called trusting it. So trusting in God, and in Jefus Christ, is not a bare opinion of his fidelity, but a PRACTICAL TRUST; and that you may be sure to understand clearly, I will once open the parts of it diftinctly. Divines commonly tell us that Faith is an Affiance or Trust in God and fome of them fay that this is an act of the underftanding, and fome, that it is an act of the will, and others say, that Faith confifteth in Affent alone, and that Truft or Affiance is as Hope, a fruit of Faith, and not Faith it felf: And what Affiance it felf is, is no small controverfie (And fo it is what Faith and Christianity is, even among the Teachers of Chriftians.) The plain truth is this: as to thename of Faith,it fometime fignifieth a meer Intellectual Affent, when the object requireth no more: And fometime it fignifieth a pradical Truft or Affiance, in the Truth or Truftinefs of the undertaker or promifer, that is, in his Power, Wisdom and Goodness, or honely, conjunct as expreffed in his word; and that is, when the matter is practical, requiring fuch a trust. The former is oft called, The Chriftian Faith; because it is the belief of the truth of the Chriftian Principles; and is the leading part of Faith in the full fenfe. But it is the latter which is the Chriftian Faith, as it is taken, mot fecundum quid, but fimply; not for a part, but Faith is? the whole; not for the opinion of men about Chrift, but for Christianity it felf, or that Faith which must be profeft in Baptifm, and which hath the promise of Juftification and Salvation. And this Truft or Affiance is placed refpectively on all the objeЯs mentioned in the beginning; on God as the first ‹fficient foundation; and on God as the ultimate end; as the certain full felicity, and final object of the foul: On Chrift as the Mediatour, and as the fecondary foundation, and the guide, and the finisher of our faith and falvation; the chief fub-revealer and performer: On the Holy Ghoff, as the third foundation; both revealing and attefting the doctrine by his gifts: And on the Apoftles and Prophets as his Inftruments and Cbrifts chief entrusted Meffengers: And on the Promife or Covenant of Chrift as his Inftrumental Revelation it felf: And on the Scriptures as the authentick Record of this Revelation and Promifc. And the benefit for whieb all these are trufted, is, recovery to God, or Re Kk demption What true demption and Salvation,, viz. pardon of fin, and Fuftificatim, Adoption, Saullification and Glorification; and all things ncceffary hereunto. This Truft is an act of all the three faculties: (for thres there are) even of the whole man: Of the vital power, the understanding and the will: and is moft properly called A praGical Trust, fuch as trufting a Physician with your life and bealth; or a Tutor to teach you; or a Master to govern and Seward you; or a Ship and Pilot (as aforefaid) to carry you fafe through the dangers of the Sea: As in this fimilitude; Affiance as in the understanding, is its Affent to the fufficiency and fidelity of the Pilot and Ship (or Phyfician) that I truft: Afiance in the will is the chufing of this Ship, Pilot, Physician to venture my life with, and refufing all others; which is called confent, when it followeth the motion and offer of him whom we trust. Affiance in the vital power of the foul, is the fortitude and venturing all upon this chofen Trustee which is, the quieting (in fome meafure) disturbing fears, and the exit or conatus, or firft egrefs of the foul towards execu tion. And whereas the quarrelling pievifh ignorance of this age, hath caufed a great deal of bitter,reproachful, uncharitable contention on both fides, about the queftion, How far obedience belongerb to faith? whether as a part, or end, or fruit, or confe quent? In all this it is cafily difcerned, that as allegiance or Jubjection differ from obedience, and hiring my self to a Master, differeth from obeying him; and taking a man for my Tutor, differeth from learning of him; and Marriage differeth from conjugal duty; and giving up my felf to a Phyfician, differeth from taking his counsel and medicines; and taking a man for my Pilot, differeth from being conducted by him; fo doth our first Faith or Christianity differ from actual obedience to the healing precepts of our Saviour. It is the covenant of obedience and confent to it, immediately entering us into the practice: It is the feed of obedience; or the foul, or life of it, which will immediately bring it forth, and a& it. It is virtual, but not anal obedience to Chrift; becaufe.it is but the first consent to his Kingly Relation to us; unless you will call it that Inception from whence all obedience followeth. But it may be actual (common) (common) obedience to God, where he is believed in and acknowledged before Chrift: And all following acts of Faith after the first, are both the root of all other obedience, and a part of it: as our continued Allegiance to the King is: And as the Heart, when it is the first formed Organ in nature, is no part of the man, but the Organ to make all the parts, because it is folitary; and there is yet no man, of whom it can be called a part; but when the max is formed, the bears is both his chief part, and the Organ to actuate and maintain the rest. Object. But Falth as Faith is not obedience. Anfw. Nor Learning as Learning is not obedience to your Tutor: Nor plowing as plowing is not obedience to your Me fter: Or to speak more aptly, the continuance of your confenth that this man be your Tutor as fuck, is not obedience to him; but it is materially part