A Body of Practical Divinity

3. Faith is a Grace so acceptable to God, because by Faith we present a Righteousness to God which doth best please him. We bring the Righteousness of Christ into the Court, which is called the Righteousness of God, 2 Cor. 5.21. To bring Christs Righteousness, is to bring Benjamin with us. A Believer may say, Lord, it is not the Righteousness of Adam, or of the Angels, but of Christ who is God-Man, ⟨p. 400⟩Man that I bring before thee. The Lord cannot choose but smell a sweet Savour in Christ's Righteousness.

Use II. Trial. Let us try our Faith; there is something which looks like Faith, and is not. Pliny saith there is a Cyprian Stone, which is in Colour like a Diamond, but it is not of the right kind. There is a false spurious Faith in the World. Some Plants have the same Leaf with others, but the Herbalists can distinguish them by the Root and Taste. Something may look like true Faith, but it may be distinguished several ways.

Vse II. Trial. Let us try our Faith; there is something which looks like Faith, and is not. Pliny saith there is a Cyprian Stone, which is in Colour like a Diamond, but it is not of the right kind. There is a false spurious Faith in the World. Some Plants have the same Leaf with others, but the Herbalists can distinguish them by the Root and Taste. Something may look like true Faith, but it may be distinguished several ways.

(1.) Trial. True Faith is grounded upon Knowledge: Knowledge carries the Torch before Faith. There is a Knowledge of Christ's Orient Exercises,