An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Thirdly, This trusting, it is an act of faith; by that grace we are able to depend upon God alone. Indeed the Papists they make trusting to be an act of ¹Hope: And it may not be denied, but that faith hath some such proportionable act flowing from it; but the trusting that the Scripture speaks so much of, is plainly an act of faith. For what the Old Testament calleth Trusting in God so often, in the New it is, Believing on God, and on Christ, [Greek or Hebrew], is no more than fiducial recumbency, or resting of the soul upon Christ. Though hope therefore hath its trust, yet faith likewise hath its trust: Only hopes object is apprehended as suture, and in expectation; but faiths trusting maketh the object present, as to apprehension: And therefore Heb. 11. 1. it is called, The substance of things hoped for. By trusting then on God, we mean not that act of faith, whereby it knoweth God, nor that whereby it giveth assent, that there is a God; but whereby the whole heart is drawn out to depend on God, and rest upon him, for whatsoever good thing he standeth in need of. And therefore this trusting in God is necessarily accompanied with a love of God, and endeared thoughts about him, as a gracious Father, who will mercifully provide for all our wants. As Austin of old, Credere in Deum, was Credendo amare. So that here is a great difference between that Historical and Dogmatical faith which many Christians have, whereby they acknowledge the truths of Christ, and this fiducial trusting on God; for this is necessarily accompanied with an hearty love of, and delight in God, and cannot be separated from it. Hence the Devil that he may tempt to despair, which is a sin opposite to trust in God, he labours to keep the distressed sinner in hard thoughts of God, as one who is a ⟨p. 317⟩provoked Judge, and will not show mercy. So that as long as the heart is by these sad temptations kept at a distance, and is estranged from God, it cannot so fully trust in him.

Thirdly, This trusting, it is an act of faith; by that grace we are able to depend upon God alone. Indeed the Papists they make trusting to be an act of ¹Hope: And it may not be denied, but that faith hath some such proportionable act flowing from it; but the trusting that the Scripture speaks so much of, is plainly an act of faith. For what the Old Testament calleth Trusting in God so often, in the New it is, Believing on God, and on Christ, , is no more than fiducial recumbency, or resting of the soule upon Christ. Though hope therefore hath its trust, yet faith likewise hath its trust: Onely hopes object is apprehended as suture, and in expectation; but faiths trusting maketh the object present, as to apprehension: And therefore