fpiritual wants, have not this powerful faith: that is the true caufe. So neceffary was it of old, that Christ did not many mighty works where the people believed not, and though his power wrought wonders in other places, faith opened the way: fo that it is hard to say, whether that power by faith, or faith by that power, wrought the cure. Let us call to mind what famous things a little clay and fpittle, one touch of the hem of Christ's garment, and a few words out of his mouth did, by the force of faith in the patients: Believe ye that I am able to open your eyes?' Yea, Lord, fay the blind, and fee. To the ruler, only believe; he did, and his dead daughter recovered life. Again, If thou ⚫ canst believe: I do believe,' fays the father, help my unbelief";' and the evil spirit was chafed away, and the child recovered. He faid to one, • Go, thy faith has made thee whole;' and to another, Thy faith has faved thee; thy fins are forgiven thee." And to encourage his difciples to believe, that were admiring how foon his fentence was executed upon the fruitlefs fig-tree, he tells them, Verily, if ye have ‹ faith, and doubt not, ye fhall not only do this, which is done to the fig-tree; but also, if ye fhall fay ' unto this mountain, be thou removed, and caft into ‹ the sea, it shall be done; and all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye fhall receive '.' This one paffage convicts Christendom of grofs infidelity; for he prays, and receives not. §. XVI. But may fome fay, it is impoffible to receive all that a man may afk. It is not impoffible to receive all that a man, that fo believes, can afk. The fruits of faith are not impoffible to thofe that truly believe in the God that makes them poffible. When Jefus faid to the ruler, If thou canst believe,' he adds, all things are poffible to him that believeth'.'" Well, but then fome will fay, it is impoffible to have fuch faith; for this very faithless generation would excuse Mat. ix. 29, 30. Mat. ix. 23. their want of faith by making it impoffible to have the faith they want. But Chrift's anfwer to the infidelity of that age, will beft confute the difbelief of this. The things that are impoffible with men, are poffible with God'.' It will follow then, that it is not impoffible with God to give that faith; though, it is certain, that without it, it is impoffible to please God';' for fo the author to the Hebrews teaches. And if it be elfe impoffible to pleafe God, it must be so to pray to God without this precious faith. t §. XVII. But fome may fay, What is this faith, that is fo neceffary to worship, and that gives it fuch acceptance with God, and returns that benefit to men? I say, it is an holy refignation to God, and confidence in him, teftified by a religious obedience to his holy requirings, which gives fure evidence to the foul of the things not yet feen, and a general sense and taste of the fubftance of thofe things that are hoped for; that is, the glory which is to be revealed hereafter. As this faith is the gift of God, fo it purifies the hearts of those that receive it. The apostle Paul is witness, that it will not dwell, but in a pure confcience: He therefore in one place, couples a pure heart and faith unfeigned together in another, faith and a good confcience. James joins faith with righteoufnefs, and John with victory over the world: This, fays he, is the victory which overcomes the world, even your faith .' §. XVIII. The heirs of this faith are the true children of Abraham (though the uncircumcifion in the flesh) in that they walk in the fteps of father Abraham, according to the obedience of faith, which only entitles people to be the children of Abraham". This lives above the world, not only in its fin, but righteousness, to which no man comes, but through death to felf, by the cross of Jefus, and an entire dependence, by him, upon God *. Famous are the exploits of this divine gift: time would fail to recount them: all facred ftory is filled with them. But let it fuffice, that by it the holy ancients endured all trials, overcame all enemies, prevailed with God, renowned his truth, finished their teftimony, and obtained the reward of the faithful, a crown of righteoufnefs, which is the eternal bleffednefs of the juft. CHA P. VII. §. 1. Of pride, the first capital luft, its rife. §. 2. Its definition and diftinction. §. 3. That an inordinate defire of knowledge in Adam, introduced man's mifery. §. 4. He thereby loft his integrity. §. 5. Who are in Adam's ftate. §. 6. Knowledge puffs up. §. 7. The evil effects of falfe, and the benefit of true knowledge. §. 8. Cain's example a proof in the cafe. §. 9. The Jews pride in pretending to be wifer than Mofes, God's fervant, in fetting their post by God's poft. §. 