greatest dangers, yea, to sacrifice them unto certain loss, are often things very good, most advisable and eligible, how could we be ever induced to conceive, if we did not take God to be most wise, who hath prescribed such duties; most faithful, who hath engaged to satisfy us for the discharge of them; most able fully to requite us for the pains and damages which we sustain. in such practice?

That the methods of Providence should be so intricate and unaccountable; that the passage to happiness should be so. rough, and that to misery so smooth; that He who disposeth all things, should to those whom he most liketh and loveth dispense temptations, crosses, disgraces, all kinds of hardship and sorrow; permitting those whom he disapproveth and detesteth to live without interruption in quiet, splendor, and jollity; would stumble one, who hath not entertained a general assurance concerning the wisdom and equity of God.

Faith, therefore, in most of its chief parts, doth imply him that owneth it to be well conceited and well affected toward his Maker; thereby avowing his most glorious perfections, the which do assure the truth of his word and doctrine; He,' saith our Lord, that hath received my testimony, hath set his seal, that God is true' that is, most evidently he doth signify his opinion of God's veracity and fidelity, together with the divine perfections requisite to make them good; for be (saith the believer in his mind) the proposition never so uncouth to my apprehension, yet God is true who affirmeth it; be the duty never so harsh to my sense, yet God is wise and good who appointeth it; be the promise never so unlikely in appearance to find effect, yet God is faithful and able to perform it: and he that is thus disposed in judgment and affection toward God, no wonder if his demeanor be very acceptable to him.

Thus is faith precious, considering its nature, and those essential ingredients, or inseparable adjuncts, which it doth include or imply. It will also appear to be so, if we consider its rise, and those good dispositions which concur in its production.

III. 1. To the engendering of faith there is required a mind sober, composed, and wakeful; ready to observe what befalleth, apt to embrace what is offered, conducible to our good and

advantage; a mind not so drowned in worldly care, sensual enjoyment, or impertinent sport, as to oversee or neglect the concerns of our better part and eternal state.

That we may believe, we must have 'eyes to see,' and 'ears to hear,' and 'a heart to understand;' we must attentively look with our eyes, we must incline our ears to God's word,' we must apply our heart to instruction.'

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Thus in the apostolical history we may observe that when the Apostles, in a manner apt to stir any man, being awake, to remark, did propose their doctrine, some readily did yield their ears and hearts to their discourse; while others did not mind or regard it.

2. Faith doth require much diligence and industry. We must have the patience to give God the hearing, carefully attending to what is propounded; as it is said of Lydia, that she did πpoσéxelv, attend to the words spoken by St. Paul;' προσέχειν, and δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν, we must, saith the Apostle to the Hebrews, yield extraordinary attention to the things heard ;' we must, as our Saviour warneth, let the evangelical 'word sink down into our ears' we must take the pains to consider the notions, and to weigh the reasons enforcing them; as the Bereans did, who did ανακρίνειν τὰς γραφάς, examine the Scriptures, whether those things were so,' as St. Paul did teach out of them. We must ἐνδείκνυσθαι τὴν σπουδὴν, exert and demonstrate that studious care, which is requisite to get a clear knowlege and firm persuasion concerning the points of belief; for he that received the seed into the good ground,' was ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιὼν, 6 he that heard the word, and did understand it,' or well consider it; God for this reason doth lay his truth not so open or obvious, that we may be somewhat exercised, and put to use a pious diligence in finding it; it lieth under the surface, that we may delve for it; searching the Scriptures, weighing reasons, comparing things.

3. Faith must needs proceed from sincerity and soundness of judgment.

The assent, which on contemplation and considering of things we do yield to them, is usually termed judgment; and it much resembleth that act, whose name it borroweth for as he is a good judge, who after a full cognisance and careful discussion

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of the case with its pleas, doth pronounce freely and fairly, being no way swayed either by his own inclination, or by temptation from without; who is not biassed by any previous affection or dislike, not drawn by favor, not daunted by fear, not bribed by profit, not charmed by flattery, not dazzled by specious appearance, not gulled by crafty insinuations or by fine speech, not tired by solicitation or importunity, not seduced by precedents or custom; not perverted by any such means, which are indirect, impertinent, or extrinsical to the cause, so as to give a wrong sentence; so is he that assenteth to Christian truth many considerations will exempt him from any suspicion of being anywise so corrupted.

For the gospel cometh under trial in a guise nowise plausible' or advantageous to human conceit: its garb and circumstances are nowise taking, or attractive of any favor to it; but such rather as are apt to raise dislike and scandal against it; it being, as St. Paul saith, presented up in earthen vessels,' in a way. very homely and contemptible. It representeth a mean, a poor, a persecuted, a crucified man offering salvation, and claiming obedience; attended by persons of like condition and fortune, urging the same overtures and pretences on us and what impression is such an appearance likely to work on our fancy, which is prone to affect splendid and pompous shows?

