[ 1722] Saving Faith, the onely Faith.
AS a cunning Lapidary that shews the buyer an Orient pearl;* 1.1 and having a little fed his eye with that, our-pleaseth him with a Saphire; yet out-va∣lues that with some Ruby or Chrysolite; wherewith ravished, he doth lastly amaze him with a sparkling Diamond transcending them all: Or as Drapers shew divers colours, yet at last for a Master-piece exceed all with a rich piece of well-dyed Scarlet. So there are divers Graces and Virtues like to Iewels, but the most pretious of all,* 1.2 is Faith. And there are divers degrees and sorts of Faith, as divers coloured cloaths, but the saving Faith is arrayed in the Scarlet robe, hath dipped and dyed her self in the bloud of Iesus: yet she is white, pure white, Rev. 7. 14. as the snow of Lebanon: The Faith that believes Gods Word to be true, is a good Faith, but not illa fides, that saving Faith; The Faith that believes many Men shall be saved, is vera fides, no illa fides, a true Faith, but not the Faith; Onely that Faith which believes a Mans own Soul redeemed, justi∣fied, saved by the merits of Christ Iesus,* 1.3 and that not without works answerable thereunto, is the onely Faith, and the Queen of all other Graces.