have fufficient ground to believe the Volume Gospel; and if fo, then whofoever XII. hath these grounds offer'd to him, is under an obligation to believe it: for every Man is bound to believe that, for which he hath fufficient ground and reason; and every Man fins who neglects his duty, that is, does not do that which he stands bound to do.

And not only whoever disbelieves the Gofpel, fins in so doing, but farther, he commits the greatest fin that now men are capable of. I say now capable of: for I doubt not but that it was a fin of a higher degree, for thofe who saw Christ's Miracles to disbelieve, than it is for us who have only the relation of them. For by the same rea son, that he is more blessed that believes, and hath not seen; a greater curse belongs to him, who hath seen, and yer doth not believe; and consequently such a Person is guilty of a greater fin. But because we cannot now fee the Miracles of Chrift, the greatest fin that men in this Age are capable of, is to disbelieve the Gospel confirmed

by

by Miracles, whereof we are affur'd by credible Relation. For the fin of Sermon disbelieving now hath these two aggra

vations.

1. It is against sufficient Light and Evidence: and in this it is equal to the fins which are committed against Natural Light.

2. It is a fin against the greateft Mercies and Bleffings that ever were offer'd to the World: and in this it exceeds the fins against natural Light. Whoever disbelieves the Gospel, he rejects the offer of eternal Life and Happiness. And these two aggravations the Apostle puts together, Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect fo great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him! And if this be thus, it highly concerns us to enquire into the Nature of this Faith; and this brings me to the

Seventh Observation; That to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son

VII.

Volume

of God, is truly and properly Chriftian Faith. But the Confideration of

XII. this, I shall leave to the next Opportu

nity.

SER

Sermon
VIII.

SERMON VIII.

Of the Christian Faith, which
Sanctifies, Justifies, and Saves.

The Second Sermon on this Text.

JOHN XX. 31.

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jefus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his Name.

I

N my former Difcourse upon these words, I propos'd Eight Obfervations from them, Six of which I have already dispatch'd, designing to Difcourse of the remaining two more at large. I proceed therefore to the

P2

Seventh

Volume Seventh Observation which I laid XII. down, viz. That to believe that Jefus is the Christ, the Son of God, is truly and properly Chriftian Faith. This is the defcription which is here given of Chriftian Faith.

In Profecution of this, I shall do these two things.

í

First, Shew you what is included in Believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Secondly, Prove that this is truly and properly Chriftian Faith.

First, What is included in believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? It signifies a firm and effectual perfwasion that Jesus, that is, the Perfon the History of whose life and death is related in the Gospel, is the Christ, that is, the true Meffias, promised and prophefied of in the Old Testament to be the Saviour of the World; and that he is the Son of God, that is, the only begotten of the Father, who was sent by him into the World, and took