is required to be perfect towards God and : and sometime because we perform neither dience nor charity such as we ought, they p place thereof repentance most necessary for ners to the obtaining of the mercy of Some, which like to have more parts, do set first out of the law, the knowledge of ou duty, and damnation by the law forsakin rejecting our duty; secondly, out of the G the knowledge and affiance of our delive thirdly, prayer and craving of the mer help of God; fourthly, thanksgiving for d ance and other benefits of God. But how they differ in names, they be the same t and to these two principal parts, obedien faith, in which is contained all the sum a stance of our religion, all the rest are r For whereas many do add, as parts in and thanksgiving, and the divine myster nearly conjoined to the same, which a monly called sacraments, these in very comprised within those two former par no man can truly perform the duty towa either of affiance or of obedience, which when any necessity distresseth him, flee and account all things to come from 1. when occasion and time serveth, rightly holy mysteries. speculative acquaintance with the principles of Religion; but it is that perception of divine truth which makes a deep impression on the mind, and is cherished with satisfaction and delight. The Gospel does not demand a blind and implicit acceptance from us: it demands rather that we should sedulously use the means afforded us of acquiring a knowledge of its salutary doctrines; and only expects a humble belief in the truth and consistency of God's word, when our limited faculties will not permit us to obtain a clear and precise knowledge of matters which are imperfectly revealed. Assent is given either generally, to the entire word of God, as it is delivered to us in the Books of the Old and New Testaments; or particularly, to that Promise of Grace and Salvation thro' the only-begotten son of God, which is the sum and substance of the Gospel. By this assent the promise of remission of sins and reconciliation to all who believe, is apprehended and acknowledged. Confidence is a reliance not only on the Attributes of God, but on every thing which he has promised; and a trust in these Attributes and promises, accompanied with the conviction that they will be exercised and fulfilled in favour of the faithful it is the dependance of the will and heart on the mercies of God in Christ. By the application of the Gospel promises to ourselves we are comforted and set at rest under the sense and dread of the wrath of God: by this we experience relief and joy in Christ, through whom we are enabled to come unto God in our distress, to call upon him as always present and always merciful, and to cry unto him, Abba Father. This important aud salutary part of Faith is but the tendency and inclination of the will of one who loves God, "because he first loved us, and gave his Son to be a propitiation for our sins;" of one who is desirous to flee to God in difficulty and distress, and to resign himself into the hands, and to the Grace of God, which is assured to those who duly seek it. Thus does a true Evangelical Faith include a sufficient knowledge of the doctrines of Christianity, an unreserved assent to their authority and truth, and a firm confidence arising from the persuasion that God is both able and willing to perform his promises, not only in general, but to each individual in particular-a confidence accompanied with love unfeigned towards him. § 4. A deficiency in either of the essential parts of a true and lively Faith, alters materially its nature, and renders it no longer an Evangelical or saving Faith. It is a mere historical belief, when such oredence only is given to the Divine promises and revelations, as would be given to any indifferent history not relating to ourselves. Such a faith is common to the most wicked, in whom bare knowledge and assent are found; but it is a defective and partial faith, because the wicked do not assent to the divine promises as belonging to themselves. The devils believe that Reconciliation is offered to others, but not to them. Another species of defective Faith is that which is only temporary,-which receives the word with joy, but in time of temptation falls away. This differs from Evangelical Faith not only in duration, but essentially, as being deficient in confidence and stability. Besides a mere historical and a temporary faith, which are inferior, but still must be included in a true and lively faith, there are other defects to be considered. Faith is sometimes culpably imperfect, as when it embraces certain promises, but doubts of others; and sometimes it is inevitably imperfect, for want of knowledge. The nature of Faith was the same under the Old Testament dispensation, and under the New, having for its object one God, and one way to everlasting life; but the measure of knowledge attainable by the latter, is much greater than by the former. Faith, therefore, before the preaching of the Gospel, was necessarily more imperfect, than it has been since the diffusion of evangelical light and knowledge. § 5. God himself is the Author, as Christ Jesus is pre-eminently the object, and the Holy Ghost the efficient cause of Faith. God has been pleased to impute righteousness to those who have a lively faith in their Redeemer; and in order that this may be obtained, the Holy Spirit is given, in ordinary cases, by the instrumentality of the word and sacraments, to those who listen to the voice of the Gospel, for the purpose of exciting in their hearts that justifying faith which alone is acceptable to God,-as it is the hand by which his free and gracious promises are laid hold on, as it personally applies the benefits of his eternal decree with regard to the salvation of the human race through the propitiatory sacrifice of his wellbeloved Son. § 6. The internal effects of Faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, as well as the evidence of things not seen, are no less desirable than certain. |