The second part of knowledge is application, whereby thou must know & believe not only that Christ was crucified, but that he was crucified for thee, for thee, I say, in particular. Here two rules must be remembered and practised. One, that Christ on the cross was thy pledge and surety in particular, that he then stood in thy very room and place in which thou thy self in thine own person shouldest have stood: that thy very personal and particular sins were imputed and applied to him; that he stood guilty as a malefactor for them, and suffered the very pangs of hell, and that his sufferings are as much in acceptation with God, as if thou haddest borne the curse of the law in thine own person eternally. The holding and believing of this point is the very foundation of religion as also of the Church of God. Therefore in any wise be careful to apply Christ crucified to thy self: and as Elisha when ⟨p. 816⟩he would revive the child of the Shunamite,1 went up and lay upon him, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his hands upon his hands, & his eyes upon his eyes, and stretched himself upon him: even so, if thou wouldest be revived to everlasting life, thou must by faith as it were set thy self upon the cross of Christ, and apply thy hands to his hands, thy feet to his feet, and thy sinful heart to his bleeding heart, and content not thy self with Thomas to put thy finger into his side, but even dive and plunge thy self wholly both body and soul into the wounds and blood of Christ. This will make thee to cry with Thomas, and say, My Lord, my God; and this is to be crucified with Christ. And yet do not content thy self with this, but by faith also descend with Christ from the cross to the grave, and bury thy self in the very burial of Christ: and then look as the dead soldier tumbled into the grave of Elisha was made alive at the very touching of his body;2 so shalt thou by a spiritual touching of Christ dead and buried; be quickened to life everlasting. The second rule is, that Christ crucified is thine, being really given thee of God the father, even as truly as houses and land are given of earthly fathers to their children: this thou must firmly hold and believe; and hence is it that the benefits of Christ are before God ours indeed for our justification and salvation.
The second part of knowledge is application, whereby thou must know & beleeue not onely that Christ was crucified, but that he was crucified for thee, for thee, I say, in particular. Here two rules must be remembred and practised. One, that Christ on the crosse was thy pledge and suretie in particular, that he then stood in thy very roome and place in which thou thy selfe in thine owne person shouldest haue stood: that thy very personall and particular sinnes were imputed and applied to him; that he stoode guiltie as a malefactour for them, and suffered the very pangs of hell, and that his sufferings are as much in acceptation with God, as if thou haddest borne the curse of the law in thine owne person eternally. The holding and beleeuing of this point is the very foundation of religion as also of the Church of God. Therefore in any wise be carefull to applie Christ crucified to thy selfe: and as Elizeus when ⟨p. 816⟩he would reuiue the childe of the Shunamite,1 went vp and lay vpon him, and put his mouth vpon his mouth, and his hands vpon his hands, & his eyes vpon his eyes, and stretched himselfe vpon him: euen so, if thou wouldest be reuiued to euerlasting life, thou must by faith as it were set thy selfe vpon the crosse of Christ, and applie thy handes to his hands, thy feete to his feete, and thy sinnefull heart to his bleeding heart, and content not thy selfe with Thomas to put thy finger into his side, but euen diue and plunge thy selfe wholly both bodie and soule into the woundes and blood of Christ. This will make thee to crie with Thomas, and say, My Lord, my God; and this is to be crucified with Christ. And yet doe not content thy selfe with this, but by faith also descend with Christ from the crosse to the graue, and burie thy selfe in the very buriall of Christ: and then looke as the dead souldier tumbled into the graue of Elizeus was made aliue at the very touching of his bodie;2 so shalt thou by a spirituall touching of Christ dead and buried; be quickned to life euerlasting. The second rule is, that Christ crucified is thine, beeing really giuen thee of God the father, euen as truly as houses and land are giuen of earthly fathers to their children: this thou must firmely hold and beleeue; and hence is it that the benefits of Christ are before God ours indeede for our iustification and saluation.
- 12. King. 4. 34.
- 22. King. 13. 21.
