feigned; because the true Chriftian principle can only be discovered by a godly life, and not by words alone. One of the Fathers* well obferves, that holy living cannot be separated from fterling faith. And ananother remarks, that faith of itself aboundeth in good deeds, and as foon as man doth truly believe, he will presently be feen to act accordingly. That this faith is plentiful in yielding fruit, and in what manner it maketh the conduct of one man more acceptable to God than another, is taught at large in the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews. We are there told, that by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, that is, because the one proceeded from a fense of gratitude and love to God, and the other was matter of constraint, attended with pride, and envy, diftruft, and difcontent. It was this principle again, of faith in God, that made Noah build the ark; that encouraged Abraham to forfake his country, and all his friends, and to travel to a distant land, and dwell among strangers. The like did Ifaac, and Jacob, depending firmly on the hope and truft they had in God; and even when they reached the land that God had promised them, they would erect no cities, towns, or houses; but lived like ftrangers of the land, in tents which might every day be moved. Their trust was fo fixed on God, that they fet but little ftore by any worldly thing. By this conduct they fhewed their faith, that God had prepared for them better dwelling places in heaven, of his own foundation and building. This faith carried Abraham even fo far, as to offer up his only fon Ifaac, at God's command, that Ifaac whom he fo dearly loved, and by whom he was promised an innumerable iffue: among which, ONE fhould be born, in whom all nations fhould be bleffed; and his faith was fo * St. Augustine. + St. Chryfoftom. ftrong ftrong in God, that he trusted even though he was flain, that God was able, by his omnipotent power, to raise him up from death again, and perform his gracious promise. He miftrufted not the word of God, although to his reafon, and his natural feelings, every thing feemed hard. He believed alfo, that God would not forfake him in the dearth and famine that was in the country where he dwelt and in all the dangers to which he was at different times expofed, he conftantly confided that God would be his defender, and protector, whatsoever appeared to the contrary, in the immediate difficulty or trouble. Again, this faith was found to operate fo powerfully in the heart of Mofes, that he refused to be adopted as the fon of Pharaoh's daughter, and to enjoy a rich inheritance in Egypt; preferring to endure affliction, and forrow, with the people of God, rather than to live pleasantly in fin for a time, with wicked unbelieving men: yea, his faith fupported him against the fear of King Pharaoh himself, for his dependance was fo ftrong on God, that he valued not the happinefs of the prefent life, comparatively with the reward held out to him in heaven, fetting his heart upon the invifible God, as firmly, as though he had feen him ever prefent before his eyes. By faith the people of Ifrael paffed through the red fea. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down without one ftroke of man; and by it many other surprising miracles have been wrought; and it is most certainly true, that in all ftrictly pious perfons that have ever lived, it is faith that hath produced thefe choiceft actions, and qualified them to receive the promises of God. Further; we read in Holy Scripture, that faith hath stopt the lions mouths; that it hath quenched fire, and delivered from the danger of the fword: it hath given strength to weak men; obtained victory in battle; overthrown the armies of unbe lievers ; t ; lievers; and hath even raised the dead to life. It enabled good men to receive adverfity in patience. Some have been mocked and fcourged, bound and imprisoned; fome have been defpoiled of their goods, and lived in the utmost poverty; fome have wandered in mountains, hills, and deferts fome have been racked, flain, ftoned, fawn asunder, and torn in pieces by wild beasts. Some have been beheaded, and burnt without mercy, even refusing to be delivered, because they hoped to rife again to a better ftate, and were perfuaded that death was the gate of life. Now the loweft capacity cannot but perceive; the moft perverse and prejudiced person cannot avoid allowing; that a dead faith could never have produced fuch acts of eminent piety and heroic virtue. It must have been a true and lively faith indeed, that could have fupported a weak degenerated nature under fuch calamities, or given it power to perform fuch mighty deeds. All these fathers, martyrs, and other holy perfons, whom St. Paul hath here recorded, as fingular examples