This is the second thing in the description of Faith, the soul of an humbled sinner is the subject or matter of Faith. I do not mean the matter out of which Faith is wrought, (for there is nothing in man out of which the Spirit begets it) but that wherein Faith is seated; I mean also the habit of Faith, not the principle of it; for that ⟨p. 174⟩is out of man in the Lord Jesus, who is therefore called our hope, as well as our strength; the soul therefore is the subject of Faith, called the heart, Rom. 10.9. compared with Mat. 6.21. for we cannot go or come to Christ in this life with our bodies, we are here absent from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. but the soul can go to him, the heart can be with him, as the eye can see a 1000 miles off, and receive the species or image of the things it sees into it, so the soul enlightened by faith, can see Christ a far off, it can long for, choose, and rest upon the Lord of life, and receive the lively image of Christs glory in it; 2 Cor. 3. ult. If Christ were present upon earth, the soul (not the body) only could truly receive him; Christ comes to his elect only by his Spirit, and hence our spirits only are fit to receive him and close with him; thousands hear Christ outwardly, that inwardly are deaf to all Gods calls, their spirits see not, taste not, feel not; it is therefore the soul that is the subject of Faith: and I say it is an humbled empty soul which is the subject; for a full, proud, nbroken spirit cannot, nay will not receive Christ, as we have proved; and therefore Luke 14. the servant is commanded to bid the poor, halt, and blind, and lame, to come in; they would not make excuses as others did: they that were stung to death with fiery ⟨p. 175⟩Serpents, were the only men that the brazen Serpent was lifted up for them to look upon, and so be healed, John 3.14. and therefore the promise doth not run, If any man have wisdom let him ask it, but if any man want wisdom, James 1.5. so if any man want light, life, want peace, pardon, want Christ and his Spirit, let them ask and the Lord will give, away with your money if you come to these waters to buy, and take freely; If any man would be wise, let him be a fool, (saith the blessed Apostle) an empty nothing; a soul in a perishing, helpless, hopeless condition, is the subject of faith;
This is the second thing in the description of Faith, the soule of an humbled sinner is the subject or matter of Faith. I doe not meane the matter out of which Faith is wrought, (for there is nothing in man out of which the Spirit begets it) but that wherein Faith is seated; I meane also the habit of Faith, not the principle of it; for that ⟨p. 174⟩is out of man in the Lord Jesus, who is therefore called our hope, as wel as our strength; the soule therefore is the subject of Faith, called the heart, Rom. 10.9. compared with Mat. 6.21. for we cannot goe or come to Christ in this life with our bodies, we are here absent from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. but the soule can goe to him, the heart can bee with him, as the eye can see a 1000 miles off, and receive the species or image of the things it sees into it, so the soule inlightned by faith, can see Christ a farre off, it can long for, choose, and rest upon the Lord of life, and receive the lively image of Christs glory in it; 2 Cor. 3. ult. If Christ were present upon earth, the soule (not the body) onely could truly receive him; Christ comes to his elect only by his Spirit, and hence our spirits only are fit to receive him and close with him; thousands heare Christ outwardly, that inwardly are deafe to all Gods calls, their spirits see not, tast not, feel not; it is therefore the soule that is the subject of Faith: and I say it is an humbled empty soule which is the subject; for a full, proud, nbroken spirit cannot, nay will not receive Christ, as wee have proved; and therefore Luke 14. the servant is commanded to bid the poore, halt, and blind, and lame, to come in; they would not make excuses as others did: they that were stung to death with fiery ⟨p. 175⟩Serpents, were the only men that the brasen Serpent was lifted up for them to look upon, and so be healed, Iohn 3.14. and therefore the promise doth not run, If any man have wisdome let him aske it, but if any man want wisdom, Iames 1.5. so if any man want light, life, want peace, pardon, want Christ and his Spirit, let them aske and the Lord will give, away with your mony if you come to these waters to buy, and take freely; If any man would be wise, let him be a foole, (saith the blessed Apostle) an empty nothing; a soule in a perishing, helplesse, hopelesse condition, is the subject of faith;
