Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Another Grace actuated by Faith is Obedience: Two things in the Spouse did ravish the heart of Christ, her single eye of Faith, and the neck-chain of Obedience, Cant. 4.9. Obedience, as Samuel said, is better than Sacrifice: And as Luther, More eligible than doing Miracles. Faith, receiving Christ the Lord, is in it self Virtual Obedience to the Commands of God, and as an effect it produces actual. To this end it believes the Commands to be as they are; looking on the stamps of Majesty, Purity; Equity, Righteousness therein, it falls down and confesses, that God is there of a truth; this and that is the very Will of God, and must be done, primo intuitu, without dispute, and by all persons even the greatest on Earth. Princes here are Subjects: Constantine and Theodosius, though Emperors, styled themselves Vassals of Christ. Zedekiah the King should have humbled himself before Jeremiah the Prophet, 2 Chron. 36.12. Nay, the Kingdom of God, which is in every Command must be humbly received, though coming in the hand of a child or a servant, as a good ⟨p. 315⟩Divine noteth. Here all men, and all in men, even the Princely powers of Reason and Will, with all the progeny of Thoughts and Affections must bow down before God: A famous instance of which we have in the Noble Andelot in France, who being questioned for a Protestant by his Sovereign Henry the second, bravely professed, That his Body, Estate, and Dignity was in his Majesty's power, but his Soul was only subject to God. From such a Supreme Authority in the Command Faith presses strongly to Obedience; and for a sweet Principle thereunto, it draws a free Spirit from Christ. Faith translates us into the Kingdom of Christ, and there by a singular Privilege above other Kingdom, all the Subjects are ready to do the Commands of their Lord. Faith converses much about the Wounds and precious Sacrifice of Christ, and there the free Spirit dwells, as the free bird in the Altar, Ps. 84.3. And being received by Faith, brings forth a numerous off-spring in acts of Obedience. Faith makes us parts and pieces of Christ, and so we are anointed with the Holy Ghost in some measure; as his Humane Nature was in a transcendent way. Faith dwells in the holy Truth, and that makes us free indeed. Whilst Precepts give the Rule, Promises afford the Power; such a Promise as that, I will cause you to walk in my statutes,