CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

2. The Object, in those, [Greek or Hebrew].

2. The Object, in those, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.

For the gracious disposition, viz. of believing, I shall (God willing) treat more generally of the Nature of it, vers. 21. where it's again mentioned, and so shall pass over the Act, and come to the Object, that specifieth it: And the Greek word [Greek or Hebrew] is emphatical; for it's observed by the learned, that no profane Authors use that phrase [Greek or Hebrew], it's peculiar to the Scripture: So that as the thing it self, viz. recumbency and resting upon Christ for salvation, is only known in the Church of God, so is the phrase.

For the gracious disposition, viz. of believing, I shall (God willing) treat more generally of the Nature of it, vers. 21. where it's again mentioned, and so shall passe over the Act, and come to the Object, that specifieth it: And the Greek word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is emphatical; for it's observed by the learned, that no prophane Authors use that phrase 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, it's peculiar to the Scripture: So that as the thing it self, viz. recumbency and resting upon Christ for salvation, is onely known in the Church of God, so is the phrase.

I shall not at this time examine that ordinary distinction of credere Deum, Deo, and in Deum, it will be more pertinent at vers. 21. where the whole Nature of faith in it's latitude is to be examined. At this time, I am to consider the restriction of it to it's principal and chief Object, and that is Christ: For there is a two fold object of Faith, the general, and that is the whole truth of God revealed in the Scriptures, and the special, that is, the Lord Christ making an atonement for us, and as Faith doth respect this special object, so it justifieth, a mans faith doth not justify him, as it believeth the threatenings or historical part of the Scripture, but as it receiveth Christ, and resteth on him. It's true, the habit of justifying faith puts it self forth into all those general acts, as a man by his rational soul accomplisheth the acts of sense, which are common to a beast, but that which doth specifically constitute him as a man, is rationality; so justifying faith doth enable a man to believe every truth revealed in Gods Word, but that by which he is justified, is when he wholly depends upon Christ, and as was said, This is emphatically expressed in Scripture, by [Greek or Hebrew], not that this doth every where signify the act of saving and justifying faith, for