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sent of will, and accepting of Christ, upon such terms as he is offered. They that receive Christ aright enter into the marriage covenant, resolving to forsake all others, and obey him, and to take up his cross, and to endure all hardships with him, and for him, as shame, disgrace, poverty, hatred in the world, and all manner of reproach; this they consent to, and resolve upon for the present, and from this time forward, for the whole time of their life; which things many neither did, nor intended to do, when they gave their names to Christ; they only received him as their Jesus, one by whom they hoped to be saved and honoured, expecting that he should endow them with a fair jointure of heaven, but they did not receive him as their Lord. In doing thus, they erred in the essentials of marriage. For they erred in the person, taking an idol Christ, for the true Christ. They erred in the form of marriage; they took him not for the present, nor absolutely, for better for worse, as we say, in sickness and health, in good report and ill report, in persecution and in peace, forsaking all other, never to part, no not at death. Wherefore Christ does not own those foolish virgins, when they would enter the bride-chamber, but saith, I know you not, Matt. xxv. 12, because there was no true consent on their part, they had no faith; and their contract or marriage with Christ was only in speech, but was never legal, or consummated.

By this which has been said, others who have faith indeed, may know they have it, namely, if they so believe the covenant of grace established in Christ, that with all their hearts they accept of him and it, so that they sincerely desire and purpose to stand to it on their parts, as they are able, and rest on it so far as it concerns Christ to fulfil it. For this is faith.

Unto this, some fearful souls will reply; If we have no faith, except to an assent unto the truth, we do also receive Christ offered, with a deliberate, entire, and free consent, to rest on him, to be ruled by him, and to take part with him in all conditions; then we doubt that we have no faith, because we so hardly brought ourselves to consent, and find ourselves so weak in