I begin with the First, Faith in Jesus Christ, Rom. 3.25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood. The great Privilege in the Text is, to have Christ for a Propitiation, which is not only to free us from God's Wrath, but to ingratiate us into God's Love and Favour. And the Means of having Christ to be our Propitiation is, Faith in his Blood. There is a two-fold Faith, Fides quae creditur, (i. e.) The Doctrine of Faith; and Fides qua creditur, (i. e.) the Grace of Faith. The Act of Justifying Faith lies in Recumbency: We do [Greek or Hebrew], Rest on Christ alone for Salvation. As a Man that is ready to drown, catcheth hold on the Bough of a Tree. So a poor trembling Sinner seeing himself ready to perish, catcheth hold by Faith on Christ the Tree of Life, and so is saved. The Work of Faith is the Holy Spirit; therefore Faith is called the Fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. Faith doth not grow in Nature, it is an outlandish Plant, a Fruit of the Spirit. This Grace of Faith is Sanctissimum humani pectoris Bonum; of all others the most precious rich Faith, and most Holy Faith, and Faith of Gods Elect. Hence it is called Precious Faith, 2 Pet. 1.1. As Gold is the most precious among the Metals, so is Faith among the Graces. Faith is the Queen of the Graces: Faith is the Condition of the Gospel. Thy Faith hath saved thee, Luke 7.50. Not thy Tears. Faith is the Vital Artery of the Soul, it animates it. Hab. 2.4. The Just shall live by his Faith. Unbelievers, tho they breathe, yet want Life. Faith is (as Clemens Alexandrinus calls it) a Mother-Grace; it excites and invigorates all the Graces: Not a Grace stirs till Faith sets it awork. Faith sets Repentance awork; 'tis like Fire to the Still. Faith sets Hope awork. First we believe the Promise, then we hope for it. Did not Faith feed the Lamp of Hope with Oil, it would soon die. Faith sets Love awork. Gal. 5.6. Faith which worketh by love. Who can believe in the Infinite Merits of Christ, and his Heart not ascend in a Fiery Chariot of Love? Faith is a Catholicon, or Remedy against all Troubles: A Sheet-Anchor we cast out into the Sea of God's Mercy, and are kept from sinking in Despair. Other Graces have done worthily; but thou (O Faith) excellest them all. Indeed in Heaven Love will be the chief Grace; but while we are here militant, Love must give place to Faith.
I begin with the First, Faith in Iesus Christ, Rom. 3.25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Prop•tiation through Faith in his Blood. The great Priviledge in the Text is, to have Christ for a Propitiation, which is not only to free us from God's Wrath, but to ingra•iate us into God's Love and Favour. And the Means of having Christ to be our Propitiation is, Faith in his Blood. There is a two-fold Faith, Fides quae creditur, (i. e.) The Doctrine of Faith; and Fides qua creditur, (i. e.) the Grace of Faith. The Act of Justifying Faith lies in Recumbency: We do 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Rest on Christ alone for Salvation. As a Man that is ready to drown, catcheth hold on the Bough of a Tree. So a poor trembling Sinner seeing himself ready to perish, catcheth hold by Faith on Christ the Tree of Life, and so is saved. The Work of Faith is the Holy Spirit; therefore Faith is called the Fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. Faith doth not grow in Nature, it is an outlandish Plant, a Fruit of the Spirit. This Grace of Faith is Sanctissimum humani pectoris Bonum; of all others the most precious rich Faith, and most Holy Faith, and Faith of Gods Elect. Hence it is called Precious Faith, 2 Pet. 1.1. As Gold is the most precious among the Metals, so is Faith among the Graces. Faith is the Queen of the Graces: Faith is the Condition of the Gospel. Thy Faith hath saved thee, Luke 7.50. Not thy Tears. Faith is the Vital Artery of the Soul, it animates it. Hab. 2.4. The Iust shall live by his Faith. Unbelievers, tho they breathe, yet want Life. Faith is (as Clemens Alexandrinus calls it) a Mother-Grace; it excites and invigorates all the Graces: Not a Grace stirs till Faith sets it awork. Faith sets Repentance awork; 'tis like Fire to the Still. Faith sets Hope awork. First we believe the Promise, then we hope for it. Did not Faith feed the Lamp of Hope with Oyl, it would soon die. Faith sets Love awork. Gal. 5.6. Faith which worketh by love. Who can believe in the Infinite Merits of Christ, and his Heart not ascend in a Fiery Chariot of Love? Faith is a Catholicon, or Remedy against all Troubles: A Sheat-Anchor we cast out into the Sea of God's Mercy, and are kept from sinking in Despair. Other Graces have done worthily; but thou (O Faith) excellest them all. Indeed in Heaven Love will be the chief Grace; but while we are here militant, Love must give place to Faith.
