred Story is filled with them. But let it fuffice, that by it the holy Ancients endured all Trials, over-came all Enemies, prevail'd with God, renowned his Truth, finifh'd their Teftimony, and obtained the Reward of the Faithful, a Crown of Righteoufnefs, which is the eternal Bleffedness of the Juft.

CHAP. VII.

§. 1. Of Pride, the first capital Luft, its Rife. §. 2. Its Definition and Diflinction. §. 3. That an inordinate Defire of Knowledge in Adam, introduced Man's Mifery. §. 4. He thereby loft his Integrity. §. 5. Who are in Adam's State. §. 6. Knowledge puffs up. §. 7. The evil Effects of falle, and the Benefit of true Knowledge. §. 8. Cain's Example a Proof in the Cafe. §. 9. The Jews Pride in pretending to be wiser than Mofes, God's Servant, in fetting their Poft by God's Poft. §. 10. The Effects of which was the Perfecution of the true Prophets. §. 11. The divine Knowledge of Chrift brought Peace on Earth.

12. Of the blind Guides the Priefs, and the Mifchief they have done. §. 13. The Fall of Chriftians, and the Pride they have taken

in

in it, bath exceeded the Jews: Under the Profeffion of their new-moulded Chriftianity, they have murdered the Witness of the Lord Jefus.

14. The Angels Jung Peace on Earth at the Birth of the Lord of Meeknefs and Humility: But the Pride of the Pharifees withflood and calumniated him. §. 15. As Adam and the Jews loft themselves by their Ambition, fo the Chriftians lofing the Fear of God, grew Creed and Worship-makers, with this Injunction, Conform or Burn. §. 16. The evil Effects of this in Christendom, fo called. §. 17. The Way of Recovery out of fuch miferable Defection.

IHAVING thus discharged my Conscience against that Part of unlawful Self, that fain would be a Chriftian, a Believer, a Saint, whilst a plain Stranger to the Crofs of Chrift, and the holy Exercifes of it; and in that briefly discovered what is true Worship, and the Ufe and Bufinefs of the holy Cros therein, to render its Performance pleafing to Almighty God; I fhall now, the fame Lord affifting me, more largely profecute that other Part of unlawful Self, which fills the Study, Care, and Converfation of the World, prefented to us in thefe three capital Lufts, that is to fay, Pride, Avarice, and Luxury: From whence all other Mifchiefs daily flow, Streams from their proper Fountains: The mortifying of which makes up the other; and indeed a very great Part of the Work of the

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true