4 The Perfon ofChrifl tl;e only ~ck glory unto God in any Confeilion, and which gives us an In– terefr in the Truth confe!fed, is the believing, of the heart, which is unto Righteoufnefs. With refpecr hereunto, the Lord Chrifr fpeaks, ver. I 7. And Jefus anfwered andfaid unto him, bl~ffed art thou Simon Bar-jona, for flejh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. He commends and fets forth the Faith-of Peter, (r.) From its EJJeff; (2.) From its Caufe. Its EJfeff is that it made him . bleffed in whom it was. For it is not only a ble!fed thing to believe ·and know Jefus Chrifr, as it is called Life _Eternal, John I 7. )· but it is that which gives an immediate Interefr in the ble!fed State of Adoption, Juil:ification and Acceptance with God, Joh. r. 12. ( 2.) The immediate Caufe of this Faith is Divine Revelation. It is not the effecr or producr of our own Abilities, the befr of which are butjlejh and blood. That Faith which renders them ble!fed in whom it is, is wrought in them, by the power of God re~ealing Chriil: un– to their fouls. , Thofe who have more abilities of their own unto this end, thenPeter had_, we are not concerned in. 2. He fpeaks unto the Confefiion it felf; acquainting his Difciples with th'e nature and ufe of it, which from the be– ginning he principally deiigncd, ver. I 8. Ancl I fay unto thee, that 'thou drt Peter, ancl upon this Rock will I buildmy Church, and the Gates ofHell jhall not pre·vail againfi it. From the [peaking of thefe words unto Peter, there is a controverfie raifed in the world, whether the Lord Chrifl himfelf, or the Pope of Rome, be the Rock whereon the Church is built. And unto that fiate are things come in Religion among them that are called Chrifl:ians, that the greatefr number is for the Pope, and againfr Chrijl in this matter. And they have good reafon for their choice. For if Chrifr be the Rock whereon the Church is built, whereac; he is a Li·vin_e:, Stone, thofe that are laid and built on him mufi: be lhe[y Stones
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