152 The Life of Faith. to be as it were the bellows to kindle love ; or -theburning ghfs as it were of the foul, to receive the beams of the Love of God, as they thine upon us in 'dos Chriti, and thereby to en- flame our hearts in love to God again. Therefore if you would live by Faith indeed, begin here, and fitti receive the deepeft apprehenfions of that Love of the Father; Who fo loved the world, that begave kis only begotten Son, that whafoever be lieveth in him, fh,uld not perifb, but hove everla(fing life: And by thefe apprehcnfi - ns,ttir up your hearts to the Love of God;and make this very endeavour the work and bufinefs of your liver. Oh that miltaken Chriftians would be retificd in this point ! how much would it tend to their bolinefs and their peace? You think of almott nothing of the life of Faith; but how to believe that you have a fpecial intereti in Chriti, and flail be faxed by him : But you have fitti another work, to do : You mull fitti believe that common Love and Grace beforementioned, John 3.'16. 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20. 14, 15. r Tim. 2. 6. Hob. 2.9. And you mutt believe your own intereJf' in'rboo ; that is, that God hath by Chriti, made to all, and therefore unto you, an ad of oblivion, and free deed of gift, that you thall have Chriti, and pardon, and eternal life, if you will believingly accept thegift, and will not finally rejet it. And the belief of obit, even of this common Love and Grace, mutt lira perfwade your hearts accordingly to accept the offer, (and then you have a fpecial interefi) and withal!, at the fame time, mull kindle, in your fouls a thankful love to the Lord and fountainof this grace: and if you were fo ingenuous as to begin here, and fitti ufc your Faith upon the forefaid common gift of Chriti, for the kindling of love to God within you, and would account this the work which Faith hash every day todo; you would then find that in the very excitingand cxercifcofthis holy Love, your aflurance of your own fpecial interelt in Chriti, would be fooner and more comfortablybrought about, than by fcarching to find either evidence of pardon before you find your love to God ; or tofind your love to God, before you have laboured to get and exercife it. 1 tell you, they aredangerous deceivers ofyour fouls, that thall contradid this obvious truth ; that the truemethod and motive
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=