A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

And this Obedience of Faith according to the Gospel is called there, [Greek or Hebrew], their work. (1) Because it was their chief employment, their Calling lay in it. They did not attend unto it occasionally, or when they had nothing else to do, as is the manner of some. Religion was their business, and Gospel Obedience their daily work. This was their whole, even to fear God and keep his Commandments, as it is expressed under the Old Testament. (2) Because there is work and labour in it, or great pains to be taken about it. For hereunto our Apostle in the next Verse requires their diligence, ver. 11. as Peter doth all diligence, 2 Epist. 1. 11. And we may observe in our way,

And this Obedience of Faith according to the Gospel is called there, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, their work. (1) Because it was their chief employment, their Calling lay in it. They did not attend unto it occasionally, or when they had nothing else to do, as is the manner of some. Religion was their business, and Gospel Obedience their daily work. This was their whole, even to fear God and keep his Commandments, as it is expressed under the Old Testament. (2) Because there is work and labour in it, or great pains to be taken about it. For hereunto our Apostle in the next Verse requires their diligence, ver. 11. as Peter doth all diligence, 2 Epist. 1. 11. And we may observe in our way,

That Faith, if it be a living Faith, will be a working Faith. It is the work ¹of Faith which the Apostle here commends. This case is so stated by James that it needs no farther confirmation, Chap. 2. 20. Wilt thou know, or knowest thou not, O vain man, that Faith without works is dead? He is a most vain man who thinks otherwise, who hopes for any Benefit by that Faith which doth not work by Love. Satan hath no greater design in the world than to abuse Gospel Truths. When the Doctrine of free Justification by Faith, through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, was first fully revealed and declared, his great Design then was to persuade men that there was no need of Obedience, and so they could attain any manner of persuasion of the Truth of the Gospel, or make profession thereof, they might live in sin as they pleased, and neglect all good Works and Duties of Obedience. And although this be now condemned by all, yet indeed is it no more but what upon the matter most do practise according unto. For they suppose that by being of this or that Religion, Papists or Protestants, or the like, they shall be saved whatever their ways and works are. So Papists, for Instance, are indeed the greatest Solifidians in the world. For to own the Faith of the Church, is enough with them to secure the Salvation of any. This Abomination having been early started was seasonably suppressed by the writing of James and John. For the former directly and plainly lays open the Vanity of this pretence, declaring, that that Faith which they professed and boasted of, was not the Faith whereby any