and is as early as our Saviour's firft Preaching. In explaining the Parable of the Sower to his Difciples, Luke viii. he tells them, Thofe by the Way-fide are they that hear: Then cometh the Devil, and taketh away the Word out of their Hearts, left they should believe, and be faved, Ver. 12. So again, That on the good Ground are they which in an honest and good Heart bear the Word, and bring forth Fruit with Patience, Ver. 15. The first Sort are those who had an evil Heart of Unbelief: The fecond are thofe who, as the fame Apoftle to the Hebrews expreffes it, Chap. x. had a true Heart in full Affurance of Faith. In the Acts of the Apoftles, Philip tells the Eunuch, That, if he believed with all his Heart, he might be baptized, Chap. viii. 37. And Barnabas exhorts the Antiochans, That with Purpofe of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord; which is only a Periphrafis for Faith, Chap. xi. 23. The Apoftle to the Romans has ex profeffo determined this Matter: If thou shalt confefs, fays he, with thy Mouth. the Lord Jefus, and fhalt believe in thine Heart that God hath raised him from the Dead, thou fhalt be faved, Chap. x. 9. In the following Verfe he gives this general Reafon for his Affertion: For with the Heart Man believeth

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unto Righteoufnefs, and with the Mouth Confefion is made unto Salvation.

Since then the Scripture, read to you for the Text, contains an Exhortation to Faith, which fuppofes a Man's Faith to be influenced by his Affections and Inclinations ; which is not always true, if we confider Faith merely as the Affent of the Mind to a credible Propofition: Since there are also fuch Things afcribed to Faith in Scripture, fuch Promises made to it, as cannot belong to it in this Acceptation: Since Faith, thus confidered, is a bare Act of the Mind; but the Faith of the Gospel is described as having its Seat and Operations in the Heart of Man It is neceffary, for the right Understanding of the Text, to inquire,

First, What is the true Notion of Faith.

From whence, in the fecond Place, it will appear, That it is a proper Exhortation, Take heed, left there be in us an evil Heart of Unbelief.

The first Thing to be inquired after is the true Notion of Faith.

Every Step by which we advance to the laft Degree of Perfection in Faith, is an Act of Faith, though of a different kind, and not entitled either to the Praises or Rewards of the Gofpel. And hence has

arifen great Part of the Confufion which has obfcured and darkened this Queftion concerning Faith For, when Men, not diftinguishing between the intermediate Acts of Faith, and that Faith which is the ultimate End and Perfection of the Gospel, afcribe that to one, which only and properly belongs to the other, no wonder if they are found inconfiftent with themselves, and Deftroyers of Reason and Religion, whilft they feem to themselves to labour for the Promotion of the Doctrine of Righteousness.

To render what I mean plain and intelligible, I defire you to confider the Degrees and Steps of Faith by which Men arrive at Gospel Righteoufnefs. It is one Degree of Faith to believe the Gospels to be true and faithful Accounts; and it is a Degree that leads to greater Perfection: He that wants this Faith is at a ftand, and can never proceed farther. But this is not the Faith we feek after. It is a farther Degree of Faith to believe the Miracles of Chrift and his Apoftles to be true and real Miracles, and wrought by the Power and Spirit of God. But neither is this Faith complete: For the Miracles were wrought, not for their own fakes, but for the fake of fomething else: And therefore to believe the Miracles, with

out

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out believing what the Miracles were intended to prove, is not Chriftian Faith. Farther ftill; It is another and a more advanced Degree of Faith to believe that the Spirit of God was given to the Apoftles in a large measure, and to Chrift, the Author of the Salvation, without measure. But neither is this the Faith which Chrift came to propagate: For, fhould I afk you, Why are we taught, and why are we to believe, that God gave the Spirit to his Son without measure, and to the Difciples in a very wonderful manner and degree? would you not eafily answer, that these heavenly Endowments were both given and declared to make them fit Teachers, and us ready Difciples, of the Doctrines of God? It is evident then, that thefe Gifts were fubfervient to a farther End, and that Chriftian Faith does not terminate here. But, if notwithstanding this, you will apply all that you read of Faith in holy Scripture to thefe or any of these kinds of Faith, and then imagine that Faith is a very strange Principle of Religion, and of foreign Growth, repugnant to the Senfe and Reafon of Mankind, and disclaimed by the Light of Nature; which are the usual Compliments bestowed on it in the World; you may thank your

felf

felf for the Delufion: The Doctrine of the Gospel of Chrift is clear of the Reproach.

Faith, which is the Principle of the Gofpel, refpects the Promifes and Declarations of God, and includes a fure Truft and Reliance on Him for the Performance. Beyond this there is no farther Act of Faith. We are not taught to believe this in order to our believing fomething elfe: But here Faith has its full Completion, and leads immediately to the Practice of Virtue and Holinefs, the Conditions in which all the Promifes of God are founded. For this End was the Son of God revealed, to make known the Will of his Father, to declare his Mercy and Pardon, and to confirm the Promises of eternal Life to Mankind: He that believes and accepts this Deliverance from the Bondage of Sin, and through Patience and Perfeverance in Well-doing waits for the bleffed Hope of Immortality; who paffes through this World as a Stranger and Pilgrim, looking for another Country, and a City whofe Builder is God; this is He whofe Faith fhall receive the Promife, whofe Confidence fhall have great Recompence of Reward.

If these are hard Sayings, what Defence shall we make for Natural Religion, which requires