Christ Set Forth

The Reason of this defect among many other I have attributed partly to a Barrenness (as Peters phrase is) in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of such things revealed about him, as might be matter for faith to work and feed upon: As also to a want of skill (whilst men want assurance) to bend and bow, and subjugate to the use of a faith of mere adherence, all those things that they know and hear of Christ as made justification unto us. It being in experience a matter of the greatest difficulty, (and yet certainly most feasible and attainable) for such a faith, as can yet only rely & cast it self upon Christ for justification, yet rightly to take in, and so to make use of all that which is or may be said of Christ his being made righteousness to us, in his Death, Resurrection, &c. as to quicken and strengthen it self in such acts of mere Adherence, until Assurance it self comes, for whose use and entertainment all such truths lie more fair and directly to be received by it. They all serve as a fore-right wind to assurance of faith, to fill the sails thereof, & carry it on with a more full and constant gale, (as the word used by the Apostle for Assurance imports) whereas to the faith of a poor recumbent, they serve but as a half-side-wind, unto which yet, through skill, the sails of such a faith may be so turned and applied towards it, as to carry a soul on with much ease and quietness unto Christ, the desired Haven; It notwithstanding waiting all that while, for a more fair and full gale of assurances in the end.

The Reason of this defect among many other I have attributed partly to a Barrennes (as Peters phrase is) in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of such things revealed about him, as might be matter for faith to worke and feede upon: As also to a want of skill (whilst men want assurance) to bend and bow, and subjugate to the use of a faith of meere adherence, all those things that they know and heare of Christ as made justification unto us. It being in experience a matter of the greatest difficulty, (and yet certainly most feasable and attainable) for such a faith, as can yet onely relie & cast it self upon Christ for justification, yet rightly to take in, and so to make use of all that which is or may be said of Christ his being made righteousnesse to us, in his Death, Resurrection, &c. as to quicken and strengthen it selfe in such acts of meere Adherence, untill Assurance it selfe comes, for whose use and entertainment all such truths lie more fair and directly to be received by it. They all serve as a fore-right wind to assurāce of faith, to fil the sails thereof, & carry it on with a more full and constant gale, (as the word used by the Apostle for Assurance imports) whereas to the faith of a poore recumbent, they serve but as a halfe-side-wind, unto which yet, through skill, the sailes of such a faith may be so turned and applyed towards it, as to carry a soule on with much ease and quietnesse unto Christ, the desired Haven; It notwithstanding waiting all that while, for a more faire and full gale of assurances in the end.