A Body of Practical Divinity

Quest. What doth God require of us, that we may escape the Wrath and Curse due to us for Sin?

Answ. Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance unto Life, with the diligent use of all the outward means, whereby Christ communicateth to us the Benefits of Redemption.

Answ. Faith in Iesus Christ, Repentance unto Life, with the diligent use of all the outward means, whereby Christ communicateth to us the Benefits of Redemption.

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,