3. If Christ crucified be the great and proper, and next object of our Faith, then certainly it must needs be our special work and duty for to know Christ, and him crucified. Now Christ crucified is the proper object of our Faith, and being opened and Preached, will both beget and increase our Faith. It is the object of our Faith, and therefore, saith the Apostle, R•m. 3.25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood: The Blood, and Death, and Sufferings of Christ, is the next and immediate object of our Faith. Four things there are that do bid for our Faith, which men do ordinarily think we are to trust unto: the power of God, the promise of God, the personal excellencies and fullness of Christ, and their own graces. But though we do rest upon the power and all sufficiency of God, yet if you look into Scripture, you shall find, that the immediate object of our Faith is Christ crucified: God is the ultimate, Christ the immediate object, Ye believe in God, believe also in me, Joh. 14.1. in me nextly and immediately, and in God ultimately: and though we may and do rest on the promise or word of God, yet we do so far rest on it, as we do close with Christ therein: The promises are •ut the veins of Christ, whereby his blood is carried into all his body: it is with the promises as it is with the •eals, or Sacraments; for what are the Sacraments, but so many real promises made to the eye? now you do not rest on the Sacrament it self, but you rest on Christ which the Sacrament doth exhibit: so for the ⟨p. 29⟩promise, though it stay up your heart, as it is the word of God; and though it be objectum quo, the object by which you do it, yet Christ, and a crucified Christ is the objectum quod, the object which you do rest upon. And as for the personal excellencies, and fullness of Christ, though those excellencies do draw out your love unto Christ, yet it is a crucified Christ that doth draw out your Faith: The personal excellency of Christ makes him a fit subject for you to rest on, but it is Christ crucified that you build and lay the weight of your soul upon. The brazen Serpent did not cure the Israelites by virtue of it's excellent metal, but as lift up; so, saith Christ, shall the Son of man be lift up on the Cross, and as lift up on the Cross he is the object of our Faith:
3. If Christ crucified be the great and proper, and next object of our Faith, then certainly it must needs be our speciall work and duty for to know Christ, and him crucified. Now Christ crucified is the proper object of our Faith, and being opened and Preached, will both beget and increase our Faith. It is the object of our Faith, and therefore, saith the Apostle, R•m. 3.25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood: The Blood, and Death, and S•fferings of Christ, is the next and immediate object of our Faith. Four things there are that do bid for our Faith, which men do ordinarily think we are to trust unto: the power of God, the promise of God, the personall excellencies and fulnesse of Christ, and their own graces. But though we do rest upon the power and all sufficiency of God, yet if you look into Scripture, you shall find, that the immediate object of our Faith is Christ crucified: God is the u•timate, Christ the immediate object, Ye believe in God, believe also in me, Joh. 14.1. in me nextly and immediately, and in God ultimately: and though we may and do rest on the promise or word of God, yet we do so far rest on it, as we do close with Christ therein: The promises are •ut the veins of Christ, whereby his blood is carried into all his body: it is with the promises as it is with the •eals, or Sacraments; for what are the Sacraments, but so many reall promises made to the eye? now you do not rest on the Sacrament it self, but you rest on Christ which the Sacrament doth exhibit: so for the ⟨p. 29⟩promise, though it stay up your heart, as it is the word of God; and though it be objectum quo, the object by which you do it, yet Christ, and a crucified Christ is the objectum quod, the object which you do rest upon. And as for the personall excellencies, and fulnesse of Christ, though those excellencies do draw out your love unto Christ, yet it is a crucified Christ that doth draw out your Faith: The personall excellency of Christ makes him a fit subject for you to rest on, but it is Christ crucified that you build and lay the weight of your soul upon. The brazen Serpent did not cure the Israelites by virtue of it's excellent metall, but as lift up; so, saith Christ, shall the Son of man be lift up on the Crosse, and as lift up on the Crosse he is the object of our Faith:
