other Doctrine to be received than what we have in the Scripture fhining in the letter, and literal fenfe of it, then there must be working of Miracles. But if there fhould be fuch a Doctrine, it makes void this Scripture; of which God hath faid, it doth endure for ever. The Word of God endures for ever, and he that adds thereunto, fhall have plagues added to bim, Rev. 22.18. That is,he fhall be more plagued than others, that fhall find out a Doctrine, which is not contained in this Book. But of this Faith I need not speak further; I have only spoken this because it's that which mens curious, wanton, foolish, unbelieving hearts look after. The Disciples are not blamed for want of that. 4 There is laftly, A Fuftifying, or a Saving Faith and they are all one. There are none that have a Juftifying Faith, but they alfo are faved. And therefore you fhall find that the Scripture makes Juftification and Salvation all one. By Grace ye are faved through Faith, Eph. 2. 8. And in Ga.2.16. & Tit.3.7. Faith is faid to be juftifying, not becaufe God hath appointed that the act thall be accepted inftead of the whole Law by the Covenant of Grace: but it's faid to juftifie, because it doth lay hold upon him who died for our fins, and rofe again for our juftification, even Jefus Chrift, Rom.425. And it is called juftifying, objectively, because it doth receive him that doth juftifie, and not becaufe it doth it felf acquit us through Gods acceptation. This Faith is the gift of God, Eph.2.8. he works it. Not only by his giving power to believe, and the act of Faith coming from our felves freely, but by making of us as well to believe, as to receive that power. Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father bath given to me, fball come to me. And in verf.45. He that bath beard, and learned of the Father, comes unto me. Phil.2.13. He works both to will and to do. By By this Faith a Sinner goes to God in Jefus Chrift for all things that do belong to Life and Salvation, because of the Word of God To draw yet nearer. CHAP. II., Wherein Hiftorical and Saving Faith agree; and wherein they differ. Wberein Temporary and Saving Faith agree; and wherein they differ What that Faith is, of which the Unbelief bere upbraided is a want. What kind of Unbelief this is. Iftorical Faith doth agree with Saving Faith in knowledge and affent. None have Saving Faith, but thofe that do know God, and the things promifed, Chrift, and the Spirit, and Grace, though this knowledge be not by the light of Reafon, but by the light of Scripture. As the Sun fhews it felf by its own light. But Saving Faith differs from Hiftorical in this, That it works by love, Gal. 5. 6. Whereas the Devils have the other Faith, and tremble, as James speaks, Jam, 2,19, Which place Ifhall explain by and by. Temporary Faith agrees with Saving Faith in this, that there is an affection, and fweetnefs found in the things that are revealed. But yet both it and Hiftorical Faich differ from Saving Faith in the fubject: There is none but the Elect are partakers of the one; and therefore it's called the faith of Gods Elect, Tit. 1.1. & Acts 1 3.48. As many as were ordained to eternal Life, believed. .I It differs alfo in the effects. Saving Faith fancti- fies fies and purifies, Acts 15.9. All the rest of the forts of Faith may be where a man is in the gall of bit terness, and in the bond of iniquity, as it's faid of Simon Magus, Acts 8.12,13. Saving Faith is a life, Gal. 2. 20. that is, there is a natural conftant mo ving, and tendency of the Soul to get out of its felf to the Lord Jefus Chrift for all the things that do belong to eternal life and Salvation: It minds hea ven, and a man is continually doing fomething or other that way and in cafe he be hindered, it's a death to him: There follows a fickness upon the obftructions of the acts of Faith; whereas Temposary Faith is only upon fome mighty difcovery either of Grace and Merey, which were never heard of, or unexpected: or of fome Notions, which are rare and fingular. As you know it's faid concerning Herod in the Gofpel of Mark; that Mark.6.20. be beard John Baptift gladly, and rejoyced. And in John 5. 35. it's faid, They rejoyced in bis light for a feafon. The ground of al that fweernefs which Tem poraries do find, is either the pleasantnefs of the Notion (for light is pleasant to the eye) Or elfe it doth arife from the hopes of earthly Profits which may come in. Or it may be from hopes of being delivered from wrath to come only. But all this while there is fomething in the Soul that it doth love more than the eruth: more than the things the truth reveals. A man, though he be carried on ftrongly, hath yet fomewhat that will-afterwards byafs, and turn his Soul to the love of other things: Whereas true Faith does fo fet the Soul by love upon Chrift, as that it hath none in heaven but him. The leaft Faith will not part with him for all the world. That Faith which here they are faid to want, (their Unbelief) It was a want (I beseech you mark it) a want in Saving Faith. There was no want want in them of Faith as it justifies, but a want of that Faith which doth juftifie:. Their want was in a circumftance of the Object of justifying Faith. For whereas before they beleeved in the Meffiah to come, before he was born, and upon him Ar come. in whom they were well pleasing unto God: They did not yet believe upon him as one that fhould rife out of the mouth and jawes of the Grave to converfe with them for a feafon, and to endue then with power from on high, and with the gifts of the holy Ghoft, and then to go to heaven for to perfect and compleat the Work which he came into the world for: Their Unbelief was about the Obje& of their juftifying Faith, though not As that Object juftifies. Chrift as God and man fatisfying thewrath of God, is the Object of justifying Faith: Chrift as man rifen from the dead, is not fo, but only thereby that life and immortality which he hath purchafed brought to light, revealed, and manifefted. For they are blamed because they did not beleeve (faies the text) what was told then and that was this: That Jefus Chrift was rifen again: Which in more words is no more but this; That Death, and Hell were overcome, and the wrath of God was fully fatisfied, that he had buried all our As in his Grave, and that there was a way made for us (even from the worst condition fin could bring us nito) unto glory: fo that though the Devil might hurry us, yet not kill us: Sin night throw us into the earth, but we should rife again to glory. This is the thing now that does belong to juftifying Faith. For no man could look for juftification by Chrift, that did not beleeve these when they are revealed to him. His Difciples had Faith before, and did beleeve fuch things Thould be done: but How they were done, they were blamed becaufe they did not beleeve them. The The truth is, if you do but look into the ftory, you shall find they were blamed for want of clear. nefs in Saving Faith. That which they had before in a Myfterie, Chrift does now explain clearly co them, That he that they hoped fhould come, was cone, and was dead, and rifen again; and they received not that. That which he told them was for their confort, and they took not in that. They were exceeding flow the Text faith to believe, Luke 24 25. The Unbelief that Chrift blames here, it is a want of clearness in the Doctrine of our Salvation: A want of readiness to lay hold upon comfort and the confolation that is offered and given to us. Meer Unbelievers therefore they were not now, but they were fuch as were defective in their Faith. 1. In the clearness of it. Jefus Chrift now made it more manifeft than ever, that the mouth of Juftice which was opened against them, was now fhut and that the Lyon which was in the way of their Salvation, had honey in the mouth of him for them, (if I may fo exprefs it to you.). They were wanting in the clearness of their Faith. They were wanting alfo, 2ly. In the fulness, of their Faith. For the text tells you, Luke 24. 25. That they did not beleeve all that Mofes and the Prophets fpake of him: and here in the Text, They be leeved not those that bad feen him after he was rifen. They were wanting, 3ly. In the comfort of their Faith; for in Luke 24. 17. (where you have this very story related) he faith to them as they went to Emmaus, What manner of Communications are thefe that you have one with another, and are fad? . And then Laftly, They were wanting in the quicknefs and nimbleness of their Faith, Luke 24. 25. They were flow of heart to beleeve. Greater love than |