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ESSAY

Thus you fee Faith, together with its vaVI. rious Concomitants, or confequent Exercises of Soul, is represented as our Address or Application to Chrift for Salvation by and with almoft all the Senfes or Powers of Nature: 'Tis looking to him with the Eye, 'tis hearkening to him with the Ear, 'tis receiving or laying hold of him with the Hand, 'tis coming to him with the Feet, 'tis Knowledge of him in the Head, truft in him with the Heart, calling upon him with the Tongue, and obeying him with all the Powers of Soul and Body.

Now 'tis well known, that there have been great Disputes about the particular Influence which this Act of Faith has, in order to interest us in the Salvation of Chrift: And here I will readily grant, that the Word Faith primarily and chiefly implies fuch a Knowledge of Chrift, fucha Belief of his Gofpel, fucha Sense of our Wants, and his Sufficiency to fupply them, as leads the Soul to receive him under any of thofe Characters in which the Gospel fets him forth, and more particularly to trust in him for this Salvation *: But there are many

*

poor

It may be observed here, that almost every Character or Action, whereby Faith in Chrift is represented in Scripture, carries in it the Notion of Truft, Hope or Dependance, fo that the original and most proper Sense of the Word Faith is ftill maintained, and every Sinner who fincerely applies himself to Chrift for Salvation, does certainly put forth an A&t of Truft or Hope in him,

though

poor Souls who have learnt fincerely to ad- ESSAY drefs themselves to our Lord Jefus Chrift, by VI. one or two of these Characters and Reprefentations of Faith, but were never carried on fo far as explicitely to make an Address to Chrift under all his diftinct Relations, or to perform every one of thefe Actions in their Addreffes to Chrift: And can I fuppose where the Soul is very fincere in its Defires of the whole Salvation of Chrift, both in the Holiness and the Happiness of it, and feeks it from him, that fuch Souls shall be excluded, because they have not well learnt all the Metaphors and Figures under which thefe facred Things are exhibited in the Gofpel?

Again, on the other hand, if one should fay, Faith faves us as it is an Eye to look to Chrift that we may be faved, he cannot thence infer it does not fave us as an Ear to hearken to him, as an Hand to lay hold of him, or as a Tongue to call upon him, or a Heart to truft in him.

Again, if another should say, Faith faves us as an Inftrument to receive Christ, and

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though he may not always fo evidently and diftinctly apprehend and judge of the inward Acts of his own Soul, or diftinguifh them fo exactly.

* Perhaps there have been no greater Quarrels upon this Subject than amongst thofe who have maintain'd that Faith faves us as it is an Inftrument, whereby we

receive

ESSAY his Righteousness and Grace, he cannot VI. argue that it does not fave us, as it is a Condition, or a Term of our being accepted of God thro' him; or if another should fay, Faith faves us, as it is a laying hold of his Perfon, or as a Bond of Union between Chrift and us, yet he cannot argue, therefore Faith does not fave us, as it is a Looking or Seeking to him from afar off, or as it is a Calling upon the Name of the Lord.

God has been pleased in many Ways to manifest these most important Things of our Salvation, and revealed them to us in a variety of human Expreffions, Similitudes, Actions and Relations, that the poorest and the weakest Chriftian might have Support and Encouragement for his Hope.

Conclufion: "Tis confeffed, that these Thoughts are not fufficiently digested into perfect Form, nor put together with all that Accuracy as Theological Controverfies require; but my Senfe and Meaning in them

is

receive Chrift and his Righteoufnefs, and those who affert it is a Condition upon which Chrift has appointed us to be interested in his Bleffings: And tho' I think they may both be true, according to the Representation I have made in this and other of these Essays; yet we have no great Reafon to be fond of either of thefe Terms, especially when they are made a Matter of Controverfy, because they are neither of them the Expreffions of Scripture, which is our fupreme Rule of Inftruction in the Matters of our Salvation.

is pretty obvious and evident: Perhaps this ESSAY Defign might be more improved and pro- VI. moted much farther by a wifer Head, and a better Pen; and it might affift the Solution of many Difficulties, and relieve the Quarrels and Contentions of different Parties to a greater degree; for 'tis evident, that the Characters which our Bleffed Lord fuftains, and the Exercises of our Faith on him are very various, and we are made Partakers of this Salvation, perhaps as many ways as our Acts of Faith bear different Refpects to the feveral bleffed Characters and Offices which Christ sustains, in order to our Salvation. Now, to him who has redeemed us by Power and by Price; to him who has faved us by his Blood and his Spirit; to him who has purchased our Souls from the Bondage of the Law, and from Death and Hell, and has purchased for us the Bleffings of Grace, the Pardon of our Sins, and an Inheritance in Heaven, be Glory and Honour in endless Varieties, and eternal Praises from all the Redeemed. Amen.

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ESSAY VII.

Against UNCHARITABLENESS. Wherein the fecret Springs of that Vice are traced, and the Mifchievous Effects of it briefly furvey'd. Written to expofe that moft Unchristian Iniquity of Cenfures, Revilings and ChurchAnathemas, on the Account of fmaller Difputables in Christianity.

ROM. xiv. 3.

Let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him. LUKE ix. 54, 55.

His Difciples faid, Lord, wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven and confume them? But he turned and rebuked them, and faid, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of.

Tantæne animis cæleftibus iræ ? Tantum Relligio potuit fuadere malorum?

INTRODUCTION.

CH

HARITY in the Soul of Man is the very Picture of the God-head, taken as it ftands in the fairest Light. Wisdom and Holiness, Power, Sovereignty and Ju

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