A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the…A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the…

What need we fear to commit our souls to him,¹ who is able to keep them, and hath bound himself to save them, if we rely upon him? Our Faith is directed to God in and through Jesus Christ our near kinsman, who hath taken our nature, and is become flesh of our flesh. Though we feared some great man, yet were he married to our house, very near us, this circumstance would animate us not a little: the same should we think of our God, married as aforesaid to our flesh.² Christ our Saviour and high Priest ever liveth, to appear in heaven before his Father, and to make intercession for us. ³The Father, who hath committed all judgement to the Son, hath given unto him power to remit and pardon sin;⁴ and he as our surety, having all our debt laid upon him, hath by one oblation of himself once offered, purchased for us eternal redemption; and by virtue of his obedience hath received for us, whatsoever he distributeth unto us. By believing we glorify God both in his truth, power, wisdom, love, grace and mercy,⁵ whom before we dishonoured by our sins. For the grace of God is manifested by faith in Jesus Christ,⁶ in the declaration and acknowledgement whereof ⟨p. 159⟩standeth the chief praise and glory of the Lord, as the the last end of all his works. Mercy and compassion in Man is but as the drop of a bucket in comparison of that huge Ocean of grace that is to be found in our God.⁷ But God requires that we should forgive our Brother seventy times seven times, if he did repent after he had trespassed against us: and will not our God, who exacteth such compassion in us, be much more ready to extend mercy unto us, if we sue unto him. There is no difficulty so great either in respect of sin or of the means &c, but it hath been overcome by every one of the Saints, which is our encouragement to seek faith, that we might be healed.