1.1 The first Direction is this, That in seeking forgiveness, or justification in the Promises, as Christ is to be principally in the eye of your faith, so it must be Christ as crucified, Christ as dying, as here he is made. It was the Serpent as lift up, and so looked at, that healed them. Now this direction I give to prevent a mistake which souls that are about to believe, do often run into: For when they hear that the person of Christ is the main object of faith, they thus conceive of it, that when one comes first to believe, he should look only upon the personal excellencies of Grace and Glory which are in Jesus Christ, which follow upon the Hypostatical Union; and so have his heart allured in unto Christ by them only, and close with him under those apprehensions alone. But although it be true, that there is that radical disposition in the faith of every Believer, which if it were drawn forth to view Christ in his mere personal excellencies abstractively considered, would close with Christ for them alone, as seeing such a beauty and suitableness in them; yet the first view which an humbled soul always doth, and is to take of him, is of his being a Saviour, made sin, and a curse, and obeying to the death for sinners. He takes up Christ in his first sight of him, under the likeness of sinful flesh, (for so the Gospel first represents him, though it holds forth his personal excellencies also) and in that representation ⟨p. 24⟩it is, that he is made a fit object for a sinners faith to trust & rest upon, for salvation, which in part distinguisheth a sinners faith whilst here on earth, towards Christ, from that vision or sight which Angels and the souls of men have in heaven of him. Faith here views him not only as glorious at Gods right hand, (though so also) but as crucified, as made sin, and a curse, and so rests upon him for pardon; but in heaven we shall see him as he is, and be made like unto him. Take Christ in his personal excellencies simply considered, and so with them propounded as an Head to us, & he might have been a fit object for Angels and men even without sin to have closed withal; and what an addition to their happiness would they have thought it, to have him for their husband! but yet, so considered, he should have been, and rather is, the object of love, then of faith or affiance.
1.1 The first Direction is this, That in seeking forgivenesse, or justification in the Promises, as Christ is to be principally in the eye of your faith, so it must be Christ as crucified, Christ as dying, as here he is made. It was the Serpent as lift up, and so looked at, that healed them. Now this direction I give to prevent a mistake which soules that are about to beleeve, doe often run into: For when they heare that the person of Christ is the maine object of faith, they thus conceive of it, that when one comes first to beleeve, he should looke onely upon the personall excellencies of Grace and Glory which are in Jesus Christ, which follow upon the Hypostaticall Union; and so have his heart allured in unto Christ by them onely, and close with him under those apprehensions alone. But although it be true, that there is that radicall disposition in the faith of every Beleever, which if it were drawne forth to view Christ in his meere personall excellencies abstractively considered, would close with Christ for them alone, as seeing such a beauty and suitablenesse in them; yet the first view which an humbled soule alwayes doth, and is to take of him, is of his being a Saviour, made sinne, and a curse, and obeying to the death for sinners. He takes up Christ in his first sight of him, under the likenes of sinfull flesh, (for so the Gospel first represents him, though it holds forth his personall excellencies also) and in that representation ⟨p. 24⟩it is, that he is made a fit object for a sinners faith to trust & rest upon, for salvation, which in part distinguisheth a sinners faith whilst here on earth, towards Christ, from that vision or sight which Angels and the souls of men have in heaven of him. Faith here views him not onely as glorious at Gods right hand, (though so also) but as crucified, as made sin, and a curse, and so rests upon him for pardon; but in heaven we shall see him as he is, and be made like unto him. Take Christ in his personall excellencies simply considered, and so with them propounded as an Head to us, & he might have been a fit object for Angels and men even without sin to have closed withall; and what an additon to their happinesse would they have thought it, to have him for their husband! but yet, so considered, he should have been, and rather is, the object of love, then of faith or affiance.
- 11. Direction.
