and of his Goodness to reward them Volume that ferve him, was a righteous Man, XII. and ftudious to please God; and as a reward of this Faith and Obedience, God tranflated him, that he should not fee death; upon which the Apoftle affumes, ver. 6. But without Faith, it is impoffible to please God. As if he had faid, unless a Man do believe, and be perfwaded of fome Principles, it is impoffible any Man fhould be Religious, or endeavour to do any thing that is pleafing or acceptable to God: for Religion, and the Service of God, and an endeavour to please him, do suppose at least that I believe and am perfwaded of these two things, of the Being, and of the Goodnefs of God, that there is fuch a Being as I ferve and feek to please, and that his goodnefs is fuch, that it will not be in vain to ferve him, he will not let me be a lofer by it.

And that here by pleafing, we are to understand in general the performing any action of Religion, is evident from the equivalent terms which are used in the next words, For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is,

and

I.

and that he is a rewarder of them that feek him; where coming to God, Sermon and feeking of him, are of the fame importance with pleafing him. Now to come to God, and feek him, in Scripture Phrafe fignifie the fumm of Religion, it being ufual in the language of Scripture, to exprefs the whole of Religion by any eminent principle, or part, or effect of it; as by the knowledge, remembrance, or fear of God in the Old Teftament; by the love of him, and faith in him, in the New, by coming to him, fecking him, calling upon his Name, and pleafing of him.

Now that coming to God, and feeking him, are of the fame importance here with pleafing of him, will be clear to any that confider the Apoftle's reasoning here in the Text, which fuppofeth thefe to be the fame, otherwise there would be no force in his Argument. For the Propofition which he proves is, That without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe God. The Argument he ufeth is this, If every one that comes to God must believe that he is, &c. then without Faith it is impoffible

impoffible to pleafe him; but every one Volume that comes to God, must believe that he XII. is. Now unlefs coming to God, and Seeking him, be the fame thing with pleafing him, this would be no good Argument; for there would be four terms in it; but if these Phrases be made equivalent, then the Argument is good. Thus, If every one that comes to God, that is, that will please him, must believe that he is, &c. then without Faith it is impoffible to please him: but every one that comes to God, that is, that will please him, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, or that endeavour to please him: therefore without Faith it is impossible to please him.

Which Propofition doth not only fignifie that Faith is neceffary to Religion, and a Condition without which it cannot be; but, implies likewise, that it is a Caufe or Principle of it: not only the Foundation upon which all Religion must be built; but the Fountain from whence it fprings. For this I take to be imply'd in the words, not only that there can be no Religion unless we believe a God; but fuppo

upon

I.

fing this Truth firmly believ'd, that
there is a God, it will have a great in- Sermon
fluence Men to make them Re-
ligious. For the Apostle having before
spoken of the power of Faith upon
Abel and Enoch, that it put them up-
on pleafing God, he affumes in the
next words, but without Faith, &c.
As if he had faid, that you may know
what was the Principle of their Reli-
gion, of their Holinefs and Obedience,
let us imagine that a Man fhould be-
lieve nothing concerning the Being of
a God, or the bleffednets of thofe who
ferve him; what would be the iffue?
Why this certainly, there would be
no Religion, no fuch thing as Serving
of God, or endeavouring to please
him for unless we believe that he is,
and that he will reward those who
feek to please him, it is impoffible,
that is, it is unreasonable to think
Men fhould attempt to please him.
So that Faith is the Cause and Prin-
ciple of Religion, it is the thing, quo
pofito, ponitur effectus; & quo fublato,
tollitur; do but fuppofe and admit
that a Man truly believes there is a
God; and he will feek to please him :
but if you fuppofe a Man believes no

fuch

fuch thing; he will caft off all Religion. Volume This is the plain meaning of the Words; XII. not as fome have thought, that without Faith a man may perform Religious Actions, but then they would not be accepted, or pleafing to God: but that which the Apostle means is, Without Faith 'tis impoffible there fhould be any Religion: Not that Religious Acts fhould be performed in an acceptable manner; as if Cain had offer'd as good a Sacrifice as Abel, only Faith made the difference: but Cain did not believe, was not perfwaded of the Being of God and his Excellency, therefore thought to put off God with any thing; Abel believed, and did offer a more excellent Sacrifice, not more excellent because it was mix'd with Faith, but it was more excellent in it self.

The Obfervation therefore from these Words is this, that Faith is one great Principle of all Religious Actions.

In the handling of this, I shall endea

vour,

First, To fix and fettle the true Notion of Faith, whereby we may come

to