nifie that he came from God, and was fent by him into the world, and was the Sermon Meffias whom they expected. John 3. VIII. 2. Nicodemus defcribes his Faith in Chrift thus, I know that thou art a teacher come from God. John 6. 29. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath fent, that is, that ye believe me to be fent from God. John 8. 24. For if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your fins, that is, If ye believe not that I am the Meffias, whom you expect and look for. And fo John 13. 19. That ye may believe that I am he. And John 11. 42. That they may believe that thou haft fent me. And John 16.30% By this we believe that thou cameft forth from God. And John 17.8. They have believed that thou didst fend me. Sometimes the Faith of the Gospel is expreft by Metaphors equivalent to thefe expreffions, as by coming to Chrift, and receiving him as the true Meffias, in feveral places; and fometimes by believing that which is the great Argument and Confirmation that Chrift was was the true Meffias the Son of God, Volume that is, believing his Resurrection from XII. the dead. Rom. 4. 24. To whom it shall be imputed for Righteoufnefs, if we believe on him that raifed up Jefus our Lord from the dead. Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and halt believe in thine heart, that God hath raifed him from the dead, thou shalt be faved. Col. 2. 12. Through the faith of the operation of God, who raifed him up from the dead. Where Faith is defcrib'd by a belief of the Power whereby Christ was raised from the dead. And to mention no more, 1 'Pet. 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God, that raifed him up from the dead. Now the reafon why the Faith of the Gofpel is defcribed by the belief of Christ's Refurrection, is, because whoever believes that Christ was raised from the dead, cannot but be fatisfied, that this great Miracle was a fufficient atteftation that he was no Impoftor, but that he was what he pretended to be, viz. the Son of God; and confequently that he ought to be ed in all things. believed and obeyAnd thus much may fuffice fuffice to have spoken to this Seventh Obfervation. Eighth Obfervation; That to believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, is truly and properly Sanctifying, and Juftifying, and Saving Faith. So the Text tells us, that this Faith gives us life; But these 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, that is, as I explain'd this Phrafe in the opening of the Text, that upon these terms and conditions, ye might be made partakers of all thofe Bleffings and Benefits, which Chrift, the Saviour of the World, hath purchased, which are here fet forth under the name of Life; it being ufual in the Phrafe of Scripture to fet forth to us those things which are moft excellent and defirable, by Life which men value above all other things. Now the Principal Benefits which Chrift hath purchased, and which we are faid to be made parta kers of by believing, are, 1. Regeneration; under which I include the continuance and proQ grefs Sermon grefs of this work, which is SanctifiVolume cation. XII. 2. Juftification; by which I cannot find that the Scripture means any more than Pardon or Remiffion of Sins. 3. Eternal Life; and this I think is principally, tho' not folely intended here in the Text, as I have fhewn, by comparing the Text with other parallel Texts in the fame Evangelift. John 3. 15. That whosoever believeth in him, Jhould not perish, but have eternal life. And, ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life. I fay, I think eternal life is here principally intended, tho' this fuppofe the other, Regeneration, and Juftification, before we can attain it, which may also very well be included here in the term Life. My Reasons are these. 1. Because I find in Scripture, that Regeneration and Juftification are expreft by the name of Life. Rom. 6. 4. our Regeneration is call'd newness of life, because before we were dead in fins and trefpaffes; And Rom. 5. 18. Juftification is call'd Juftification of life, because while our fins are unpardon'd, Sermon and we are under the sentence of condemnation, we are dead in Law; but being juftified and pardon'd, we are, as it were, restored to life again. 2. Because in the Phrase of Scripture we are faid to be Regenerate, and Sanctified, and Juftified by Faith, as well as faved. 1 John 5.1. He that believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God. Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God; fpeaking of the new life of Sanctification. And Col. 2. we are faid to be rifen with Chrift, that is, born to a new Life, by the Faith of the operation of God, that raifed up Jefus from the dead; and to be justified by Faith, in innumerable places. So that it is very probable upon these accounts that the Evangelift here, when he fays, that believing you might have life in his name, doth intend to take in Regeneration and Juftification, as well as eternal life, which is the confummation of all the Bleffings of the Gofpel. I come now to the Obfervati on, vizs Q 2 That VIIL |