The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in CambridgeThe vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge

It is this faith that now I am speaking of; believing when all means fail, and lye dead before us: that does honour God especially; which doth justify the soul: It is the soul-saving faith of all. Pray look into the seventh of Luke, and consider it well. It is said at the last verse. Jesus said to the woman, they Faith hath saved thee, go in peace: but here's no mention at all before of her Faith: There's mention of her love, in the forty seventh verse, I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. There's mention before of her tears, at the eight and thirty verse. A woman in the City; which was a sinner, brought an Alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Here's mention of her tears, here's mention of her Liberality, and Bounty, and Love to Jesus Christ: and yet our Lord and Saviour Christ, does not say thus: woman, thy tears hath saved thee, go in peace: Woman thy Repentance, and thy Humiliation hath saved thee, go in peace, he doth not say, thy Love to me, and thy Bounty to me hath saved thee, go in peace, woman: No, but our Lord and Saviour, he saw a secret work of reliance upon himself in this woman, for she was a great sinner, and he says unto her, woman, Thy Faith hath saved thee, go in Peace. This is the soul-saving faith, thus to believe when all means fail, and seem to lye dead before you. Surely therefore, to do thus, must needs be exceeding pleasing to God, and most acceptable.

It is this faith that now I am speaking of; beleeving when all means faile, and lye dead before us: that does honour God especially; which doth justify the soule: It is the soule-saving faith of all. Pray looke into the seventh of Luke, and consider it well. It is said at the last verse. Jesus said to the woman, they Faith hath saved thee, go in peace: but here's no mention at all before of her Faith: There's mention of her love, in the fourty seventh verse, I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. There's mention before of her teares, at the eight and thirty verse. A woman in the City; which was a sinner, brought an Alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feete behind him weeping, and began to wash his feete with teares, and did wipe them with the haires of her head, and kissed his feete, and annointed them with the ointment. Here's mention of her teares, here's mention of her Liberality, and Bounty, and Love to Jesus Christ: and yet our Lord and Saviour Christ, does not say thus: woman, thy teares hath saved thee, go in peace: Woman thy Repentance, and thy Humiliation hath saved thee, go in peace, he doth not say, thy Love to me, and thy Bounty to me hath saved thee, go in peace, woman: No, but our Lord and Saviour, he saw a secret worke of reliance upon himselfe in this woman, for she was a great sinner, and he sayes unto her, woman, Thy Faith hath saved thee, goe in Peace. This is the soule-saving faith, thus to beleeve when all meanes faile, and seeme to lye dead before you. Surely therefore, to do thus, must needs be exceeding pleasing to God, and most acceptable.