Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

2. Propounded as a good word; then follows, 1. Acceptation. 2. Affiance.

1. Acceptation, which receives Christ; Joh. 1.12. As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Then a man resolves, I will take God on his word: and thereupon follows

A resting or relying on God, which is a proper act of faith. I need no other place than Rom. 10.13. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved: But how shall they call on him, on whom they have not believed? that is, on whom they have not reposed their confidence. Mark the Apostle, How shall they call on him, on whom they have not believed? That Faith ⟨p. 96⟩which was the Antecedent, must be in the conclusion; therefore our faith is a relying on God: and so in this place this trust is made the same with faith, as it is in the Text, in whom you trusted, after you had received the word of Truth: for our trust and belief there is the self same word, — Nimium ne creed colori: this (Credo) is to have a great confidence in fleeting and fading things; and so it is in justifying faith, With respect to the unshaken truths of the incorruptible and unchangeable Word of his, which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 Pet. 1.23. If I have a knowledge of God, and acknowledgement of him, and from my knowing, my will is conformed to accept Christ; and if when I have accepted him, I will not part from him: this is faith, and if thou hast this faith, thou wilt never perish. Suppose thou never hadst one day of comfort all thy life long, yet my life for thine thou art saved. Perhaps by reason of thy ignorance thou hast no feeling, yet if thou consent, thou art justified; it is the consent makes the match. If thou consent to the Father, and take Christ the Son, know it, or know it not, thou hast him: though thou knowest not, whether thy sins are forgiven; yet as long as thou keepest thy hold, all the Devil's temptations shall never drive thee from him; thou art justified, and in a safe case, though ignorance and other things in thee cause thee not to feel it, if thou layest hold on him for his sake, thou art apprehended.