faith  is.  and  what  duty  it  exacts :  for  it  is  the  scope  of  these
words  whicli  I  have  expounded,  to  lay  such  a  foundation  of
belief  as  may  unavoidably  enforce  obedience,  unless  we  forget
what  our  belief  is.  He  begins,  you  know,  this  fifth  chapter  of
his  Epistle  with  this  principle,  that  every  one  who  believes
Jesus  to  be  the  Christ  is  born  of  God :  and  from  thence  infers
(in  that  and  in  the  second  verse)  that  such  a  person  cannot  but
love  God  and  all  his  brethren  :  which  love  cannot  be  discerned
by  any  thing  but  by  keeping  his  commandments.  For  this  is
the  love  of  God,  that  we,  keep  his  commandments™.  Here  is
the  natural  fruit  of  faith  ;  this  is  its  progress,  if  you  do  not  stop
its  motions.  It  begets  in  our  heart  a  great  love  ;  and  love  is
to  be  obedient,  and  that  to  all  God's  commandments,  whicli
respect  either  our  duty  to  him  or  to  our  neighbour.  It  is  in
vain  to  say  we  believe  in  Jesus,  if  we  do  not  heartily  love  God
who  sent  him  to  us.  And  it  is  in  vain  to  pretend  love  to  God,
if  we  keep  not  his  commandments.  And  it  is  as  vain  to  say  we
have  a  dutiful  respect  to  his  commandments,  if  our  neighbour
have  any  cause  to  complain  of  us.  For  he  that  loveth  not  his
brother  u>hom  he  hath  seen,  hoiv  can  he  love  God  icftom  he
hath  not  seen?  And  this  commandment  we  have  from  him,
that  he  who  loveth  God  love  his  brother  alson.
