Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

in him God is […] and reconciled.

in him God is 〈…〉 and reconciled.

These things being premised, I say the soul by Faith doth resign up it self for pardon and justification. And, that I may observe my first method, this resignation is made

First, To Jesus Christ the Mediator. The believer, conscious to his own spiritual poverty, doth as the poor man in the Psalm, commit himself, or as the Original is, leave himself on the Lord, Psal. 10.14. In stead of a perfect righteousness, he hath rags of weakness and imperfection, but he leaves himself upon the perfect righteousness of Christ, as a thing fully answering every jot and tittle of the Law. Indeed some great Rabbis cry out upon imputative righteousness as a thing impossible, calling it putative, a mere imagination, Luther's spectrum, the pleasing dream of simple Christians; but in sober sadness the dream is on their own side. If imputative righteousness be impossible, how can we stand before the righteous Law, dooming and cursing the least defect or non-continuance in all things? Imputative righteousness is impossible, and inherent is imperfect, and how can we stand? if we stand, the righteousness of God must be upon us, Rom. 3.22. Christ must be the end of the Law for righteousness unto us, Rom. 10.4. and how can this be without an imputation? Again, if imputed righteousness be impossible, what is imputed sin? If that be so too, how was Christ made sin, or an offering for it? to what purpose was his blood and sufferings? what becomes of redemption, & all the train of blessings waiting thereon? what to those Masters of Reason is but a fancy, a spectrum or dream, that to the believer is the very thing he would be found in before God,