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But how did it appeare that this faith was dead? did it not fpeak many good words? yes, faith Saint James; It gave good words, & prateria nihel, no good works; It could lay to the poore, be ye cloathed, and be ye warme, but gave nothing to cloath or to feed,why? faith he, this mans faith is vaine (that is) he hath not the true quality of faith, and it will stand him in. no stead.

Another was a lively and juftifying faith, It had in it the true nature and property of faith, but how did that appear?

The Apostle answers, by Works. You know that there is a great difference 'twixt thefe two, viz. the justifying of a mans per(on before God, and the justifying of a mans faith before the world: That which juftifies my perfon before God,is only faith in Jesus Christ; and that which Juftifies (as one particular) my faith be-fore men, not to be a dead,but a living faith, is the acting of good works. Hence that of Paul, Tit.3 8. This is a faithful [aying, and thofe things I will that thou affirme conftantly, that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works, these things are good and profitable unto men. Right is the speech of Saint Augustine, fequuntur juftificatum though non precedunt Austin. juftificandum. As in a clock, the finger makes not the clock to go, but the clock it, and yet the motion of the finger without Thews whether the clock goes within.

So although works do not caufe or infuse justifying faith, nor yet cause our Juftification, yet they do cleerly mani feft, whether we have fuch a faith as doth indeed juftific,

or not.

Obj. You will fay the work of Faith is to look up, and to come and to deal with God only; and therefore to breath our good works which respect men, feems not to be any teftimo

ny of faith.

Sol. I answer.

1. The Apostle there expreffely diftinguifheth the lively and the dead faith by works (as if he faid ) it

is fo.

2. There is (if you will let me distinguish fo) as it were a double act of faith.

One is proper and perfonal, and this is circumfcribed to that

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Heavenly employment of receiving or presenting in and through Chrift.

Another is Grateful, and this is extended to the fending forth of good works. Not as if it were a work of superaroga tion; for faith findes the doing of good works under many commands, and alfo the rewards of them under many promifes, but because faith fees alfo a fweet and reasonable equity, that if God be good to me in Chrift, I fhould be good to fome for Chrifts fake. And verily, as the work leffe perfon doth not now own Chrift by faith, so hereafter Chrift will not. own him by mercy, depart from me.

Obj. But yet you will reply, good works cannot be a fure teftimony of faith, becaufe many evil men may performe them, and fome belee vers have not wherewithal to do them.

Sol. I answer.

1. Good Works may be fo ftiled, either, Firft, materially, because they are fuch things as may do good. Secondly formally, being fealed with all the circumftances which are required to make them good, both for fpiritual compofition, and Divine acceptation. Now though wick. ed men may performe works good materially, yel formally they do not, for to make a work formally good, there muft be the concurrence of all circumstances, the perfon must have a good heart,and a good ground,and a good end, and a good Cbrift, &c.

2. Though every Beleever cannot actually do every good work, yet fome good works or other he can do: though he cannot give mony, yet be can give prayer, &c. Now thick on this ye who bave riches and wealth,and profeffe faith on Chrift, and yet scarce a perfon, a poor diftreffed perfon can bleffe God for your fruitful faith; nay,the very doing of a small good work, fometimes doth even try all the faith in the foul; a man doth many times beleeve he fhall furely want, and impoverish his eftate if he should be rich in good works.

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SECT. VII.

Ixthly, true faith doth defire and endeavour after increase: Help my unbelif, faid the unbeleeving father, Lord increafe our faith faid the Difciples. I pray obferve a few things.

1. That true faith begins in weaknesse. Like a childe at the firft, very tender; or like the light, at the first very broken. Prefumption being a work of fancy, and borne with its ftrength and perfection, it is fully affured and utterly confident at firt But facobs ladder hath many steps.

2. That though it hath weaknesse, yet it hath life: as the fpark of fire, though it be little, yet it is hot, and though the childe be weak, yet it can fuck; even the weakest faith in Chriß will be much about Chrift, it will be weeping at bis grave, or washing of his feet, or looking on his perfon.

3. There are yet many degrees wanting to faith, either thou canst not be perfwaded,or not fully perfwaded, or not conftantly perfwaded.

4. If the faith be true and living, it will bend after a rifing; and that,

First, in respect of its acts, of receiving, trufting, perfiading.

Secondly, in respect of its object, It would yet apprehend more, and feel more of the communion and vertues of Chrift. All the preaching in the world doth not increase a falfe and prefumptuous faith, nor doth the administration of the Sacraments adde thereto. But the living, they grow, and he must have more faith, who hath any; Paul would apprehend even as he is apprehended. The foule which hath true faith, would have yet more victorious yieldings, more ftedfaft embracings, more confident reftings, &c. like the childe which fucks and thrives.

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SECT. VIII.

Eventhly, true faith in Christ and a mournful heart for finne go together, Zach, 12.10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only fonne.

There are two things which faith will fetch up in the foule, one is love to Christ, another is forrow for finxe. There may be a terror without faith, the confcience may be crackt and wounded, but till faith comes, there is no forrow, the foul is not altered nor melted; that which melts the foul is kindnesse and mercy, and that which fees them is faith; if thou doeft caft an eye of Faith on Chrift, that eye will have fome tears for forced finning againft Chrift. You fhall finde in Scripture, that true beleevers are characterized by this,7 hat they be mourners in Sion, and they return with weepings and fupplications, and they poure out waters before the Lord: and unbeleeving perfons are defcribed by hearts of Adamant, of rocks of ftone, by hardned, by unfenfible, by irrelenting hearts; The text faith, that when Cbrift looked on Peter, he went out and wept bitterly, there is a piercing vertue in a gracious look from Christ. The foule which hath been long humbling it felfe, and much in feeking for mercy, and a good look from heaven, It is (when any gracious manifeftation of favour darts down) even refolved into tears: never did the child weep more foberly upon his reconciliation to his loving father, then the beleeving hriftian doth mourn in fober fadneffe, when his faith gets to fee God re conciled to him in Chrift, he reades his pardon with teares of joy.

There are two parts of forrow.

One is effential, which confifts in a frong difpleasure of the will against the foul, for finning against a good God.

Another is contingent, which confifts in thofe dreary teares flowing into the eyes; now this is contingent, for when the heart is many times filled with teares, like Davids bottle, yet it may fo fall out, that the eyes may be fiient in fuch expreffions, &c,

CHAP.

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F to beleeve in Jefus Chrift be the only
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fort to all true beleevers. What Solomon Prov. 3.17,18.. fpake of wisdome, that I fay of faith, ber wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse; and all ber paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that reteineth her. If this be a happy thing to have the Lord to be our God, (and David judged it to be a fuperlative happineffe) If this be a bleffed thing not to be offended at Chrift, O how fweetly and greatly bleffed is the condition of a beleeving foul, which hath God to be its God, Chrift to be its bufband, and bea ven to be its portion. Faith and Chrift! why!they are the ring, and the diamond; they are the way and the life; the foul cannot have fuch a prize as Christ, nor fuch a band as faith; such a match as Christ, nor fuch a grace to contract it as faith. Now letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have feene thy falvation, faid 3imeon: He may cheerfully lay down his body in the duft, who hath by faith given up his foule to Chrift.

But to defcend to fome diftinct particulars of comfort to the foule which beleeves truly in the Lord Jefus Chrift, obferve.

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