Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

Sol. I say as before, God had respect to the low estate of his hand-maid, it was reason that God should choose the lowest, and the meanest: God selected this poor beggars hand for two reasons.

First, in respect of God.

I say 1. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Rom. 4.16. so that here are two strong reasons; in respect of God, that God by so mean a thing as a beggars hand, should bring a man to justification; and the other in respect of faith it self, that it might see by grace, that when thou bringest nothing but a bare hand ready to receive a pardon must needs be this of grace. If God say Thou must love me, this were an exchange, not a free gift. I lay down something, and I take up something for it. Faith is that naked hand which fills it self with Christ, it layeth fast hold of justification. As if a man were ready to be drowned, there is a cable cast to him to lay hold on, and he laying hold on it is drawn safe to the Land; but a man when he lays hold of the cable, must let go all his other ⟨p. 438⟩holds which he laid hold on before. Thus must a man let go all other holds, and lay fast hold on Jesus Christ.

I say 1. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Rom. 4.16