Abernathy - Houston-Packer Collection BX9178.A33 S4 1748 v.4

; 88 Of Believing in jefus Chri/l. S ER M. to pretend that we believe all this, and at VII. the fame time not to love him, not to truft in him, not to refign ourfelves to him, and refolve to obey all his commandments. Let faith, therefore, be confidered as compre- hending in it the whole of praaical chrifti- anity, all thofe difpofitions and affeâions, and likewife a praice agreeable to them, which are neceffary to compleat the charac- ter of a chriftian, a difciple of Chrift. Then we may eafily underftand it to be the will and the commandment of God, that we fhould believe on the name of his fon, for in this fenfe it includeth the whole defign of his revelation ; and indeed, without this, it would be hard to account for the great virtue and the effe&s which are attributed to faith in fcripture, as containing all the the terms of acceptance, and as it were the foie condition of our title to God's favour. And there is reafon to think this is intended by the New Teflament writers, when they fo much in- fifl on believing, as the all of our duty, at leaf'', which is required to the falvation of finners, and yet, in other places, mention as of equal necefffty other duties, fuch as repent- ance and the genuine fruits of it in the amend- ment of life. One very natural way of ex- plaining fuch texts of fcripture is, that be- 5 lieving

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