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have fufficient ground to believe the Volume Gofpel; and if fo, then whofoever XII. hath thefe 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 reafon; and every Man fins who neglects his duty, that is, does not do that which he ftands bound to do.

And not only whoever disbelieves the Gospel, fins in fo doing, but farther, he commits the greatelt fin that now men are capable of. I fay now capable of: for I doubt not but that it was a fin of a higher degree, for those who faw Chrift'sMiracles to disbelieve, than it is for us who have only the relation of them. For by the fame reafon, that he is more blessed that believes, and hath not feen; a greater curfe belongs to him, who hath feen, and yer doth not believe; and confequently fuch a Perfon 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 Gofpel confirmed

by

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

vations.

1. It is against fufficient 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 greatest Mercies and Bleffings that ever were offer'd to the World: and in this it exceeds the fins against natural Light. Whoever disbelieves the Gofpel, he rejects the offer of eternal Life and Happiness. And thefe two aggravations the Apostle puts together, Heb. 2. 3. How shall we efcape, if we neglect fo great falvation, 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 Obfervation; That to believe that Jesus is the Chrift, the Son

Р

of

Volume

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

XII. this, I fhall leave to the next Opportunity.

SER

SERMON VIII.

Sermon
VIII.

Of the Chriftian Faith, which
Sanctifies, Juftifies, and Saves.

The Second Sermon on this Text.

JOHN XX. 31.

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

IN

thefe

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

P 2

Seventh

Volume
XII.

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

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

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

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

First, What is included in believing that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God? It fignifies a firm and effectual perfwafion that Jefus, that is, the Perfon the Hiftory of whofe life and death is related in the Gofpel, is the Chrift, 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 fent by him into the World, and

took

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