1 Qu. 'usual'?— Ed.
Vi:::. 11.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 315
word as the word of God, that will put an end to your scruples ? then thankfully accept Christ as the offered remedy, and take his prescribed way to come to God ; depend on his mercy, and continue in obedience to his precepts, and you will soon find that he is the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him, Heb. v. 9.
Secondly, What is the work of faith ?
I answer in the general, all that work and business which belongeth to faith.
More particularly, let me tell you that there are two sorts of acts ascribed to faith, elicit and imperate, internal and external.
1. The internal and elicit acts of faith are assent, consent, and affiance.
[1.] Assent to the truth of the doctrine of salvation by Christ : 1 Tim. i. 15, ' This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' It hath a just title to our firmest belief and choicest respect.
[2.] Consent ; either to accept Christ for our Kedeemer and Saviour : John i. 12, ' As many as received him, to them gave he power to be- come the sons of God.' Jesus is made welcome to the broken-hearted sinner, they then open the doors to him, receive him with the dearest embraces of their affection, subjecting themselves to him as their Lord, and waiting for his salvation. Or receiving the word as it is stated into the form of a covenant: Acts ii. 41, 'They received the word gladly,' resolving to live by the rule, and earnestly to seek the happi- ness of that covenant God hath made with the world in Christ.
[3.] Dependence, called a trusting in Christ : Eph. i. 12, 13, ' That we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace, who first trusted in Christ,' &c. Leaving the weight of our souls, and all our eternal interests, on this foundation-stone, which God hath laid in Sion, or depending on his promises, and looking for the performance of them.
2. The external and imperate acts.
[1.] A bold and open confession of Christ, and owning his ways, not- withstanding the sharpest persecutions. This is the work of faith, as put into the covenant : Eom. x. 9, ' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe with thy heart, thou shalt be saved.' There the duty of a christian is made to consist of two parts ; one con- cerneth the heart, the other the mouth. There is believing with the heart, which is the internal principle ; the other for the mouth, and that is open confession or profession, in spite of all persecution and danger ; for all christians are saved, either as martyrs or as confessors ; and therefore Christianity is called a profession : Heb. iii. 1, ' Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession.' And because this expos- eth to danger, we must venture all to make this profession ; and that is the reason why the kingdom of God is compared to a wise merchant- man, that sold all for the pearl of price, Mat. xiii. 45, 46. It is the work of faith ; therefore it is said, Heb. iii. 6, ' Whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm to the end,' rrapprjaiav kcli to Kavyrnia tt}? iXirlSo'i ; that is, if we un- dauntedly continue our christian profession and cheerfulness in all that befalleth us for Christ's sake, knowing we can be no losers by Christ : Heb. x. 23, ' Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without waver-
316 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SER. XIII.
ing, for he is faithful that hath promised.' Here faith produceth its work, when we are fortified against the terrors of the world, and the dangers feared do not make us waver in the ways of Christ, or the pro- fession of his name. And this is that work of faith which is accom- plished with power, meaning the divine power ; as Col. i. 11, * Strength- ened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.' It is the grace and power of God that heareth us up under the afflictions we meet with in our christian course. So 2 Tim. i. 8, ' Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gos- pel, by the power of God ; ' and here, ' The Lord fulfil in you the work of faith with power ; ' that is, complete in you all the good fruits of faith and patience ; or enable you to bear Christianity, whatever you suffer for embracing the truths of the gospel.
[2.] The next is ready obedience to the will of God, forsaking all sin, and walking in all newness of life to his praise and glory ; then is our practice conformed to our faith. And faith is said to work by love, Gal. v. 6, that is, to produce holiness and obedience ; when the drift and bent of our lives is for God and heaven, to please, glorify, and enjoy him. What we are to believe and do is the sum of religion, and the one is inferred out of the other. Doing ariseth out of believing, as the branch doth out of the root : 2 Peter i. 5, ' Add to faith virtue.' And there- fore our obedience is called ' the obedience of faith,' Rom. xvi. 26, be- cause it is animated and inspired by it.