tion by Christ Jesus, "in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell;" so that, let Christ turn what way he will, faith directeth and pointeth that way. Now he turneth all ways in which he can be useful to poor men; and therefore faith acteth accordingly on him for drawing out of that fulness, according to a man's case and condition. As for example, the soul is naked, destitute of a covering to keep it from the storm of God's wrath, Christ is fine raiment. Rev. iii. 17, 18: then accordingly faith's work here is to "put on the Lord Jesus," Gal. iii. 27. The soul is hungry and thirsty after somewhat that may everlastingly satisfy; Christ Jesus is milk, wine, water, the bread of life, and the true manna," Isaiah Iv. 1, 2. John 48. 51. He is "the feast of fat things, and of wine refined," Isaiah xxv. 6.; then the work and exercise of faith is to "go, buy, eat and drink abundantly," Isaiah lv. 1. John vi. 53. 57. The soul is pursued for guilt more or less, and is not law-biding; Christ Jesus is the city of refuge, and the high priest there, during whose lifetime, that is forever, the poor man who gets thither is safe; then the work and exercise of faith is "to flee thither for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us," Heb. vi. 18. In a word, In a word, whatsoever. way he may benefit poor men, so he speaketh of himself. And as he holdeth out himself in the scripture, so faith doth point towards him. If he be a bridegroom, faith will go out in a marriage relation; if he be a Father, faith pleadeth the man to be a child; if he be a Shepherd, faith pleads the man may be one of his sheep; if he be a Lord, faith calleth him so, which none can

do but by the spirit of Jesus, 1 Cor. xii. 3.; if he be dead, and risen again for our justification, faith "believeth God hath raised him" on that account, Rom. x. 9. Wheresoever he be, there would faith be; and whatsoever he is, faith would be somewhat proportionally for by faith the heart is shapen out in breadth and length for him; yea, when the fame and report of him goeth abroad in his truth, although faith seeth not much, yet it " believeth on his name," upon the very fame he hath sent abroad of himself, John i. 12.

But here, for avoiding of mistakes, consider (1,) that although justifying faith acteth so variously, yet every believer who hath a good title to Christ Jesus hath not all these various actings and exercises of faith: for his condition craveth them not; and also the master is pleased not to lead out the faith of some persons, at some times, in some of these ways, for reasons known to himself, even when their necessity (to their apprehension) calleth for such acting of faith. Surely, every one dare not say, "though he kill me, yet will I trust in him." Many would not have gone up with the woman of Canaan I spake of, Matth. xv. but would have been discouraged, and have quit the pursuit. It is on this account that Christ doth highly commend the faith of some beyond the faith of others; Matth. viii. 10. of the centurion; Matth. xv. 28. of the woman of Canaan. Many good people are much disquieted concerning their faith, because it goeth not out in all those ways we find recorded in scripture; but there is hardly any man will be found whose faith hath acted all these ways.

(2.) Many of these actings of faith are much intended and remitted. They are sometimes strong and vigorous, and discernible, and sometimes they fail and misbelief doth prevail, so as it were an uncertain thing to judge a man's state by these. We find the saints very different from themselves in regard of the actings of faith sometimes, as we shewed before.

(3.) Each one of these actings of faith speaketh good to the person in whom it is, and hath promises annexed unto it, as we have said. Yet,

(4.) Although these actings of faith have promises annexed unto them, they are not, for that, the condition of the new covenant; for then every one behoved to have each one of them, which is not true, as we said before. A promise is made to him who overcometh; but perseverance is not the condition of the new covenant, but doth suppose it. There are promises made to the exercise of all graces in scripture; but only faith is the condition of the covenant.* I say then,

*It is very evident that our author, here, and in other places calls faith "the condition of the covenant," with a meaning quite different from that which would place faith and obedience in the place of imputed righteousness; and that he does not lay it down as the ground of a sinner's justification before God. Because (1.) he here expressly declares that no fruit of faith can be called by this name; whereas, if he had called faith the condition of the cov enant, because it is the ground of a sinner's justification before God, he would have connected good works with it. (2.) In many other places he expressly mentions that the imputed righteousness of Christ is the ground of the sinner's justification.

His meaning is this, that faith in distinction from all other grac es of the spirit, is that by which we become instated in the new covenant; and thus attributes nothing more to it than that instrumentality which is perfectly consistent with the doctrine of justification by imputed righteousness. This use of the word "conditton," is perfectly consistent with the generic idea of the word. It properly denotes a prerequisite, which prerequisite may

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these promises are made to these actings of faith, not as such, but as they do suppose justifying faith, which is the condition of the covenant. All these are actings of faith, but not as it is justifying. Therefore,

(5.) There is somewhat common to all gracious persons, which may be supposed by all the foresaid actings of faith, wherein the nature and essence of justifying faith standeth. And this is the heart's satisfaction concerning God's device of salvation by Christ; when man pleaseth God's invention of satisfaction to justice through Christ Jesus, in whom all fulness doth dwell now by the father's pleasure; when the soul and heart of man acquiesceth in that, then it believeth unto salvation. As at first the Lord made man suitable to the covenant of works by creating him perfect, and so putting him in a capacity to perform his will in that covenant; so, under the new covenant, when God giveth the new heart to man, he setteth the idea and stamp of all his device in the new covenant upon the man, so as there is a consonancy to God's will there; thus he beareth the image of the second Adam, Christ Jesus, on him. This is a great part of the new heart, and is most opposed to works; since now the man absolutely falleth off works, " becoming dead to the law," as to the point of justification" by the body of Christ," Rom. vii. 4. Man perceiving that God hath devised a way of satisfying divine justice,

be either a quality bestowed, or a work performed. This ambiguity of the word is the reason why our author's use of it has been abandoned by modern evangelical divines. Error loves to clothe itself in ambiguous phrases: Truth does not.

and recovering lost man by the incarnation of Christ, he thinks this so good and sure a way, that he absolutely giveth up with the law, as I said before, and closeth with this device; and this is believing or faith, very opposite to works, and all resting thereupon. This cannot fail to be in all gracious persons, in whom many of the actings of faith are not to be found. This doth clearly suppose known distress in a man, without all relief in himself; this supposeth known fulness in Christ, as the alone sufficient relief; this imports a sort of impropriation; for the heart, pleasing that device, in so far swayeth towards it. This is a thing clearly supposed in all the actings of faith spoken of before. He that greedily hungereth, hath this; and he that leaneth, hath this, and he that puts on Christ, hath this, &c. This is to esteem "Christ the wisdom and power of God" to salvation; so is he said to be to all that believe, 1 Cor. i. 25. They esteem that device wise and sure, beseeming God; and that is to believe. On this account, "Christ, who is the rejected stone to many, is precious to them who believe;" a fit stone to recover, fortify, and beautify the tottering building and fabric of lost man. "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on him shall not be con