of diftinguished faith in God, even when the hand of all men was against them; did not only make profeffion that he was the Maker and Governor of the world, and all things in it, but they also firmly trufted, that he was and would be their God, their comforter, their helper, and defender, in a most especial manner, according as their trials needed; provided they placed their entire confidence in his power, under whatever vifitations he fhould please to lay upon them. This is the Chriftian faith thefe holy men poffeffed, and which we alf, ought to have; and though fome of them were not publicly called Chriftians, because Chrift had not then entered upon his public office in the flesh; yet was it a pure Christian faith in them, for they looked for all the bene 6 * benefits of God the Father, through the merits of his Son Jefus Chrift, as we do now, that is, they lived by faith in the promife. This was the only difference between them and us. They looked through faith, when Chrift fhould come to accomplish his work; and we are fupported by the faith that he is come; on which account, as an ancient father (Saint Auguftine) faith, the times are altered, but not the faith; for we have both one faith in one Chrift. And St. Paul with truth affirms, that by him we have accefs by one spirit to the Father, (Eph. ii. verse 18,) and that the fame good spirit influences all good men for as the Holy Ghoft doth teach us to trust in God, and in Rom. viii. ver. 15, to call him Abba Father; fo did he infpire them likewife to fay, as it is written in xliv. Isaiah, ver 6, Thus faith the Lord, the King of Ifrael, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hofts, I am the firft and the laft; and befides me there is no God. The fame Holy Spirit we need to guide and ftrengthen us, the fame had they; and thus neceffarily it must have been, or man could never have fhewn any regeneration in his nature he could. have done nothing acceptable to God, till Christ had abfolutely appeared on earth, and demonftrated his divine nature in the Man Chrift Jefus. In fhort, God gave them grace then, to become his children, even as he doth us now. As to the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift in the flesh, it has certainly been attended with more abundant fhedding abroad of the fpirit upon the hearts of the faithful, whereby we may poffefs still greater degrees of faith and ftronger affurance than and * Doubtless they felt the power of fin in their natural bodies, the wickedness and growing imperfection of their minds, their infufficiency for any thing that was intrinfically good in themselves, and confequently built on the promifes revealed to them; through the degree of grace and power Chrift had already effected, by renewing a capacity of reformation in the fallen nature, they continually prayed for help, to affift in time of need, many many of them enjoyed; for though in effect the principle was the fame, in that the fame God was the object of trust, yet we have had pofitive proof of the promife of Chrift's coming being fulfilled, as alfo the further advantages of his precepts and example in the hiftory of the gofpel. Therefore the reason why St. Paul fo highly extolleth their faith, fhould excite us to give ourfelves rather more to Chrift, both in profeffion and life, now fince his appearing, than ever the fathers did before his coming, because they only faw him afar off, though it is certain he is always near, and was prefent with them, as in Him alone they could have lived or moved, or had any holinefs of mind. From all that has been faid then, it must be abundantly clear, according to this Apoftle's declaration, that the true Chriftian faith is no dead, vain, unfruitful thing, but of pure virtue and wonderful power, in producing every good motion and upright work; and fince all Scripture delivereth this teftimony, that a found faith in Chrift doth yield good fruit, it is the duty of every man to try himself diligently, whether his heart is touched with this faith, or not. The proof is fhort and infallible; it will be known by the tenor of his life. It cannot be denied that there have been many in all times who profeffed the faith of Chrift, and who were manifeftly deceiving themselves in that they thought they knew God, and believed in his Son, while by their deeds they declared the contrary. This dangerous error St. John reproveth throughout his Epiftles, efpecially in his first Ep. chap. ii. ver. 3. And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments; for he who faith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. And again he faith, chap. iii. ver. 6. Whosoever finneth, (i. e. wilfully) hath not feen bim, neither known him.-Little children let no man deceive you. And further in the 18th and following verses, |