ll sin and uncleanness. And
the command comes out in perfection, and discovers his shortcoming and
inability, and therefore he is put to Jesus for strength. And this is the
end of the perfect rule upon believers, that they, comparing duty with
their ability, may be forced to make up their inability for duty by faith
in Christ.

III. We may know from this what great encouragement we have to believe,
and how great warrant, since not only God commands faith itself (1 John
iii. 23.), but he hath appointed faith to be the end of all other
commands, and hath given the whole law for this end. For "without faith it
is impossible to see God." Faith is that which God loves best in all
obedience. What is it that makes faith so precious? Certainly not the act
itself, but the precious object of it, Jesus Christ, in whom the Father is
well pleased. Faith glorifies God in his justice and mercy most, and
abases the creature. Now what an obligation lies on us to believe? It is
usual to question a right and warrant of faith, when we have no doubt of
other commands. But, in all reason, any command might be questioned before
faith. There is no duty admits of less disputing. Hath not God put it out
of all controversy? What warrant have ye to pray, or to sanctify the
Sabbath? Is it not because God commands these duties? And do ye not go
about them in obedience to God, notwithstanding of the sense of your own
inability? How comes it then that ye make any more scruple of this? Hath
not the same authority that gave the ten commands, given also this new
command? And shall not disobedience be rebellion, and worse than
witchcraft?(471) But when besides all this, it is the appointed end of all
the commands, so that ye may say, it is commanded in all the commands and
the whole law,--command and curse is a virtual kind of commanding
faith,--then what shall disobedience be? When ye break one command, ye are
guilty of all. Much more here, not only because of God's authority stamped
upon all, but because it is the common end of all. If ye could once come
to believe that ye had as good warrant to believe in Christ as to abstain
from cursing God's name, and as great obligation, what could ye answer for
disobedience?

IV: This is a point of great consolation also. What more terrible than the
law? Nothing in all the world. Nothing in all the word so dreadful as the
trumpet on Sinai, sounding louder and louder. The judge and law gives
voice. Yet if ye could