Use 6: Of Exhortation

Labor after sound saving and effectual faith. There is nothing else without this, that will entitle you to salvation, or give you right to life eternal. If you would take the way to attain to salvation, attain to saving faith: attain to the righteousness which is by faith (Romans 9:30). If you would work out your own salvation, this is the main work (John 6:27, 29). It is not a few moral endeavors, or religious devotions, or reformations will be to any purpose, without this. You say, I will pray, and I will be diligent in my calling, and I will sanctify the Sabbath, and will cleave to the truth: indeed, but nothing will serve; neither can you do any of these things to purpose, unless you attain to sound and saving faith. Consider, you perish if you do not believe: you will be damned if you have not faith.

If one should tell you of a thing your life lay upon; you certainly die if you get not such a recipe; what pains and cost would you spare? You would send far and near for it. Oh! The Lord of Heaven and Earth tells you in his Word, that no faith, no salvation: you die for ever, if you get not faith before you die.

But believe, and you shall live: you shall have life eternal, and all that pertains to it (1 John 5:12-13). And this is that, that will be the support of your life here. When the world withers about you, yet if you have faith, you have roots that reach to the well of life (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Faith brings in all: faith goes to the market where all is to be had, and furnishes itself to the full. Faith is a discriminating grace: it is that that makes the difference between Christianity and morality; and nothing does so honor God as the grace of faith. Get faith and you have all; but without it, nothing at all. And, Oh! Labor that your faith may be sound and effectual. Get good [reconstructed: Coin] that may pass current in Heaven; faith of the right stamp.