Of Believing in yefus Chrifl. ßq5' including all the difpofitions which are necef- S E RM: fary to a right and well grounded perfuafion, V fuch as a fincere affeion to the truth; un- der the chara&er of the truth, according to godlinefs, and an unprejudiced careful fearch, in order to difcover it, and as including all the chriílian virtues in the root and princi- ple of them; it is fuch a receiving Chrift as determineth the heart to walk in him, fuch a believing in him whom we have not Peen, as to love him more than father; or mother, fach a believing, though now we fee him not, as filleth the foul with joy in hope of his glory ; in fine, it is a faith which purifieth the heart, and is made perfeé by works of righteoufnefs and charity, which are good and profitable to men, and which they who have believed ought to maintain, and will maintain, 2itus iii. 8. This le íeth us to a right underftanding of the gofpel doecrine of juflification by faith. Any one who carefully attendeth to the writ- ings of the apoftle Paul, will fee that he ful- ly afferteth and laboureth to eflablifh it in oppofition to the Jews, who pleaded and hoped for righteoufnefs and acceptance with God, only by the works of the law, which he reprefenteth and cenfureth after this man- ner, that they being ignorant of God's righte- G 2 oufnef ,
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