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…

Secondly, There is required, A particular application of Christ and the promises to our selves by faith. For herein lieth the efficacy of faith, when with ¹Thomas it saith, My Lord, my God: Or with Paul, Who loved me, and gave himself for me. For as the seeing of meat, though never so excellent ⟨p. 396⟩and wholesome doth not nourish, but the eating of it: So the beholding of Christ revealed in the Word, as a Saviour in the general, doth not justify and pardon, but the applying of him to be my Christ and my Saviour. For this reason faith is called, John 6. The eating of Christs flesh, and drinking of Christs blood. And the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth require this particular applying act of faith; and this is the foundation for our future knowledge; till Christ be ours, we cannot know he is ours; till Christ be received by faith to dwell in our hearts, we cannot perceive that he doth dwell there. Happily then the Apostle Peter exhorteth us, 2 Pet. 1. 5. To adds to faith virtue; By that is meant the efficacy and liveliness of faith in receiving of Christ. And then to this we must add knowledge: Knowledge is to follow this efficacious application of Christ. Now this is the greater work of our faith, as to our justification. This is that which the Papists do so declaim against, and for which Estius calleth us Specialistas, Specialists. But certainly this is the acting of faith that maketh us rich, that bringeth Christ the treasure into our soul, and it is this, which the Devil doth so oppose in all the godly. Hence are all those fiery darts of Satan, all those sad and black aggravations of sin, whereby the soul, like that woman with the bloody flux, is afraid and trembleth to come directly to Christ. It is that applying act of faith, that the Devil so diligently would keep thee off, whereas if thou didst but taste of this honey, as Jonathan; or rather plentifully fill thy self with it, thou wouldst with much spiritual fortitude pursue and conquer all thy spiritual enemies. This was the blessed truth that our Reformers rescued out of Popery, being enabled thereunto by the word of God as a Rule, and the experimental work of grace upon their souls, as a sure witness to confirm them therein. But this is not all.