1. That this truth is apt to produce the work here spoken of, that is, all holy conversation and godliness ; for the gospel, or the doctrine of salvation by Christ, is a mystery of godliness : 1 Tim. iii. 16, 'Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh,' &c. ; and 1 Tim. vi. 3, ' If any consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness.* The doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ is said to be a doctrine of godli- ness ; that is, apt to breed it in the hearts of men, as delivering the most exact way of serving and pleasing God, upon the highest motives and encouragements. So that men offer violence, and resist the force of it, if they be not made godly by it; as the apostle speaketh of some who, having a form of godliness, deny the power thereof, 2 Tim. iii. 5. By 'a form of godliness ' I understand a map or model of christian doctrine, as fiopcfxtiais Tr}<? <yvcoaeco<; iv tco vofiw, Rom. ii. 20, is a scheme of legal knowledge, or a delineation of the truths which concern legal doctrine: 'An instructer of the foolish, a teacher of babes, who hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law.' The meaning is, that, pretending to believe as christians, they do nothing like christians.
2. That where it is soundly believed and received, it will produce
314 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. XIII.
this effect : 1 Thes. ii. 13, ' When ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that be- lieve.' Let truths be never so weighty and conducing to such an end, yet they do not attain that end unless they be rightly received by a sure faith ; for the manner of receiving is as considerable as the importance of the doctrine itself. As to a fruitful harvest and crop, there needeth not only good seed, but a prepared soil, so that the work may be brought forth into sight and view ; it is not enough to look that we receive the word of God, or his testimony concerning his Son, but also how we re- ceive it, as the word of God, or his message sent us from heaven, as if he had spoken to us himself by oracle and audible voice.
3. The power of God goeth along with the preaching of the word and receiving of it, that it may attain those ends to which it is appointed. With the preaching : Col. i. 29, ' We preach Christ in you, the hope of glory, whereunto I labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.' In publishing the doctrine of salvation by Christ, the power of God did effectually concur with him. So in re- ceiving the word : 1 Thes. i. 5, ' Our gospel came to you, not in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and much assurance.' To gain them to Christ by this doctrine, there was a mighty working of the power of God. Well, then, this is the true notion of faith, which must be fixed here ; a sound belief of the truth wrought in them by the power of God, whereby they receive God's word as God's word, and as it becomes those that had God's testimony to secure them in their obedience and confidence. This needeth first to be stated, that we might the better proceed, and because there is an unusual1 mistake of faith among christians, as if it were only a strong and blind confidence, which admits no doubt in the soul concerning their own salvation ; a vain conceit, which both hardens the impenitent and discourageth the serious.
[1.] It hardens' the impenitent, for this strong confidence of their own good estate may happen to be the greatest unbelief in the world ; for in many it is a believing that to be true, the flat contrary of which God hath revealed in his word : 1 Cor. vi. 9, ' Be not deceived ; know ye not that the unrighteous cannot inherit the kingdom of God ? ' They flatter themselves with the belief of the contrary, and if they can but bless themselves in their own hearts, and get the victory over their consciences and fears of wrath, and cry Peace, peace, loudly enough, they think all is well, and so embrace an imagination and dream of their own for true faith. This confidence is absolutely inconsistent with the doctrine of salvation by Christ.
[2.J It discourageth the serious, who foolishly vex their own souls, and disquiet themselves in vain, thinking they have no faith, because they have not such a peace as doth exclude all doubts and fears about their eternal estate, whereas faith is a receiving God's testimony con- cerning his Son, or such an embracing of the doctrine of salvation by Christ, that we set ourselves about the duties required, that we may be capable of the blessings offered, even reconciliation with God, and the everlasting fruition of him in glory. The mistake of the nature of faith leadeth christians to most of their perplexities. - Do you receive the