The Life of Faith. t 57 bccaufe all the reft is connoted, and fo to be underlìoodby us, as ifit were expreft in words : But the true and fall definition of it is this. TheCbriJtian Faith which is required at Baptifnr, and then profefjid, and loath the promife of yuftification and Glorification, is a true Beliefof the Go#el, and an acceptance of, and confent unto the Covenant of Grace : Particularly, abelieving that God is our Creatour, our Owner, our Ruler, and our ChiefGood ; and that jefas Cbrift is God andman, our Saviour, our Ranfoms, our Teacher, andour King; and that t be Holy Ghsff is the Sanliifier of the Church ofChriff And it is an underftanding,ferious con- fent, that tbir God the Father, Son and Holy Gho!f, be my God and reconciledFather in Chriff, my Saviour, and ray Santlifier tojuf ifie me,fantlifieme, andglorifteme, in theperfeeì knowledge of God, and mutual complacence in Heaven; which belief and content wrought in me by the Word and Spirit ofChrift, it ground- edupon the Veracity of God as the chief Revealr, and upon bill Love and Mercy as the Donor ; anduponCbrift and bis Apoftles as the Meftengers of God; andupon theGof7el,- andJJ'ecially the Co- venant of Grace, as the inhtrumental Revelation and Donation it felf: Andupon the manyfignal operations ofthe Holy Gboff, as the divine infaiible atteffationoftheir truth. Learn this definition, and underhand it throughly, and it may prove a more folid ufeful knowledge (to have the truc nature of Faith orChrißianity thus methodically printed on your minds) than to' read over a thoufand volumes in a rambling and confuted way ofknowledge. If any quarrel at this definition, becaufe the foundation is not firft fet down, I only tell him that no Logicians do judge of the Logical order of words by the weer priority and pofte- riority of place. And ifany think that here is more than every true Chriflian doch underhand and remember, I anfwer, that here is no more than every true Chriftian hath a true knowledge of; though perhaps every one have not a know- ledge fo methodical, explicite and dillindt, as todefine Faith thus, or to think fo dillindfly and clearly of it, as others do, or tobe able by words to exprefs to ano :her, what he hath a real conception of in himfclf. There is urli in the mind of man a conception of the Objea or Matter (by thofe words or X 3 alms
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