come the fons of God in him, as the fire gives the iron in which it dwells power to be light and hot.

And fo through faith, we have not only the name, but also the nature of fons. For faith uniting us to Christ, changeth us into a new nature, and takes from us what we are in regard of fin, and makes us what Chrift is in regard of righteoufnefs; and fo it makes us new in heart, mind, will, affections, ends, and in our whole converfation; for it brings God's nature into ours, and this changeth our nature into its own likeness; so that whatfoever we do, or whatever our condition in the world is we shall still carry ourselves in all things as the children of God, in fome demonstration of the divine nature.

2. Through this faith in the Son of God, we are made not only fons, but "heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift:" that as Chrift, according to his human nature, being made one with the Son of God, by whom, and for whom all things were made, was in him made heir of all things; fo we, through that faith whereby we receive the Son, are made heirs with Chrift, in fuch fort, that all things are ours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come, all are ours whilft we are Chrift's, 1 Cor. iii. 21, as all is Chrift's whilft he is God's. Now this is a very glorious inheritance, which, as faith only apprehends, fo faith only understands.

And this inheritance happens to us, not through the works of the law, that is, not through any outward works of outward righteousness whatsoever, but through the righteousness of faith, through which faith we are truly made one with the Son of God in Chrift (as hath been faid) and in and with him, do truly inherit both God and the creature.

3. This true faith carrying us into the Son of God, and placing us in him to abide in him, doth truly carry

us

us out of the utmost reach of all evil things; out of the reach of the law, fin, death and hell, feeing these can have no place nor prefence in the Son of God; and though these evils may reach us whilft we dwell in ourfelves, yet we are got out of their reach fo far forth as by faith we dwell in him.

4. This right faith carries us into the Son of God, and doth carry us into all his perfections and excellencies, into his nature and life, and wifdom, and power, and glory, and into all the fulness of the Son of the living God; and fo true faith inriches a believer in Christ with greater treasure, than the heart of a carnal christian can poffibly give credit to; for through faith we are carried into the Son of God to have all that he hath, and he again comes and fills us with all that he is and hath.

5. True faith carries us into Christ, and makes us one with him, as the author and original of all our good works. For through this, God dwells in us, and works his own works in us; and we again dwell in him, and work his own works in him; and those only are true good works, which God that dwells in us works in us, and which we dwelling in God work in him.

Yea, a believer who is one with Chrift, not only doth good works, but doth them continually; for Christ in him is always active; and whilst he is in Chrift, he must be always active: and therefore, faith Chrift, He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit, John xv. For through this mutual abiding of Chrift and a christian in each other, a christian as naturally and as neceffarily doth the works of God, as the fire burns or the fun fhines.

And these are some of the advantages a christian hath, through faith in the Son of God.

By all which we may perceive, that true greater matter than the most are aware of.

faith is a

For men

ufually

ufually think, that when they hear the gospel in the outward ministry, and affent to it that is true, that this is faith, and that then they do believe; but the true faith of God's elect is a greater matter than fo; for through that we are truly made one with the Son of the living God, and do abide and live in him for ever. And fo this right faith is a most high and precious grace, and is the first manifestation of the Father's eternal love to the foul, and the first grace whereby we have entrance into the kingdom of God: it is the Sabbath of Sabbaths; it is the greatest and highest worship of God; it is infinite and everlasting righteoufnefs; it is the mortification of the flesh, the quickening of the Spirit; our mighty victory over the law, fin, death, hell, the world and the devil; it is the firft and laft, and all in all, in the kingdom of the Son And he that believes as the fcriptures have said, is already truly paffed from fin to righteousness, from death to life, and from Satan to God.

So that right faith is a moft precious grace, and is' found in very few of the common profeffors of the worldly church; fo that Chrift himself makes this queftion, The Son of man when he comes, fhall be find faith upon earth? And therefore it concerns all to inquire and try, Whether we partake of this faith or no? And whether the life we live in the flesh, be in the faith of the Son of God? otherwise we must know, that as he that believes fhall be faved, fo be that believes not shall be damned.

THE

.

STUMBLING-STONE,

OR, A

DISCOURSE

Touching that offence which the world and worldly church do take against,

I. CHRIST Himself.

2. His true Word.

3. His true Worship.

4. His true Church.

5. His true Government.

6. His true Ministry.

Wherein the UNIVERSITY is reproved by the WORD of GOD.

Delivered partly to the Univerfity-Congregation in Cambridge, partly to another in the fame Town. Together with

A brief touch in the Epiftle (for the present) on the late quarrelfome, weak and erroneous Animadverfions of one Mr Chambers, called Doctor in Divinity, and Pastor of Pewfy, in Wiltshire.

By WILLIAM DEL L,

Minifter of the Gospel, and Master of Gonvil and Caius College, in Cambridge.

Mihi plane omnium jucundiffima facies ifta in rebus eft, videre ob verbum Dei studia & diffentiones fieri; is enim eft verbi Dei curfus, cafus & eventus; nam dicit, non veni pacem mittere fed gladium. Luther.