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

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 John 2.23. many are there said [Greek or Hebrew], To believe on the Name of Christ, to whom yet Christ would not commit himself, but only for the most part is so. The Scripture often expresseth it by [Greek or Hebrew], especially by the Evangelist John, sometimes ⟨p. 542⟩with the Dative case, Act. 18.8. Act. 27.25. sometimes it hath the Dative case, with the Preposition [Greek or Hebrew], Rom. 9.33. Rom. 10.11. sometimes with [Greek or Hebrew] and the Accusative case, Rom. 4.5. Rom. 4.24. sometimes on the Name of Christ, sometimes on Christ, sometimes on God; and all these expressions do come to the same effect, only hereby is expressed more then a mere intellectual assent, or speculative belief. There is also included the fiducial and cordial inclination of the whole heart, to rest solely upon Christ, renouncing every thing else, that may be thought to reconcile God to us.