3. What is Object of this Faith? 1. General, the whole Scripture, Act. xxiv. 14. 2. Chrift Jefus. 1. As promis'd, Att. ii. 38, 39. 2. As crucify'd, Rom. iii. 25. 1 Cor. ii. 2: 4. What is the Effect of this Faith? Everlasting Life. Whofoever believeth in the Son, hath everlasting Life. 1. What is eternal Life? 1. Know that the Soul always lives; as, 1. Was acknowledg'd by the Heathens. animas. 2. And afferted in the Old Testament, Ecclef. xii. 7. Exod. iii. 6. 3. But most clearly reveal'd in the New; 2 Cor. v. I. 2 Tim. i. 10. 2. There are two Places for us to lead this everlasting Life in, an Estate of Mifery or Happiness, S. Matt. XXV. 46. 1. Mifery for Sinners. 2. Happiness for good Men. 1. Initial and partial, S. Joh. v. 24. 2. Perfect. 1. In Body, 1 Cor. XV. 42,43. Phil. iii. 21. で 2. In Soul. 1. Our Understandings, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. 1 S. Joh. iii. 2. 2. Our Wills. Primum liberum\arbitrium erat, poffe non peccare; noviffimum non poffe peccare. S. Aug. Sic enim erat in-amiffibilis voluntas pietatis & aquitatis, quemadmodum felicitatis. Idem. 2. How doth it appear, that they that believe, shall have this everlasting Life? 1. Because GOD hath promis'd it to them, S. Joh. iii. 16. and He is faithful, 1. In His making, 2. In His performing His Promises, 1 S. Job. i. 9. 2. Chrift hath purchased it for them, A&t. USE. XX. 28. 1. Examine your Faith, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Confider, 1. A falfe Faith will never fave us. 2. If our Faith be false, all our other Graces are false. 3. Many have mistaken a falfe for a true Faith. 4. None are more unlikely ever to have a true Faith, than they that have cheated themselves once with a falfe one, Prov. xxvi. 12. To know your Faith. Confider, . How you came by it. 2. What it hath done in your Hearts, fince you had it, 1 S. Joh. iii, 3. Act.. XV. 9. 3. How you pray. 1. Stirs us up to Prayer. 2. Helps us in it, and pleads Promises, Fofh. vii. 9. 3. Supports us after it, Pfal. v. 3. 4. How you live. True Faith is, 1. Obediential and working, Hebr. xi.8. S. Fam. ii. 26. 2. Uniform, Pfal. cxix. 132, 133. 5. How victorious you are over spiritual Enemies, 1 S. Joh. v. 4. USE 2. Labour after Faith. To which end, confider, 1. The Neceffity of it. 1. To the pleafing GOD here, Hebr. xi. 6. 2. To the Enjoyment of Him hereafter. 2. The Excellency of it, Ephef. vi. 16. 1. It is the first Grace. 2. It is that, without which we can have no Grace. 3. It is that whereby we exercise the Graces we have, fon. iii. 5. 1. S. Pet. i. 7. It is that which GOD will in an efpecial manner enquire after at the Day of Judgment, S. Luk. xviii. 8. 5. It is that, which if we have, we are certain of all good Things here and hereafter, S. Matt. xv. 28. USE 3. 1. Pray to GOD for the Working and Growth of Faith in you, S. Mar.ix.24 2. Make ufe of the ordinary Means He hath appointed for it, not expecting GOD fhould do it miraculously. S. JOH. S. JOH. vi. 55. For my Flesh is Meat indeed, &c. I. WHAT is here to be understood by Flesh and Blood? 1. In general, we are not to understand Him as the Capernaites did, in a carnal Senfe, but in a fpiritual. Vid. ver. 63. "Α λέγε ἐκ ἔξὶ σαρκικὰ, ἀλλὰ πνευματικά, Athanaf. πνευματικὴν τροφὴν παρ' αὐτό διό Souúny, Idem. 2. Particularly; the Effects of His Body broken, and Blood fhed, or the Merits of His Death and Paffion; as, 1. Pardon of Sin by His Merit, S. Matt: xxvi. 28. 2. The Purification of our Hearts by His Spirit. 3. The Glorification of our Souls in His Prefence, S. Joh. xvii. 24. II. In what Senfe are His Flesh and Blood, or His Merits, faid to be Meat and Drink ? Becaufe, what Meat and Drink is to the Body, that is Chrift with His Merits to the Soul; as, 1. Is the Body preferved in Health by Meat and Drink? Ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας κλᾶε αὕτη ἀῤῥωσία ψυχῆς, S. Bafil. 2. Is the Body made ftrong by Meat and Drink? Att. ix. 19. Ephef.iii. 16. Phil. iv. 13. S. Joh. xv. 5. 3. Is the Body kept in Life by Meat and Drink? S. Joh. vi. 31. Coloff.iii. 4. S.Joh. xiv. 6. 4. Is the Body refreshed by Meat and Drink? fo is the Soul by the Merits of Christ, S. Joh. xvi. 7. III. How is it called Meat indeed, and Drink indeed? 1. Negatively; not as if the Body of Chrift was really Meat for the Body, nor as if the Body and Blood of Chrift were fubftantially turned into real Meat and Drink; nor yet, as if Chrift in thefe Words intended any corporeal Eating of Him in the Sacrament, as the Papists would perfuade us; bringing this Text as one of their ftrongest Arguments for Tranfubftantiation of the Bread and Wine, into the Body and Blood of Chrift, in the Sacrament, viz. because it is here faid, That his Flesh is Meat indeed, and his Blood Drink indeed. Not confidering, 1. It is not the facramental but fpiritual Heating His Body and Blood, our Sa viour here fpeaks of. I mean, our Sa viour hath no particular Reference in 191 Othis Place, to the Reprefentatives of His Body and Blood in the Sacrament, but only to the fpiritual Feeding upon To Him by Faith, whether in or out of the Sacrament; as appears, g 19VP. In that the Sacrament was not as yet ordained, S. Joh. vi. 4. and vii. 2. 1 In that it is faid, that he that eateth 21 not of the Bread here fpoken of, moil. Thall die, S. Joh. vi. 53. 3 In that every one that doth eat it, fhall live, S. Joh. vi. 51, 54, 55. Quem nullus malus poteft edere. Orig. And therefore, we must always hold that the facramental Eating of His Body and |