clearly perceive, but which seem to him very Improbable; How highly do we difhonour God by that Pride of Reason, which will not fuffer us to believe the Truths he hath revealed, unless our own groveling Perceptions could reach the Height of them. St. John thus rouzeth us into a juft Sense of this flagrant Sin; *He that believeth not God, hath made him a Liar. And what Severities of punishment is such an Audacious Offender to expect?

Some Other Thin Pretences there are, whereby Unbelievers are wont to deceive themselves; which I should scarce have thought worthy of Particular Regard, if the Time would have allowed me to take particular notice of Them. Some Fallacious Suggestions may be more Plaufible than others; But Vain and Groundlefs muft All the Arguments, and Inexcufable and Unaccountable that manner of Thinking be, whereby men are led into an opinion, that they may be faved without Believing, though God hath

1 John v. 19.

expressly

exprefsly, and that in the Strongest and moft Moving Terms declared, that they shall not be faved, unless they Believe. And as he hath caution'd us against Infidelity by the Terrour of Threatnings; he hath graciously Invited us to Faith, by the endearments of Promises and Rewards. And as he is oftentimes pleafed to crown Holinefs of Life with Present Bleffings, as pledges of the future and eternal Rewards promised to Holy men; fo hath he oftentimes crowned the great Duty of Believing, with present Rewards, and thofe conferr'd in a Miraculous manner, as Pledges of that Future Happinefs which is prepared for all Those who are ftedfaft in Faith.

When our Bleffed Saviour reftored the * Ruler's little Daughter lying at the point of death; he made the Father's Faith, the condition of the Bleffing to be bestowed, Fear not, believe only, and She Shall be made whole. And when the two blind Men + applied themfelves to him for Relief, he faith unto them,

Mark v. 23, 35, 36. Lu. viii. 50. † Mat. ix. 28, 29. 30,

believe

believe ye that I am able to do this? They Said 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 expressed the stedfastness 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 Believing 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 Gedeon and 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 raised to life again.

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 Tests of it's Subjection and Obedience: The Indifpenfable Obligations of this Law, arifing from the Authority, Wif dom, 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 Earneft of that Ineftimable reward which is laid up in store for it in

the

the World to come: Thefe Confiderati

ons, and fome others of Affinity with these, have in all ages effectually induced Judicious and Wife men, to fuppress 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 Christ, is Obedience to the Precepts and Rules of Practice deliver❜d in the Gospel. The Reality of our Faith is to be demonstrated by the Holiness of our Lives. Notwithstanding the Neceffity of Faith, yet the Higheft 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