Christ is the foundation, No other foundation can be laid but Christ himself; lay it there: — And then that that is next to Christ the foundation, it is the true work of Faith, and the true work of Repentance; the true work of Faith that is next, that is the foundation of what is wrought in our hearts; Christ is the foundation first, but of any work ⟨p. 329⟩in our hearts, the work of Faith, Believe, and thou shalt be saved: Now then, this work of Faith, thou must rightly know what it is, and the way of thy believing; and how thou dost receive Jesus Christ in thy believing; and the power of thy Faith how that is wrought; and what the work of it is upon thy heart; now thou having laid Christ for thy foundation, and understood the mystery of the Gospel, then when thou comest to believe, in this great mystery of the Gospel, thou must consider what is it that I am now to believe; why I am now to believe this, that the thoughts of God from all eternity were for the good of the children of men; and therefore he hath sent the second Person in Trinity into the world to take mans nature upon him, to die an accursed death for the sin of man: And for me in particular, the thoughts of God were thus upon me from all eternity, to send his son into the world to take my nature upon him, and to be made a curse for my sin, to pay a price for my soul, and through him (when I believe) I do believe all my sin to be pardoned, the infinite, holy, dreadful God to be at peace with me, my soul to be reconciled; this wretched sinful soul of mine to be received into mercy, into the love of God, as the love of a Father, to be made an Heir of God and Eternal life, when thou dost believe, this is the Object of thy Faith; now this is a mighty work, a mighty thing to believe such things as these are: Consider therefore what thou doest, when thou sayest thou dost believe in Jesus Christ, put that to th• soul, canst thou, O my soul, close with these things? canst thou venture thy soul upon such things as these are? and when thou comest to believe, what dost thou? it is not that thou thinkest that these things are true, but thou dost in thy believing receive Jesus Christ according to the condition of the Gospel, that is, thy heart doth open to receive into it the King of glory; Oh it is Christ that is the foundation of the New Wo•ld that God is to raise up;
Christ is the foundation, No other foundation can bee laid but Christ himself; lay it there: — And then that that is next to Christ the foundation, it is the true work of Faith, and the true work of Repentance; the true work of Faith that is next, that is the foundation of what is wrought in our hearts; Christ is the foundation first, but of any work ⟨p. 329⟩in our hearts, the work of Faith, Beleeve, and thou shalt bee saved: Now then, this work of Faith, thou must rightly know what it is, and the way of thy beleeving; and how thou dost receive Jesus Christ in thy beleeving; and the power of thy Faith how that is wrought; and what the work of it is upon thy heart; now thou having laid Christ for thy foundation, and understood the mystery of the Gospel, then when thou comest to beleeve, in this great mystery of the Gospel, thou must consider what is it that I am now to beleeve; why I am now to beleeve this, that the thoughts of God from all eternity were for the good of the children of men; and therefore hee hath sent the second Person in Trinity into the world to take mans nature upon him, to die an accursed death for the sin of man: And for mee in particular, the thoughts of God were thus upon me from all eternity, to send his son into the world to take my nature upon him, and to bee made a curse for my sin, to pay a price for my soul, and through him (when I beleeve) I do beleeve all my sin to bee pardoned, the infinite, holy, dreadful God to bee at peace with mee, my soul to bee reconciled; this wretched sinful soul of mine to bee received into mercy, into the love of God, as the love of a Father, to bee made an Heir of God and Eternal life, when thou dost beleeve, this is the Object of thy Faith; now this is a mighty work, a mighty thing to beleeve such things as these are: Consider therefore what thou doest, when thou sayest thou dost beleeve in Jesus Christ, put that to th• soul, canst thou, O my soul, close with these things? canst thou venture thy soul upon such things as these are? and when thou comest to beleeve, what dost thou? it is not that thou thinkest that these things are true, but thou dost in thy beleeving receive Jesus Christ according to the condition of the Gospel, that is, thy heart doth open to receive into it the King of glory; Oh it is Ch•ist that is the foundation of the New Wo•ld that God is to raise up;
