N00814:117
The Christian's great interest. Or, A short treatise, divided into two parts. The first…
The Christian's great interest. Or, A short treatise, divided into two parts. The first whereof, containeth the [sic] trial of a saving interest in Christ. The second, pointeth forth plainly the [sic] way how to attain it: : Wherein somewhat is likewise spoken to the manner of express covenanting with God. / By William Guthrie, Minister of the Gospel, at New-Kilmarnock.The Christian's great interest. Or, A short treatise, divided into two parts. The first whereof, containeth te [sic] tryal of a saving interest in Christ. The second, pointeth forth plainly te [sic] way how to attain it: : Wherein somewhat is likewise spoken to the manner of express covenanting with God. / By William Guthrie, Minister of the Gospel, at New-Kilmarnock.
printed by T. Green for Nicholas Boone, 1701
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For the better understanding of this, Consider, That justifying Faith, is not to believe that I am Elected, or, to believe that God loveth me, or that Christ dyed for me, or the like. These things are indeed very difficult and almost impossible at the first hand to be wo• a• by ⟨p. 62⟩those who are Serious; whilst Natural Atheists, and deluded Hypocrites, find no difficulty in asserting all those things. I say, True justifying Faith is not any of the foresaid things; neither is it simply the Believing of any sentence that is written, or that can be thought upon. I grant, he that believeth or Christ Jesus, believeth what God hath said about mans Sinful Miserable condition by Nature, and he believeth that to be true, that there is Life in the Son, who was Slain, and is Risen again from the Dead, &c. But none of these, nor the believing of many such Truths, do speak out justifying Faith, or that Believing on the Son of God spoken of in Scripture: for, then it were simply an act of the Understanding. But true Justifying Faith, which we now seek after, as a good mark of an Interest in Christ, is chiefly and principally an act or work of the heart and will, having presupposed sundry things about Truth in the understanding, with the Heart it is believed unto Salvation, Rom. 10.10. And although it seem (ver. 9. of that Chapter) that a man is Saved upon condition that he believe this truth, GOD Raised CHRIST from the Dead; ⟨p. 63⟩yet we must understand another thing there, (and ver. 10.) than the believing the truth of that Proposition: For, besides that, all Devils have that Faith whereby they believe that God Raised Christ from the Dead. So the Scripture hath clearly resolved Justifying Faith […] a receiving of Christ, Joh. 1.12. The receiving of Christ is there explained to be the believing on his Name. It is still called a staying on the Lord, Isa. 26.3. A trusting in God, often mentioned in the Psalms; and the word is a leaning on him. It is a believing on Christ, Joh 1.12. and often so expressed in the New-Testament. When God maketh men believe Savingly, He is said to draw them unto Christ; and when the Lord inviteth them to believe, He calleth them to come to Him,