The same doth not present to us any bribe of gain, doth not tempt us with any hope of preferment, doth not allure us with any bait of pleasure; but challengeth a free sentence; and that such an one, which may greatly prejudice our worldly interests, may spoil our profit, may stop our preferment, may dash all our pleasure; In the world ye shall have tribulation: We must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God: Every one that will live godlily in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution :' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' Such are the promises and enticements it useth.

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Neither doth it sooth or court us by glozing speech, so as to recommend itself to our fancies by raising in us a good conceit of ourselves; but dealeth bluntly and coarsely with us; faithfully and plainly acquainting us with our own case, involved in its cause; how grievous sinners, we be, how obnoxious to jus

tice we stand; how worthless we are, how wretched we shall be, secluding that mercy and grace of God, which it tendereth on its own terms, of confessing our guilt, disclaiming our merit, humbly seeking mercy, forsaking our own ways, and submitting to God's will.

It doth not solicit us in trim language, nor by sly insinuations doth inveigle us to embrace it; but in downright terms, in a plain dress of speech, in a resolute strain doth charge us, on our peril, to do it right, denouncing on our refusal extremities of wrath and vengeance.

It advanceth pleas against the bent of our temper, which ever is prone to things forbidden, and averse from things enjoined by it: against the prejudices of our mind, which is always apt to approve or to admire things which it condemneth or vilifieth; to dislike or despise things which it,commendeth and magnifieth: against the affections of our heart, the dearest objects of whose love, delight, and care it would discard and drive from us; the most unwelcome and disgustful things whereto it would introduce and bring to us: against our strongest appetites, and most earnest passions; the violent motions of which it doth curb and check; doth quell, or doth allay against many temptations, potently drawing us to things which it reclaimeth, stoutly driving us from things which it recommendeth: against the stream of habitual usage, and the torrent of common example, things so prevalent on us: in fine, against ourselves, such as we naturally are, such as we by education and custom are made; whom it impeacheth of heinous guilt and enormous folly; whose conceit and credit it debaseth; whom it depresseth into the confines of hell and misery: all within us, all about us, do with might and main oppose it; our lust, our fancy, our honor, our interest, our reputation, our principles, our customs, our friends, our enemies; the flesh, the world, the devil, all combinedly are so many fierce adversaries, so many shrewd advocates, so many clamorous solicitors against its cause.

He therefore, who notwithstanding all these disadvantages determineth in favor of it, must assuredly be a very upright, impartial, and incorrupt judge; declaring his sense purely according to the dictates of his reason and conscience.

What indeed greater integrity can a man express, than in

thus deciding a cause referred to him so much against himself, as he is naturally affected, and standeth related to things here? What greater equity can he show, than in avowing so harsh, so rough, so unpleasing truths, so little gratifying his own sense or fancy, so little favoring his profit or pleasure? What greater ingenuity can there be, than to espouse that doctrine which pincheth our liberty within so narrow bounds; which layeth such restraints on our thoughts, our words, our actions; which interdicteth to us so many enjoyments, which exacteth from us so great pains?

4. To the begetting faith there must concur humility, or a readiness to entertain sober and moderate opinions of ourselves, together with suitable affections and desires; for he that with hearty persuasion and serious resolution embraceth Christianity, doth thereby stoop to many things very cross to the vain conceit, the proud humor, and haughty stomach of man.

The first step into the Christian state is a sight and sense of our own imperfection, weakness, baseness, and misery: we must discern and feel that our mind is very blind and our reason very feeble; that our will is very impotent, lame, depraved, prone to evil, and averse from good; that our life is void of merit, and polluted with guilt; that our condition is deplorably sad and wretched; that of ourselves we are insufficient to think or do any good, in order to our recovery or deliverance; whence we are obliged to sore compunction of spirit for our deeds and our case, to humble confession of our sins and miseries, to earnest supplication for mercy and grace, Lord have mercy

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to heal and rescue us from our sad estate: ' on me, a sinner: What shall I do to be saved?' man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?' Such are the ejaculations of a soul teeming with faith.

He that entereth into the faith, must therewith intirely submit his understanding, and resign his judgment to God, as his master and guide; being ready to believe whatever God declareth, however to his seeming unintelligible or incredible; to follow whither God conducteth, although like Abraham he knoweth not whither he goeth;' to approve that which God ordaineth, however distasteful to his sense; to undertake that which God requireth, however difficult; to bear that which God imposeth, how burdensome soever; being content that Divine