The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

and therefore consenting ⟨p. 343⟩to the Medicines (or receiving this man to be his Physician as a p•escriber of the Medicines) is more the condition of his cure, than his consenting to the cure it self, or receiving the Physician as the cause of his health: So here it is supposed that condemned sinners are already willing to be justified, pardoned and saved from punishment, but not willing to repent and follow the teaching and counsel of a Saviour; and therefore that Pardon and Justification is given and offered them, on condition that they accept of, and submit to the teaching and government of Christ, and of salvation from their sins: But the truth is, we must not presume beyond his revelation, to give the reasons of Gods institutions: We are sure that the entire Belief in Christ, and accepting of himself as our perfect Saviour in order to all the ends of his Relation, is made by God in his Covenant, the condition of our title to the benefits of his Covenant conjunctly: And it is not only the believing in Christ for pardon that as such is the condition of pardon; nor is any one act the condition of any benefit, but as it is a part of that whole Faith which is indeed the condition.

The occasion of their error is, that they consider only what it is in Christ the object of Faith which justifieth, sanctifieth, &c. and they think that the act only which is exercised on that object must do it; which is a gross mistake: Because Faith is not like taking of money, jewels, books, &c. into ones hand, which is a physical act which taketh possession of them: But it is a Jus or Debitum, a Right and Relation which we are morally and passively to receive, as constituting our first Justification and Pardon; and as the condition of this we are to take Christ for our Saviour, which is but a physical active metaphorical receiving, in order to the attainment of the said passive proper receiving (For recipere proprie est pati.)

The occasion of their errour is, that they consider only what it is in Christ the object of Faith which justifieth, sanctifieth, &c. and they think that the act only which is exercised on that object must do it; which is a gross mistake: Because Faith is not like taking of mony, jewels, books, &c. into ones hand, which is a physical act which taketh possession of them: But it is a Jus or Debitum, a Right and Relation which we are morally and passively to receive, as constituting our first Justification and Pardon; and as the condition of this we are to take Christ for our Saviour, which is but a physicial active metaphorical receiving, in order to the attainment of the said passive proper receiving (For recipere proprie est pati.)