The keys of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…The keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…

There is therefore a key of Faith, and a key of Order.

The key of Faith, is the same which the Lord Jesus calleth the key of knowledge, Luke 11.52. and which he complaineth, the Lawyers had taken away. Now that key of knowledge Christ speaketh of, was such, that if it had not been taken away, they that had it, had power by it to enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, and it may be to open the door to others, to enter also. Now such a knowledge, whereby a man hath power to enter into heaven, is only faith, which is often therefore called knowledge, as Isa. 53.11. By the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justify many: that is, by the faith of Christ. And Joh. 17.3. This is eternal life to know thee: that is, to believe on thee. This key therefore, the key of knowledge, (saving knowledge) or which is all one, the key of faith, is common to all believers. A faithful soul knowing the Scriptures, and Christ in them, receiveth Christ, and entereth through him into the kingdom of heaven, both here, and hereafter. Here he entereth into a state of grace through faith^*: and by the profession of his faith, he entereth also into the fellowship of the Church (which is the kingdom of heaven upon earth:) and by the same faith, as he believeth to justification, so he maketh confession to salvation, which is perfected in the kingdom of glory. Rom. 10.10.

The key of Faith, is the same which the Lord Iesus calleth the key of knowledge, Luke 11.52. and which he complaineth, the Lawyers had taken away. Now that key of knowledge Christ speaketh of, was such, that if it had not been taken away, they that had it, had power by it to enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, and it may be to open the doore to others, to enter also. Now such a knowledge, whereby a man hath power to enter into heaven, is onely faith, which is often therefore called knowledge, as