10. The effect of which was the perfecution of the true prophets. §. 11. The divine knowledge of Chrift brought peace on earth. §. 12. Of the blind guides, the priests, and the mifchief they have done. §. 13. The fall of Chriftians, and the pride they have taken in it, hath exceeded the Jews under the profeffion of their new-moulded Christianity, they have murdered the witness of the Lord Jefus. §. 14. The angels fung peace on earth, at the birth of the Lord of meeknefs and humility: but the pride of the Pharifees withstood and calumniated him. §. 15. As Adam and the Jews loft themselves by their ambition, fo the Chriftians, lofing the fear of God, grew creed and worshipmakers, with this injunction, Conform or burn. §. 16. The evil effects of this in Christendom (fo called). §. 17. The way of recovery out of fuch iferable defection. I. AVING thus difcharged my conscience against that part of unlawful felf, that fain would be a Christian, a believer, a faint, whilst a plain stranger to the cross of Christ, and the holy exercifes of it; and in that briefly difcovered what is true worship, and the use and business of the holy crofs, therein to render its performance pleafing to Almighty God; I fhall now (the fame Lord affifting me) more largely profecute that other part of unlawful felf, which fills the study, care, and conversation of the world, prefented to us in these three capital lufts; that is to fay, Pride, avarice, and luxury; from whence all other mifchiefs daily flow, as ftreams from their proper fountains: the mortifying of which makes up the other; and indeed a very great part of the work of the true cross; and though last in place, yet firft in experience and duty; which done, it introduces in the room of those evil habits, the bleffed effects of that fo-much-needed reformation, to wit, mortification, humility, temper ance, love, patience, and heavenly-mindednefs"," with all other graces of the Spirit, becoming the followers of the perfect Jefus, that most heavenly man. The care and love of mankind are either directed to God or themselves. Thofe that love God above all, are ever humbling felf to his commands, and only love felf in fubferviency to him that is Lord of all. But those that are declined from that love to God, are lovers of themselves, more than God: for supreme love muft center in one of these two. To that inordinate felf-love, the apoftle rightly joins proud and high-minded. For no fooner had the angels declined their love, duty, and reverence to God, than they inordinately loved and valued themselves; which made them exceed their station, and afpire above the order of their creation. This was their pride, and this fad defection their difmal fall; who are referved in chains of darknefs unto the judgment of the great day of God. §. II. Pride, that pernicious evil, which begins this chapter, did also begin the misery of mankind: a most mifchievous quality; and fo commonly known by its motions, and fad effects, that every unmortified breast carries its definition in it. However, I will fay, in short, that pride is an excefs of felf-love, joined with an undervaluing of others, and a defire of dominion over them: the most troublesome thing in the world. There are four things by which it hath made itself best known to mankind, the confequences of which have brought an equal mifery to its evil. The first is, an inordinate purfuit of knowledge. The fecond, an ambitious feeking and craving after power. The third, an extreme defire of perfonal refpect and deference. The last excess is that of worldly furniture and ornaments. To the juft and true witnefs of the eternal God, placed in the fouls of all people, I appeal as to the truth of these things. §. III. To the first, it is plain that an inordinate defire of knowledge introduced man's mifery, and brought an univerfal lapfe from the glory of his primitive state. Adam would needs be wifer than God had made him. It did not ferve his turn to know his Creator, and give him that holy homage, his being and innocence naturally engaged and excited him to; nor to have an understanding above all the beafts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the fea, joined with a power to rule over all the visible creation of God, but he must be as wife as God too. This unwarrantable search, and as foolish as unjust ambition, made him unworthy of the bleffings he received from God. This drives him out of paradise; and inftead of being lord of the whole world, Adam becomes the wretchedeft vagabond of the earth®. §. IV. A ftrange change! that instead of being as gods, they fhould fall below the very beafts; in comparison of whom even God had made them as gods. The lamentable confequence of this great defection has Gen. ii. 19, 29. 5. • Ch. iii. 4. been, |