the Life of Faith. 259 (common) obedience to God, where he is believed in and ac- knowledged before Cbrift: And all following adsof Faith after the frff; are both the root ofall other obedience, and a part of it as our continued Allegiance to the Bing is : And as the tart, when it is the ftrft formed Organ in nature, is no part of the man, but the Organ to mate all the parts, becaufe it is folitary ; and there is yet no man, of whom it can be called a part; but when the man is formed, the heart is both his chief part, and the Organ to athuate andmaintain the refl. Objcof. But Faith as Faith is not obedience. Anfw. Nor Learning as Learning is not obedience to your Tutor : Nor plowingas plowing is not obedience to your Ma. (ier: Or to £peak more aptly, the continuance of your confent, that this man be your Tutor as fach, is not obedience to him ; but it is materially part of your obedience to your Father who commandethit; and your continued Allegiance or fubje3ion as Inch, is not obedience to your King; but as primarily it was thefoundation or heart of future obedience ; foafterward it is ,alíomateria&y a part of your obedience, being commandedby him to whom you are now fubjeít. And fo it is in the cafe ofFaith : and therefore true Faith and Obedience are as tsearly cenioyncd as Life andMaion;and the one is ever connoted in the -other : Faith is fir Obedience to Chrilìs healing means, as stuffingand taking a Phyfician, is for the ufing of his craunfei: and Faith is for love and holy obedience to God, which is called our Sanäifcation, as truflinga Phyfician, is for health. ,Faith is implicita virtualobedience to a Saviour : and obedience to -a Sa- viour, is explicite operating Faith or truft. I. In theunderftanding,Faitb in Gods Promifes bath all thefe . ads contained in-it. r. A belief tbat Godis, andthat be isperfowy powerful,wife andgood. 2. A belief that he is our Maker, and fo our Owner, our Ruler, and our chiefGood (initially andfinally) delighting tode good, and the petted felicitating end and ()Wed of the foul. 3. A belief that God path exprcffed the benignity of his nature, by aCovenant or Promife oflife toman. 4. To believe data tint Cbriff,Ged and Man,is the Mediator K k 2 of
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