The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

This Trust is an act of all the three faculties: (for three understanding are) even of the whole man: Of the vital power, the understanding and the will: and is most properly called A practical Trust; such as trusting a Physician with your life and health; or a Tutor to teach you; or a Master to govern and reward you; or a Ship and Pilot (as aforesaid) to carry you safe through the dangers of the Sea: As in this similitude; Affiance as in the understanding ▪ is its Assent to the sufficiency and fidelity of the Pilot and Ship (or Physician) that I trust: Affiance in the will is the choosing of this Ship, Pilot, Physician to venture my life with, and refusing all others; which is called consent, when it followeth the motion and offer of him whom we trust. Affiance in the vital power of the soul, is the fortitude and venturing all upon this chosen Trustee: which is, the quieting (in some measure) disturbing fears, and the exitus or conatus, or first egress of the soul towards execution.

This Trust is an act of all the three faculties: (for three understanding are) even of the whole man: Of the vital power, the understanding and the will: and is most properly called A practical Trust; such as trusting a Physician with your life and health; or a Tutor to teach you; or a Master to govern and reward you; or a Ship and Pilot (as aforesaid) to carry you safe through the dangers of the Sea: As in this similitude; Affiance as in the understanding ▪ is its Assent to the sufficiency and fidelity of the Pilot and Ship (or Physician) that I trust: Affiance in the will is the chusing of this Ship, Pilot, Physician to venture my life with, and refusing all others; which is called consent, when it followeth the motion and offer of him whom we trust. Affiance in the vital power of the soul, is the fortitude and venturing all upon this chosen Trustee: which is, the quieting (in some measure) disturbing fears, and the exitus or conatus, or first egress of the soul towards execution.

And whereas the quarrelling peevish ignorance of this age, hath caused a great deal of bitter, reproachful, uncharitable contention on both sides, about the question, How far obedience belongeth to faith? whether as a part, or end, or fruit, or consequent? In all this it is easily discerned, that as allegiance or subjection differ from obedience, and hiring my self to a Master, differeth from obeying him; and taking a man for my Tutor, differeth from learning of him; and Marriage differeth from conjugal duty; and giving up my self to a Physician, differeth from taking his counsel and medicines; and taking a man for my Pilot, differeth from being conducted by him; so doth our first Faith or Christianity differ from actual obedience to the healing precepts of our Saviour. It is the covenant of obedience and consent to it, immediately entering us into the practice: It is the seed of obedience; or the soul, or life of it, which will immediately bring it forth, and act it. It is virtual, but not actual obedience to Christ; because it is but the first consent to his Kingly Relation to us; unless you will call it that Inception from whence all obedience followeth. But it may be actual