Joh.Tx.43. Joh.5.4.4. 13'011448. t Joh.s.4. Joh.3.z. and g. 5o,51. and t9.38. Luka3.51,: Matth,y(.yG, 7®,7l, . . Jufiifying Faitb cannot be without Love. ofthofechiefe Rulers, that they beleeved in Chriff,,that is, were perfwaded in their minds that bee fpake the truth, but yet preferringtheir credit and reputation with men, gave no regardunto it. The verie reafon which the Evan- gelifl gives, why they did not confefi'e Chrifi, makes it manifefl, that their faith Was not true and lively rooted in theheart. For (faith he) they loved thepraife o fmenmore thantheprüife ofGod : whichwhofo doth, his faith is not become fuch as layes lure holdon thepromifes oflife. How canyee beleeve, which receive honour one ofanother, and feeke:not thehonour which tommeth fromGodonely ? They :night=have limebeginnings and difpofitions to true faith, but verie weakeand feeble; and they might bee endued with fume degree of love, but weake and feeble as their faith was. Their faith and love was too much tyed and `entangled inthe nets and loaresofcarnallrefpeóls : but,ad- mitting thefeafl degreeof faith, there is no ground to af- firme they had no love. Indeed perfeff lovecaf¢eth out all fearer and perfe&faith overcommeth theworld, and bree- dethperfec} love but there is abeginningoffaith and love, which being yet little and weake, and having notas yet over-maflered all worldly and carnal! refpects, is for a time timorous and fearefullto confefí'e Chrifi, but grow- eth to flrength by little and little, tillit refolve to cleave to him with lofí'e of all other things. Such was the faith of Nicodemsss , and Jofeph of' Arimathea , yea, of' the Apoflles themfelves, Peter not excepted, who were ever I and anon affrighted, and at his lafl fufferings, forte denied, all forfooke our Saviour and fled. And thus it may bee thereRulers beleeved, but their faithwas verieweake, and the love was according to their faiths rill encreafe of faith brought forth further flrength of love, and theyhad learned b the firength of faith and love to preferre the fervice of Chrifi before all the glorie of the world, and to adhere to the glorie that comes fromGod alone, as fo much betterthan that wee receiveofmen, that the latter did feeme as nothing in comparifon ofthe former. That which
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