count for. And it may be obferved, as an Illuftration of this Point, that when any Man of Superior understanding exprefsly declares the Truth of Something, which other Men of Lower Capacities cannot conceive, and which, according to their weak manner of Thinking, is Highly Improbable; Their Difbelief of fuch a Truth, which he profeffeth himfelf to be Clear in, must be a Provoking inftance of their Difregard and Difrefpect to him. For fuch Difbelief would be built upon a fuppofition, that their own Thoughts are as proper Standards of Truth as His, and they will not fo far depend upon him, as to believe what he affirms to be True, and what he declares himself to have a perfect Knowledge of, because they have not the like Knowledge of it upon their own minds.

And fince there is fo great a Difparity between the Thoughts and Conceptions of one Man and another, Difparity fufficient to render it Reasonable and Neceffary, in many cafes, that One man fhould depend upon Another, for the Truth of Things, which Himself not only cannot

clearly

*

believe ye that I am able to do this? They faid unto him, yea Lord. Then faith he unto them, according to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were open'd. And when the Woman was cured, who had thus expreffed the stedfaftnefs of her Faith, if I may touch but his clothes, I fhall be whole, He thus pronounceth of her, thy Faith hath made thee whole. In all these, and other the like cafes, 'tis abundantly manifeft, that the act of Behieving was the acceptable Duty, and ground of the reward. How remarkably was Noah recompenfed for his Faith, for his firm dependance upon the Truth of what God had declared, in a Point far exceeding all Humane Expectation and Conception? And, to use the Apoftle's expreffions under this argument, The time would fail me to tell of Gedeand of the prophets, who through faith fubdued kingdoms, — obtained promifes, flopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, efcaped the edge of the fword-women received their dead raifed to life again.

on

*Mark v. 34.

Upon

Upon the whole matter: The Reafonableness of God's giving a Law to our Understanding, that it may pay it's Homage and Submiffion to him, by a Ready and firm Affent to the Truths he hath Revealed: The certainty of his having given us fuch a Law requiring fuch acts of Faith in the Understanding, as the Tefts of it's Subjection and Obedience: The Indifpenfable Obligations of this Law, arifing from the Authority, Wifdom, and Veracity of the Lawgiver: The Perverfenefs of our Will, in our refufing to fubmit our Understanding to this Law: The Tremendous punishments denounced against Infidelity: The Glorious and Endlefs rewards, which are prepared in a future State, for all those who fhall be found, in the folemn day of Judgment, to have paid entire Obedience to this great Law of Faith: The wonderful Demonftrations God hath given of his High, Peculiar efteem of this Duty, by crowning it frequently and Amply with Bleffings in This life, as the 'Pledges and Earnest of that Ineftimable reward which is laid up in ftore for it in

the

the World to come: Thefe Confiderations, and fome others of Affinity with these, have in all ages effectually induced Judicious and Wife men, to fupprefs all Pride, and Arrogance and Self-conceit, rifing up in their Breafts as the great fprings of Infidelity, and to depend, with Humility and Stedfaftness of Faith, upon God's Knowledge and Wisdom, rather than their own.

2dly, The Second Thing fignified by converfation becoming the Gospel of Chrift, is Obedience to the Precepts and Rules of Practice deliver❜d in the Gospel. The Reality of our Faith is to be demonftrated by the Holiness of our Lives. Notwithstanding the Neceffity of Faith, yet the Highest degrees of it, without Obedience attending it, and grafted upon it, are utterly infignificant, and unavailable to Salvation. * By works a man is juftified, and not by faith only. For as the body without the fpirit is dead, fo faith without works is dead alfo. An Obedient and Spiritual Life is the evidence,

* Ja. ii. 24, 26.

which we are Indifpenfably required to give of our being filled with all wisdom and fpiritual understanding. It was the great Design of our Bleffed Saviour's Manifeftation in the flesh, to destroy the works of the Devil, to reduce us from the Dominion of Sin, and restore us to the fimilitude of God, by the Conformity of our Lives to his Holy Will revealed from Heaven. Whofoever nameth the name of Chrift, does it Unprofitably and in Vain, if he fails of departing from all Iniquity.· We can have no claim to the Privileges and Promises of the Gospel, but by our Fidelity in performing the Conditions of them. For we can have no Juft hope of entring into Life, but by keeping the Commandments, or, by taking effectual

care,

that our Lives be, as the Commandments themselves are, Holy, and Juft, and Good. 'Tis the Higheft excellency of Conduct which we are to arrive at, before our Converfation can be indeed fuitable to the Gofpel; For 'tis to be observed, that befides the Rules prefcribed to all our Outward actions, relating to God, our Neighbours, and our Selves,