Serro. CLXVI. D a `eeliziout andDivine Faith, 439. they were Satisfied by a Divine Revelation ; but that they doubted whether inch things were Divine Revelations,:-or not. So that the great doubt of the Difciples was, whether Chrift were the true Mejais, and really the Son of God : for fo far as they were fatisfied df that, they coàld not doubt of any thing he Paid. iv. What are the proper and genuin Eft-efts of this Faith ? The proper and genuin Effe&s of the Beliefof the Scriptures in general, is the Conformityof our Hearts and Lives to what we believe that is, tó be fuch Perfbns, and to live ° Inch Lives as it becomes thofe, who do heartily believe, and are reallyperfwaded of the truth of the Scriptures. And if this be a confiant and abiding perfwafroíi it will produce this Effe&.; but with more or lets difficulty, according to the dif. pofition of theSubje&, and the weaknefs or firength of contrary Habits and In- clinations. More particularly the Effects of this Faith are according to the filature of the matter believed. If it be a Hiftory or Relation of things patt, or Prophecy of things to come ; it hath.an Effe& upon Men fo far as the Hittory or Prophecy Both concern them. If it be a Doctrine ; it bath the Effe& which the particular Nature and Tendency of fuch a Doarine requires: For inflame, the Do&rine of God's Goodnefs is apt to inflame us with Love to him ; of his Power and Ju- Bice, with aFear and AWe of him: This Do&rine, that Chrift is the Saviour of the World, the proper Effelt of it is to make Men rely upon him for Salvation; and fo of the refl. If it be a Precept g the proper EfFe& of it, is obedience : and hence it is that Unbelief and Difobedience are frequently put for one another in Scripture and Difobedience is oppofed to Faith, r Pet. a, 7. Vntoyou therefore which believe, he is precious : but unto them which be difobedient, &c. where the difobedient are oppofed to them that believe. And fo likewife thofe who negle&, any duty of Religion, and do any thing notorioufly unworthy of their Profef- fion, are Paid to deny the Faith, r Tim. g. 8. But if any provide not for his own, and fpecially for thole of his own hoofe, he bath denied the Faith. How does he "deny the Faith ? In difobeying the Precepts of the Chriftian Religion, which chargeth us with fuch Natural and Moral Duties. if it be a Promife, the proper Effe& of it is, encouragement to Obedienceby hopes of the thing Promifed. If a Threatning ; the proper Effe& of 'it is to reftrain Men from Sin and Difobedi- ence. V. In what Senfe this Faith of Things fupernaturally revealed, may bePaid to be a Divine Faith ? Anfw. Not only in refpefì: of the Matter and Objet of ir, which are Divine .things, fuch as concern God and Religion ; and in refpeít of the Divine Effe&s it hath upon thofewho believe thefe things : (for in thefe two Relpe&s a Perfwafion of the Principles of Natural Religion, may be Paid to be 'a Divine Faith ;) but likewife in refpelt of the Argument whereby it is wrought, which is a Divine Tefhmony. As for the efficient caufe, the Spirit of God, that does not immediately belong to this : for the Spirit of God doth not, fpeaking properly, perfwadeus immediately of the truth of things fupernaturally revealed ; but mediately by perfwading us of the truth of the Revelation : for to believe a thing to be truc, which we are perfwaded is Revealedby God, is fo natural and confequent upon Inch a Perfwafion, that it Both not teem to require any new work of the Spirit. And if this be all the work of the Spirit, to perfwade Men that fuch a Revelation is Divine ; it will bemolt proper to fpeak of this, when I come to the Third fort of Faith, which is a perfwafroq of a Divine Revelation-, that it is Inch; which becaufe'it bath many difficulties in ir, it deferves a more large and particular Confideration. S E R-
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