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They are of the World: therefore Speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

P. 397, 425.

SERM.

SERMON I

Of the Nature of FAITH in general.

The firft Sermon on this Text.

HEB. XI. 6.

But without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe God.

B

EFORE I come to the Words themselves, in order to our better understanding of them, we will take into confideration the Design of this Epiftle, that fo we may fee more clearly the relation that these Words have to the foregoing Difcourfe. Who the Penman of this Epiftle was

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I fhall not tell you, because I do not Volume know, nor is it much material to know XII. it; but whoever wrote it, he had this very good Defign in the writing of it, to perfwade the Jews to hold faft the Profeffion of the Gofpel, notwithstanding all the Sufferings and Persecutions it expofed them to. And to this purpose he fhews at large, what Prerogatives the Gofpél hath above the legal Adminiftration. The Law was given by the difpofition of Angels, in the hand of a Mediator, that is, Mofes but the Gofpel is revealed to us by the Son of God; a Perfon, not only above Mofes, who was a meer man; but above Angels. The Gofpel is the substance and reality of the Types and Ceremonies, and the very good things themselves, that were obfcurely reprefented by thofe Shadows. It is a Teftament establisht upon better. · Promifes, the clear Promifes of eternal Life, which were but darkly revealed in the Old Teftament, that being establish'd either folely or principally upon temporal Promifes: and it is a perfect and compleat Difpen fation, that hath in it all things requi fite to attain its end, and therefore

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