to the EPHESIANS. im~d I have contributed fomethi'ng by Faith to my Salvation? No; faith the Apo- ~ file, it is not ofymtrfelvu, but it is the Gift of God ; apd this is eriough for the Ser.~X~~l, opening ofthe Words. ~ I !hall now manifeft this to you, That GviilgFaith is nbt ofyour fel~es ; ther~ is nothing in you that contributes to Faith. , My End in it is this: To open the Nature of Faith to you, that you may fee, th~t all in your felves, and all you cad do, can no way help you any thing unto the Attainment ofit. By what the A~ •pome denies, that they have any thing ofit in themfelves, you will fee the falfe ways Men take, and you will fee i~ the Negative~ clearlJI what the way of belie~ ving i~, and whatthe Nature ofFanhts; you will hkewtfe fee what the inability of Man is to attain it. It will empty you ofyour Selves, and you will be convin~ ced not only, that you are not able to believe on Free Grace, but you will be for– ced to come·to God, who will enable you to believe on him, and on his Free Grace; .and when you alfo fee how you are loft, and that tho God only requires fincere Faith, yet you are not able to dd arty thing towards it, you will fee what you are; and of what weak Abilities, and you \Vill be thankful to God for what iittle Faith you have, as being his Gift, not from your !elves, and you will go od to perfeLl: Faith in a way ofdependency on him; thofe therefore that think Faitli . is fo eafy to be had, may be convinced they have no Faith. Wheri I !hall purfue the proving thefe Words to you, it is not of your felvcr, f !hall not gci about to !hew you the greatnefs of Converfion in General, that it is not ofyourfelvu; but I !hall keep clofe to the point ofBelieving. And therein I !hall not fpeak fo much to the workings ofthe Habits<ifFaith,as bring you to the AClsofFaith, as clearly renouncing a Man's felf, &c. I !hall perform thefe Particulars, hy Oiewing you, that all that is in M~n, ot from Man, can no way help a Man to this Faith, yea all that is in Man, and fr.on:l Man is againft it; therefore certainly it is not of ourfelves, but it is the Gift ofGod. Thefetwo Heads !hall be the Particulars! aiin at; That only in the General I will prl!mife this, which I will but touch on ; that is, That if we t:ike our. N~ture in Innocence, in :Adam, to believe fuch things as we believe;would have,been <!bov~ fuch a Nature. I will not ftarid to difpute whether Adam, yea. or no, had tha~ tlabit,.or Principle which we have, only th.is is that I fay, That if he had tha~ lame Principle efFaith we have;yet to belieV:ethofe things, )l'hich when we believe; to Salvation; we do believe; it was infinitely above what his Faith was pl\tfo pe~ lieve. Jfthat the Wheels be the faine, yet ifthere be anew Spring p~t. in, that turns all the Wheels another way...So whereas Ada~n fought Salvation by cjoing; and continuance in well-doing, and the Faith lie had, fet all the Wheels going that way: Here to us under the Gofpel comes a new Spring, that turns all the Wheels another.way, and is as a new Inftinll: and Geniustb carry the Heort io Ghrlft tci be faved, different from what the Genius and Inftinll: of .Adaitt's Faith carried him to; The Law ofFaith is different from the Law OfWorks; Adam believes that God made him; and that he made.the World; for he did not lee it was made. I .will pot difpute, .whether his Faith may be. refolved to Senfe, or fanLl:ified R.eafon, yea, or no ? but this; I fay; was ari eafy thing for hin;i io believe that all that was made, was by him, that faid, Let tH makg the World.: Bui ifhe had this fame Principle ofFaith, yet I believe it wasfo low, that he could, not try it further without new Principles. . Indeed. for . hini to be)ieve; that the Smt! that fins fbaU die, and that he !hould die that Day he .did eat 5 it was eafy f 0 r him to believe this, becatife he found that by doing the Will iif God, he .lived ;· therefore he might. believe the contrary,,t~at if he tranfgrelfed, he !hould die. But what tfGod had fatd to htm, that God hrmfelffbould die, and that {uf!Jimld be made Sin, whiJ k.,nlwno Sin. If fuch a thing·as this is !hould.have been propounded to his Faith, aad the Devil !hould have come a:nd coritridiLl:ed it, it would have put his Faith to it. For Adam td believe; that while he pieafed God.iri all things; he lhould continue in his Favour, it waseafy for him to belie'<'e it; becaufe he had :i Principle In his Confcience, which told that he !hould have Peace, if he did it ~ Q:q there'
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