I. be fubmiffive, his Obedience uniform, and SERM. his Love both to God and Men extenfive and univerfal. AND now having made out this Truth, that there is a Neceffity of forming a rational Belief of God in our Minds, fuch a Belief as lets us into the Knowledge of his Being and Attributes; there only remains in the Vth and Laft Place, THAT we make fome few Conclufions from what has been faid; and, 1. FROM hence we may infer the Neceffity of a rational Faith, fuch a Faith as is taken up upon good Grounds and folid Reafons; for an ignorant credulous Faith, taken up only on the Hearfay of others, an implicit Faith, fuch as the Church of Rome enjoins, can be of no Ufe to us, because it will make us neither wifer nor better; but a true juftifying Faith is a Faith according to Knowledge, a Faith which enlightens our Minds with the Knowledge of the Truth, and influences our Obedience. 2. FROM hence we may infer, that those Notions concerning God are most neceffary to be inculcated, which have the most immediate Influence upon our Practice. For, fince we find God, in the Holy Scripture, not described after such a Man € 3 ner SERM. ner as to fill the Head with airy Notions, I. but rather propofed fo as to be a Pattern for our Actions, we may be affured that fuch Notions as these are most useful to be meditated on by us. That which the Holy Writings chiefly aim at, is to fix on our Minds due Notions of God's Purity, Holinefs, Goodness, Truth, Juftice, and Mercy, to this End that we may transcribe and imitate these Perfections; that we may be pure as God is pure, holy as he is holy, good as he is good, at least in Kind, tho' not in the fame Degree, and that we may do Juftice, and love Mercy, and walk humbly with our God: Which God of his Mercy grant, for Jefus Chrift his Sake. SERMON But without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe him: For he that cometh to God, muft believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. I N the Beginning of this Chapter the SERM. Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not feen, i. e. It is a confident Dependance upon God for the Performance of his Promises, a Conviction and full Perfuafion of the Truth of those Things, of which we have no ocular and fenfible Demonstration. And that the Jews (whose Rites and Worship did chiefly confift of fuch Things as were obvious to the Senfe) C 4 might SERM, might not look upon this Faith as a new II. and strange Thing, in the following Verfes he inftances in the Examples of pious Men, who, even under the Law, were eminent for the highest Acts of Faith, fuch as were Abel and Enoch; to both which God gave a fignal Attestation, how pleasing their Faith was to him. As to Abel, the Opinion of the antient Fathers was, that God fent Fire from Heaven and confumed his Sacrifice, whereby he evidently declared, that it was pleasing in his Sight, and offered up according to his Will; whereas the Sacrifice of Cain remained unburnt, either, as fome think, because he only offered up the Fruits of the Earth, whereas he ought to have offered up the best that he had; or, because his Offering was not attended with fuitable Affections. This, I fay, was the Opinion of the Antients. However, it is plain, that God gave fome evident and ocular Demonstration, how well he was pleased with Abel's Heb. xi. Sacrifice; for, the Text fays, God teftified of his Gifts. 4. As to Enoch, it is certain, that by Faith he did that which was acceptable in the Sight of God, because he was rewarded in a most extraordinary Manner, by being tranflated immediately into Heaven 1 Heaven: And therefore it is presently add- SERM. ed in the Words of the Text, But without II. Faith it is impoffible to please him; for her that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him, i. e. That Man who would imitate those two great Examples, and please God as Abel and Enoch did, he muft have a true, firm, and lively Faith, which Faith must appear, by giving his Affent to those two fundamental Articles of the Creed, that there is a God, and that this God will call him to an Account for his Actions done in this Life, and either reward or punish him according to his Deeds: For he that is not fully convinced, that there is a God, can have no Religion at all, because Religion is the Acknowledgement and Worship of a God: And he, that doth not believe future Rewards and Punishments, will want fufficient Motives to worship this God. For, fince all human Actions are moved by those two Springs, Hope and Fear, no Man would do an Action which runs contrary to the Biafs of his corrupt Appetites, who doth not expect fome Recompence for fo doing; neither will he deny himself in any grateful Luft or pleafing Sin, who is not afraid that Punish ment |