474 Vol. IL SERMON CLXXII. Of the Chriftian Faith, which Santifies, Juftifies, and Saves. The Se- cond Ser- mon on this Text. JOHK XX. 31. Dut thefe are written, that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Sots of God, and that beieving ye might have Life through. his Name. I Nmy former Difcourfe upon thefe words, I propos'd Eight Obfervations from them, Six of which I have already difpatch'd, defigning to Difcourfe of the remaining two more at large. I proceed therefore to the Seventh Obfervation which I laid down, viz. That to believe that efus is the Chrifl, the Son of God, is truly and properly Chriftian Faith. This is the def cription which is here given of Chriffan In Profecurion of this I fhall do thefe two 'things. Firß, Shew you what is included in Believing that fefus is the Chrift the Son of God. Secondly, Prove that this is truly and properly Chriftian Faith. Firft, What is included in believing that lefus is the Chrift, the Son of God ? It fignifles a firm and effeftual Perfwafion, that yefùs, that is, the Perlon, the M- ikity of whole Life and Death is related in the Gofpel, is the Chrifl, that is, the true Melias, promifed and prophefied of in the Old Teflament to be the Saviour of the World ; and that he is the Son of God, that is, the only begotten of the Fa- ther, who was fent by him into the World, and took our Nature upon him, that he might purchafe Eternal Happinefs for us, and inftru& us, and go before us in the way to it. So that Faith is a firm and effe&.tual perfwafion of, or affent to the whole Gofpel. Faith (trifles Chtiftian Religion, which comprehends an affent to the Doctrines of the Gofpel, and fuitable Life andConverfation. I fay a ,iron perfwafion of this ; for in the Phrafe of the New Teftament, none are accounted true Believers, or Paid to have a true Faith in Chrift, who do not firmly continue in this Perfwafion ; and the owning and profeflìon of it, notwith- ftanding all the Sufferings and Perfcutions it might expofe them to. And an effectual Perfwafion, for none are laid truly to believe in Chrift, who do not fhew forth the proper and genuine Effects of this Faith, who do not live as they believe, and conform their Lives to that Doarine, to the Truth whereof they profefs an affent. And hence it is that true Chriftians, that is, thofe who did falhion their Lives according to the Gofpel, are called Believers, and the fum of all Chriftianity is ufually contained in this word Believing, which is the great Principle of a Cluj-. Man Life ; as in the Old Teflament, all Religion is expreft by the Faith of God, . fo in theNew, by Faith in Chrifl. Now whofoever doth firmly and effeétually entertain this Truth, that that Jefus, whom the Gofpel declares to us, is the true Maas, and Saviour of the World, and the very Son of God, fent by him into the World for this purpofe, that he might by his Do&rine inftru&, and by the Example of his Life go before us in the way to Eternal Happinefs, and by the Merit and Sarisfaftion of his Death and Sufferings, Appeafe and Reconcile God to men, and purchafe for them the Pardon of their Sins and Eternal Life, upon the conditions of Faith and Repentance, and fincere Obedience ; I fay, whofoever doth firmly and effeétually entertain thefe Truths, will conleguently endeavour to obey the Precepts of his Do-
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