of your obedience to your Father who commandeth it; and your continued Alegiance or fubjection as fuck, is not obedience to your King; but as primarily it was the foundation or beart of future obedience; fo afterward it is allo materially a part of your obedience, being commanded by him to whom you are now fubject. And fo it is in the cafe of Faith and therefore true Faith and Obedience are as nearly cenjoyned as Life and Motion;and the one is ever conneved in the other: Faith is for Obedience to Chrifts healing means, as Brufting and taking a Phyfician, is for the ufing of his counsel: and Faith is for love and boly obedience to God, which is called our Sandification, as trusting a Phyfician, is for bealth. Faith is implicite virtual obedience to a Saviour and obedience to a Saviour, is explicite operating Faith or trust. I. In the understanding, Faith in Gods Promifes hath all thefe acts contained in it. I. 1. A belief that Godis, and that he is perfedly powerful, wife and good. 2. A belief that he is our Maker, and fo our Owner, our Ruler, and our ebief Good (initially and finally) delighting to de good, and the perfect felicitating end and object of the foul. 3. A belief that God hath expreffed the benignity of his nature, by a Covenant or Promise of life to man. 4. To believe that|Jefu Chrift, God and Man,is the Mediator Kk 2 of of this Covenant, Heb. 8. 6. & 9.15. & 12. 24. procuring it, and entrusted to adminifter or communicate the blefings of it, Heb. 5.9. 5. To believe that the Holy Ghoft is the feal and witneß of this Covenant. 6. To believe that this Covenant giveth pardon of fin, and Fuftification and Adoption, and further grace, to penitent BeLevers; and Glorification to thofe that perfevere in true Faith, Love and Obedience to the end. 7. To believe that the Holy Scriptures or Word delivered by the Apostles, is the fure Record of this Covenant, and of the biftory and doctrine on which it is grounded. 8. To believe that God is moft perfectly regardful and faithful to fulfil this Covenant, and that he cannot lye or break it, Titus 1. 2. Heb. 6. 17, 18. 9. To believe that you in particular are included in this Covenant, as well as others, it being univerfal as conditional to all if they will repent and believe, and no exception put in against you to exclude you, John 3. 16. Mark 16.15,16. 10. To believe or know that there is nothing else to be trufted to, as our felicity and end instead of God; nor as our way instead of the Mediator, and the forefaid means appointed by him. II. In the Will, Faith or Truft hath 1. A fimple complacency in God as believed to be most perfectly good as fore-defcribed. 2. It hath an adual intending and defiring of him as our end and whole felicity to be enjoyed in Heaven, Gal. 5. 6, 7. Ephef. 3. 17, 18, 19. Col. 3. 1, 3, 4. 1 Cor. 13. Heb. 11. Mat. 6. 20, 21. 3. It is the turning away from, and refufing all other seeming felicity or ends, and cafting all our happiness and hopes upon God alone. It is the chafing Jefu Chrift as the only way and Mediator to this end; with the refufing of all other, Job. 14.6. and trufting all that we are or hope for upon his Media tion. III. In the Vital Power, it is the cafting away all inconfiftent fears, and the inward refolved delivering up the foul to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in this Covenant, entering our felves into a refolved war with the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, which in the performance will refift us. And thus Faith or Trust is conftituted and completed in the true Baptifmal Covenant. Dirca. 28. In all this be fure that you obferve the difference, between the truth of Faith, and the bigh degrees. The truth of it is moft certainly difcerned by (as confiftirg in) [THE ABSOLUTE CASTING or VENTURING, not part, but ALL YOUR HAPPINESS and HOPES UPON GOD and the MEDIATOR ONLY, and LETTING GO ALL WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH THIS CHOICE and TRUST. This is true and faving Faith and Truft. Pardon me that I fometime ufe the word VENTURING ALL, as if there were any uncertainty in the matter. I intend not by it to exprefs the leaft uncertainty or fallibility in Gods Promife: For Heaven and Earth fhall pass away, but one jot or tittle of his Word fhall not pafs, till all be fulfilled: But I fhall here add, 1. True Faith or Truft may confift with uncertainty in the perfon who believeth, if he believe and trust Chrift but fo far, that he can caft away all his worldly treatures and hopes, even life it felf upon that truft. Every one is not an Infidel, nor an Hypocrite, who must fay, if he fpeak his heart [I am not certain paft all doubts, that the foul is immortal, or the Gospel, true: but I am certain that immortal happiness is most desirable, and endless mifery most terrible; and that this world is vanity, and nothing in it worthy to be compared, with the hopes which Chrift bath given us of a better life: And therefore upon just deliberation I am refolved to let go all my finful pleafures, profits, and worldly reputation, and life it felf, when it is inconfiftent with those hopes And to take Gods Love for my felicity and end, and to truft and venture abfolutely all my happiness and bopes on the favour of God, the mediation of Cbrift, and the Promifes which be bath given us in the Gospel.] I know I fhall meet with abundance of Teachers and people, that will shake the head at this doctrine as dangerous, and cry out of it as favouring unbelief, that any one thould have true faving Faith, who doubterb, or is uncertain of the immortality |