I 46 T7;ePrinciple ~{the Afi'ignation ofDivine Honour Ram. 10. 14. Him, in whom we believe, we ougl;t to a~ dore and invocate. For thefe are the principal waies .where– by Divine Faith cloth act it felf And fo to adore or invocate any, in whom we ought not to believe is Ido· latry. T his Faith therefore on the Perfon of Chrifl: is our Du0'· Yea fuch a Duty it is, as that our eternal condition cloth more pecuHarly depend on the performance or no.nperfor~ mance of it,than on any other Duty whatever. For confi:antly under thofe terms is i:t prefcribed unto us. He that belie~ 'Veth on the Sonhath everlafli1tg life; and he that belie·veth not the Son foal! not fee life, bU~ the wrath ofGod abideth on him, Joh . s· 36. .Wherefore the Nature and Exercife of this Faith muft be inquired into. . . I. T here is a Faith which is exercifed towards thofe by whom the Mind and Will of God is revealed. So it'is faid of the· Ifi·aelites, they belie·ved .the Lord ant! Mrfes, Exod. I 4- B. that is, _ that he was fent of God, was no deceiver, that it was the Word and Will of Godwhich he revealed unto. them. So 1 Chro!'!. 20. 20. Belie·ve in the Lord)'our God, fo Jhallye be eflablifhed, believe his Prophets, fo jhqll ye profPer..· It was not thePerfons ofthe Prophets, ·buttheir ¥effage that ·was the Objeer ofthe Faith required. It was to believe what they Jaid:, .as from God, not to believe in them as if they w ere God. So is it explained by the Apofi:Ie, Affs 26.27 Xmg, Ag,rippa 6elievefl thou the Prophets, I know that thou believeji? .He be!ieved that they were fent of God, and that the word they fpeak was from him ; ·otherwife there was no believing, of themwho were dead fo manyag~s before. And this isall the Faith in Chriit himfelf which fome will allow.. To believe in Chriil:, they fay, is only t_o belu:.v~ .the -DoElr-ine of the Gofpel revealed by him. Hence they deny · that an;y ·could believe in him, b~fore his coming into the . · · · · - World,
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