The last effect of faith which I shall now speak of is fructification; faith worketh by love. And it worketh first, Repentance, whereby we are not only to understand grief for sin, or a sense of the weight and guilt of it, which is only a legal thing (if it proceed no farther) and may go before faith; but hatred of sin, as a thing contrary to that new spirit of holiness and grace, which in Christ we have received. For as sense of sin as a cursed thing (which is legal humiliation) doth arise from that faith whereby we believe and assent to the truth of God in all his threatenings (which is a legal faith): so the Abominating of sin as an unclean thing and contrary ⟨p. 507⟩to the image and holiness of God (which is evangelical repentance) doth arise from evangelical faith, whereby we look upon God as most merciful, most holy, and therefore most worthy to be imitated and served. Secondly, Renovation, and that two fold. First, inward in the constitution of the heart which is by faith purified. Secondly, outward in the conversation and practice, when a man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and as he hath received the Lord Jesus so walketh in him. Now in all our obedience we must observe these three Rules. First, that binding power which is in the law, doth solely depend upon the authority of the Lawgiver who is God. He that customarily, and without care of obedience, or fear of displeasure, or antipathy of spirit, breaks any one Commandment, ventures to violate that authority which by one and the same ordination made the whole law equally binding, & by consequence is habitually, & in praeparatione 1animi a transgressor of the whole Law. And therefore Obedience must not be partial but universal, as proceeding from that faith which hath respect equally to all Gods will, and looks upon him as most true and most holy in all his commands. Secondly, As God, so his Law is a spiritual and a perfect Law, and therefore requires an inward universality of the subject, as well as that other of the Precepts which we walk by. I mean such a spiritual and sincere obedience of the hart, as may, without any mercenary or reserved respects, uniformly sway our whole man unto the same way and end.
The last effect of faith which I shall now speake of is fructification; faith worketh by love. And it worketh first, Repentance, whereby we are not only to understand griefe for sinne, or a sense of the weight and guilt of it, which is onely a legall thing (if it proceed no farther) and may goe before faith; but hatred of sinne, as a thing contrary to that new spirit of holinesse and grace, which in Christ wee haue receiued. For as sense of sin as a cursed thing (which is legall humiliation) doth arise from that faith whereby wee beleeve and assent to the truth of God in all his threatnings (which is a legall faith): so the Abominating of sinne as an uncleane thing and contrary ⟨p. 507⟩to the image and holinesse of God (which is evangelicall repentance) doth arise from evangelicall faith, whereby we look upon God as most mercifull, most holie, and therefore most worthie to bee imitated and served. Secondly, Renovation, and that two fold. First, inward in the constitution of the heart which is by faith purified. Secondly, outward in the conversation and practice, when a man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and as he hath received the Lord Iesus so walketh in him. Now in all our obedience wee must observe these three Rules. First, that binding power which is in the law, doth solely depend upon the authority of the Lawgiver who is God. Hee that customarilie, and without care of obedience, or feare of displeasure, or antipathy of spirit, breaks any one Commandement, ventures to violate that authority which by one and the same ordination made the whole law equally binding, & by consequence is habitually, & in praeparatione 1animi a transgressor of the whole Law. And therefore Obedience must not bee partiall but vniversall, as proceeding from that faith which hath respect equally to all Gods will, and lookes upon him as most true and most holy in all his commands. Secondly, As God, so his Law is a spirituall and a perfect Law, and therefore requires an inward universality of the subject, as well as that other of the Precepts which wee walke by. I meane such a spiritual and sincere obedience of the hart, as may, without any mercenary or reserv'd respects, uniformely sway our whole man unto the same way and end.
- 1Jam. 2. 10.Iam. 2. 10.
