A Body of Practical Divinity

1. Self-renunciation: Faith is a going out of one's self, a Man is taken off from his own bottom, he sees he hath no Righteousness of his own to save him, Phil. 3.9. Not having my own righteousness. Self-righteousness is a broken Reed, the Soul dares not lean on. Repentance and Faith are both Humbling Graces; by Repentance a Man ⟨p. 125⟩abhors himself; by Faith he goes out of himself. Is is with a Sinner in the first Act of Believing, as with Israel in their Wilderness-march, behind them they saw Pharaoh and his Chariots pursuing them, before them the Red Sea ready to devour them: so the Soul behind sees God's Justice pursuing him for Sin, before Hell ready to devour him; and in this forlorn Condition, he sees nothing in himself to help him, but he must perish unless he can find help in another.

2. Recumbency: The Soul casts itself upon Jesus Christ: [Greek or Hebrew]; Faith rests on Christ's Person. Faith believes the Promise, but that which Faith rests upon in the Promise, is the Person of Christ: Therefore the Spouse is said to lean upon her Beloved, Cant. 8.5. And Faith is described to be a believing on the Name of the Son of God, Joh. 3.23. viz. On his Person, the Promise is but the Cabinet, Christ is the Jewel in it. Faith embraceth; the Promise is but the Dish, Christ is the Food in it which Faith feeds on. And as Faith rests on Christ's Person, so on his Person under this Notion, as he was crucified. Faith glories in the Cross of Christ, Gal. 6.14. To consider Christ as he is crowned with all manner of Excellencies, doth rather stir up Admiration and Wonder; but Christ looked upon as Bleeding and Dying is the proper Object of our Faith: therefore it is called Faith in his blood,