(2.) There is Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This Grace is necessary, that we may own our Redeemer, and be thankful to him, as the Author of our Deliverance. Rom. 7. 25. O wretched Man that I am! But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And also Faith is necessary, that we may trust our selves in his hands. We are to take Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King; to hear him as our Prophet; Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son, hear him. We are to receive him as our Lord and King, Col. 2. 6. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. We are to consider him, as the great High-Priest of our Confession; Heb. 3. 1. Let us consider the Lord Jesus, the great Apostle, and High-Priest of our Confession. Hear him we must as a Prophet, that we may form our Hopes by his Covenant, and frame our Lives by his holy and pure Doctrine. Receive him we must as a King, that we may obey him in all things. ⟨p. 34⟩Consider him as a Priest, that we may depend upon the Merit and Value of his Sacrifice and Intercession, and may the more confidently plead his Covenant and Promises to God. Now without this there can be no Commerce between us and Christ. Who will learn of him as a Prophet, whom he takes to be a Deceiver? obey him as a King, who doth not believe his Power? or depend upon him with any confidence or hopes of Mercy, if he doth not believe the value of his Merit and Sacrifice? Herein these things differ, Repentance towards God, and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; the one respects the End, God; the other the Means, Christ. Repentance more especially respects our Duty, Faith our Comfort. Repentance, newness of Life for the future, and returning to the Primitive Duty, the Love of God, and obeying his Will: Faith, Pardon of what is past, and Hope of Mercy to come. In short, to God we give up our selves as our Supreme Lord; to Christ as Mediator, who alone can bring us to God: To God, as taking his Will for the Rule of our Lives and Actions, and preferring his Love above all that is dear in the World; To Christ, as our Lord and Saviour, who makes our Peace with God, and gives the Holy Spirit to change our Hearts, that we may for ever live upon him as our Life, Hope and Strength. Thus I have briefly showed you, how Repentance respects God, and Faith our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2.) There is Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ. This Grace is necessary, that we may own our Redeemer, and be thankful to him, as the Author of our Deliverance. Rom. 7. 25. O wretched Man that I am! But thanks be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And also Faith is necessary, that we may trust our selves in his hands. We are to take Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King; to hear him as our Prophet; Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son, hear him. We are to receive him as our Lord and King, Col. 2. 6. As ye have received Christ Iesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. We are to consider him, as the great High-Priest of our Confession; Heb. 3. 1. Let us consider the Lord Iesus, the great Apostle, and High-Priest of our Confession. Hear him we must as a Prophet, that we may form our Hopes by his Covenant, and frame our Lives by his holy and pure Doctrine. Receive him we must as a King, that we may obey him in all things. ⟨p. 34⟩Consider him as a Priest, that we may depend upon the Merit and Value of his Sacrifice and Intercession, and may the more confidently plead his Covenant and Promises to God. Now without this there can be no Commerce between us and Christ. Who will learn of him as a Prophet, whom he takes to be a Deceiver? obey him as a King, who doth not believe his Power? or depend upon him with any confidence or hopes of Mercy, if he doth not believe the value of his Merit and Sacrifice? Herein these things differ, Repentance towards God, and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; the one respects the End, God; the other the Means, Christ. Repentance more especially respects our Duty, Faith our Comfort. Repentance, newness of Life for the future, and returning to the Primitive Duty, the Love of God, and obeying his Will: Faith, Pardon of what is past, and Hope of Mercy to come. In short, to God we give up our selves as our Supreme Lord; to Christ as Mediatour, who alone can bring us to God: To God, as taking his Will for the Rule of our Lives and Actions, and preferring his Love above all that is dear in the World; To Christ, as our Lord and Saviour, who makes our Peace with God, and gives the Holy Spirit to change our Hearts, that we may for ever live upon him as our Life, Hope and Strength. Thus I have briefly shewed you, how Repentance respects God, and Faith our Lord Jesus Christ.
