The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

Let us now come to see what benefit we may make to our selves of this point, thus proved and confirmed: And certainly the Use of this Doctrine is of great consequence. In the first place it is a just ground of Examination: For if it be true (as it cannot be denied, the reasons being so strong, and arguments so plain) that every son of Abraham followeth the steps of Abraham, then here you may clearly perceive who it is that hath saving faith indeed, who they be that are true Saints, and the sons of Abraham. By the light of this truth, by the rule of this doctrine, if you would square your courses, and look into your conversations, you cannot but discern whether you have faith or no. That man whose ⟨p. 178⟩faith she weth it self, and putteth it self forth in its several conditions agreeable to the faith of Abraham, that man that followeth the footsteps of the faith of Abraham, let him be esteemed a faithful man, let him be reckoned for a true believer. But if any mans faith do not this, but be contrary unto, or fall short of this in the truth (I say, not in the measure) of it, certainly it is counterfeit, it is Copper-faith. O the world of counterfeit faith then, that is in the Church at this day! It was the complaint of our Saviour Christ, that when he should come, he should scarce find faith on the earth, Luke 18.8. as if he should say, It will be so little, and so rare, that one shall hardly know where to find a faithful man. It was the complaint of the Psalmist of old, and is most true of these times, that the faithful fail from among the children of men, Psal. 12.1. Many a man hath a name, that he is alive, and yet is dead, Rev. 3.1. Many have a fancy of faith, yet upon the trial we shall find that there are but few, even of those that are interested in the title of Christians, and live in the bosom of the Church, that have any right or title to the Lord Jesus, and the promises of God revealed in the Church. Let us try a few.

Let us now come to see what benefit we may make to our selves of this point, thus proved and confirmed: And certainly the Use of this Doctrine is of great consequence. In the first place it is a just ground of Examination: For if it be true (as it cannot be denyed, the reasons being so strong, and arguments so plain) that every sonne of Abraham followeth the steps of Abraham, then here you may clearly perceive who it is that hath saving faith indeed, who they be that are true Saints, and the sonnes of Abraham. By the light of this truth, by the rule of this doctrine, if you would square your courses, and look into your conversations, you cannot but discern whether you have faith or no. That man whose