our sin, but not withdrawing his mercy finally from us, if we trust in him, and commit ourselves wholly unto him, hang only upon him, and call upon him, ready to obey and serve him. This is the true, lively, and unfeigned Christian faith, and is not in the mouth and outward profession only, but it liveth, and stirreth inwardly in the heart. And this faith is not without hope and trust in God, nor without the love of God, and of our neighbours, nor without the fear of God, nor without the desire to hear God's word, and to follow the same in eschewing evil, and doing, gladly, all good works.

Thus, faith, (as St. Paul describeth it), is the sure ground and foundation of the benefits which we ought to look for, and trust to receive of God, a certificate and sure looking for them, although they yet sensibly appear not unto us. And after, he saith, He that cometh to God, must believe, both that he is, and that he is a merciful rewarder of well-doers. And nothing commendeth good men unto God so much, as this assured faith and trust in him. Of this faith, three things are specially to be noted.

First, that this faith doth not lie dead in the heart, but is lively and fruitful in bringing forth good works: Secondly, that without it, can no good works be done, that shall be acceptable and pleasant to God: Thirdly, what manner of good works they be that this faith doth bring forth.

For the first, that as the light cannot be hid, but will shew forth itself at one place or other: So a true faith cannot be kept secret, but when occasion is offered, it will break out, and shew itself by good works. And as the living body of a man ever exerciseth such things as belong to a natural and living body, for nourishment and preservation of the same as it hath need, opportunity, and occasion: even so

Heb. xii.

the soul that hath a lively faith in it, will be doing always some good work, which shall declare that it is living, and will not be unoccupied. Therefore, when men hear, in the Scripture, so high commendations of faith, that it maketh us to please God, to live with God, and to be the children of God: if then they fancy that they be set at liberty from doing all good works, and may live as they list, they trifle with God, and deceive themselves. And it is a manifest token, that they be far from having the true and lively faith, and also far from knowing what true faith meaneth. For the very sure and lively christian faith is, not only to believe all things of God, which are contained in holy Scripture, but also is an earnest trust and confidence in God, that he doth regard us, and that he is careful over us, as the father is over the child whom he doth love, and that he will be merciful unto us for his only Son's sake, and that we have our Saviour Christ, our perpetual advocate, and priest, in whose only merits, oblation, and suffering, we do trust that our offences be continually washed and purged, whensoever we, repenting truly, do return to him with our whole heart, stedfastly determining with ourselves, through his grace; to obey and serve him, in keeping his commandments, and never to turn back again to Sin. Such is the true faith that the Scripture doth so much commend, the which, when it seeth, and considereth what God hath done for us, is also moved, through continual assistance of the Spirit of God, to serve and please him, to keep his favour, to fear his displeasure, to continue his obedient children, shewing thankfulness again, by observing or keeping his commandments, and that freely, for true love chiefly, and not for dread of punishment, or love of temporal reward, considering how clearly,

without deservings, we have received his mercy and pardon freely.

This true faith will shew forth itself, and cannot long be idle: for, as it is written, the just man doth live by his faith. He never sleepeth, nor is idle, when he would wake, and be well occupied. And God, by his prophet Jeremiah saith, that he is a happy and blessed man, which hath faith and confidence in God. For he is like a tree set by the water side, and spreadeth his roots abroad towards the moisture, and feareth not heat when it cometh; his leaf will be green, and will not cease to bring forth his fruit: even so, faithful men, putting away all fear of adversity, will shew forth the fruit of their good works, as occasion is offered to do them.

Faith is considered as dead or alive: when dead it is useless, and when alive it is operative. The various effects of a true and lively faith in Christ Jesus are also here described.

The Second Part of the Sermon on Faith.

YE have heard, in the first part of this Sermon, that

there be two kinds of faith, a dead and an unfruitful faith, and a faith lively, that worketh by charity: the first to be unprofitable: the second, necessary for the obtaining of our salvation: the which faith hath charity always joined unto it, and is fruitful, and bringeth forth all good works. Now as concerning the same matter, you shall hear what followeth,

Habak. ii. Jer. xvii,

The wise man saith, He that believeth in God will hearken unto his commandments. For if we do not shew ourselves faithful in our conversation, the faith, which we pretend to have, is but a feigned faith: because the true christian faith is manifestly shewed by good living, and not by words only, as St. Augustine saith, Good living cannot be separated from true faith, which worketh by love. And St. Chrysostom saith, Faith of itself is full of good works: as soon as a man doth believe, he shall be garnished with them. How plentiful this faith is of good works, and how it maketh the work of one man more acceptable to God than of another, St. Paul teacheth, at large, in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, saying, that Faith made the oblation of Abel better than the oblation of Cain. This made Noah to build the ark. This made Abraham to forsake his country and all his friends, and go into a far country, there to dwell among strangers. So did also Isaac and Jacob, depending or hanging only on the help and trust that they had in God. And when they came to the country which God promised them, they would build no cities, towns, nor houses; but lived like strangers, in tents, that might every day be removed. Their trust was so much in God, that they set but little by any worldly thing, for that God had prepared for them better dwelling-places in heaven, of his own foundation and building. This faith made Abraham ready, at God's commandment, to offer his own son and heir, Isaac, whom he loved so well, and by whom he was promised to have innumerable issue, among the which, one should be born, in whom all nations should be blessed, trusting so much in God, that though he were slain, yet that God was able, by his omnipotent power, to raise him from death, and perform his pro

Eccles. xxxi. Heb. xi. Gen. iv.
Gen. xxii.

Gen. vi. Eccl. xlvi. Gen. xi
Eccl. xiii.

mise. He mistrusted not the promise of God, al-
though unto his reason every thing seemed contrary.
He believed, verily, that God would not forsake him
in dearth and famine that was in the country. And
in all other dangers that he was brought unto, he
trusted ever that God should be his God, and his pro-
tector and defender, whatsoever he saw to the contrary.
This faith wrought so in the heart of Moses, that he
refused to be taken for king Pharaoh's daughter's son,
and to have great inheritance in Egypt, thinking it bet-
ter, with the people of God, to have affliction and sor-
row, than with wicked men in sin to live pleasantly for
a time. By faith, he cared not for the threatening of
king Pharaoh: for his trust was so in God, that he
passed not of the felicity of this world, but looked
for the reward to come in heaven; setting his heart
upon the invisible God, as if he had seen him ever
present before his eyes. By faith, the children of
Israel passed through the Red Sea. By faith, the
walls of Jericho fell down without stroke, and many
other wonderful miracles have been wrought. In all
good men that heretofore have been, faith hath
brought forth their good works, and obtained the
promises of God. Faith hath stopped the lions'
mouths; faith hath quenched the force of fire;
faith hath escaped the sword's edges; faith bath
given weak men strength, victory in battle, over-
thrown the armies of infidels, raised the dead to
life; faith hath made good men to take adversity
in good part; some have been mocked and whipped,
bound and cast into prison; some have lost all their
goods, and lived in great poverty: some have wan-
dered in mountains, hills, and wildernesses; some
have been racked, some slain, some stoned, some
sawn, some rent in pieces, some beheaded, some

Exod. ii. xiv. Josh. vi. Dan, vi. iii. Heb. xi.
NO. 2.
G