r go Of Believing in f fus Chri/i. S.É a M. or of good works, to work together with VII. faith, and to make it perfee7. Now, to make the facred writings confiflent with themfelves, and the doctrines contained in them uniform, how muff we underfland thefe infpired au- thors, who lay fo great ftrefs on believing, and reprefent it as all God requireth in the gofpel ? The plaineft and moll obvious in- terpretation feemeth to be this, that they comprehend all the chriftian virtues in faith, all that obedience which is necefiàry to our obtaining the favour of God; nay, fome- times in the language of the apoftles, perfe- verance itfelf is included in believing; as Heb, x. 39. we are not of them who draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the liming of the foul, where it is plain by the oppofition, that believing implieth con- flancy and flability in a religious courfe. I know this matter is otherwife explained by fome ; and the difference which appear - eth in the New Teftament declarations, while, efpecially at the firít preaching of the gofpel, the whole ftrefs feemeth to be laid on faith, and the forgivenefs of fins, and pairing from death to life is Paid to be an- nexed fingly to believing on the name of the Lord fefus, though in many other declara- tions, falvation is fufpended on univerfal holi- nefs
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