The Fountain of Life Opened

Corollary. 2.

Hence also be informed of the necessity of faith, ¹in order to a state and sense of peace with God. For to what purpose is the blood of Christ our sacrifice shed, unless it be actually and personally applied,² and appropriated by faith? You know when the sacrifices under the Law were brought to be slain; he that brought it, was to put his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, and so it was accepted from him, to make an atonement. Lev. 1.4. Not only to signify, that now it was no more his, but Gods; the propriety being transferred by a kind of manumission; nor yet that he voluntarily gave it to the Lord, as his own free act; but principally it noted the putting off his sins, and the penalty due to him for them, upon the head of the sacrifice: and so it implied in it an execration, as if he had said, upon thy head be the evil. So the Learned observe the Ancient Egyptians were wont expressly to imprecate, when they sacrificed. If any evil be coming upon us, or upon Egypt; let it turn and rest upon this head, laying their hand at these words on the sacrifices head. And upon that ground saith the Historian, ³none of them would ⟨p. 136⟩eat of the head of any living creature. You must also lay the hand of faith upon Christ your sacrifice, not to imprecate, but apply, and appropriate him to your own souls; he having been made a curse for you.

Hence also be informed of the necessity of faith, ¹in order to a state and sense of peace with God. For to what purpose is the blood of Christ our sacrifice shed, unless it be actually and personally applyed,