494 Gen. u.1s. John 3• 16, Jol\n 11. ~;. A&. IJ· 39· ACt, r6. ~ r, ·Aifr. Iod3· Book IV. · ing, failing, prayint, preachingfor my fak§; oh the depth! oh the depth! I C111mot btleeve. Sweet foul be iiOt faithlefs, but beleeving . I know it is an hard and difficult thing, but to help on a trembllrog .foul, I lhall firft direct, and then encourage. Firfr for diredioo,let iouls be acquainted how to ad their faith on Chriil in ref ped of his life. ' The manner of its proceedings I · fuppofe is thus.- · 1. Faith mull directly go to Chrift. Many poore fouls humbled for Gn, and taken offfrom tfueir ewn bottome, they run immediately to the promife of pardon, and clofe with it, and reA: on it, not feeking for, or cloGog with Chrift in the promife; this is a common errour among thouiands : but we (bould obferve, that the lirft promife that was given, was not a ~are word fimply promiGng pardon, peace, or any other benefit, which God would bellow, but it was a promife of Chrifis perfon, as overcoming Sathan, and purchaf.ing thofe benefits, rhe feed of the womt<n fhalt bruife the ferpents head. So, when the promife was renewed to Abraham, it was not a b~re promife of bleffedne!fi: and forgiv,eneffe, but of that feed, that is Chrift, Gal. 3· 6. in whom that blcffed'ne!fe was conveyed, in thy fred /hall all the Nations of the earth be blejfed. So that Abrahams faith firft clofed with Chrill: in the promife, and therefore he is faid to fee (hrifts day , am:lto rejoyce in embracing him. Chrift in the firft place and more i,mmediately,is every where made the thing which faith embraceth to falvation, and whom it looks unto, and refpeds, as it makes us righteous in the Gght ofGod. Cjod fo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne, that whofoever beleeveth in him jho11ld not perifh, . but have everltJ!jling life, ....: I am the refurreClion and thehfe, hnhatbelee'!mhinme, thoughheweredead, yet /hallhe live. --- - andbyhimallthatbeleeveare jnflifiedfromalt things, from which yecould not be juHijied fy thelawofUI£ofes.-and, beleeve Gn the Lord [efm Chrift, apd t hou fhat't be Javed.--- and, to himgive all the Prophetswitnef{e, that thro11gh hiJ naYfie, whofoev~r beleeVt'th in him, fball receive remijfion offins. And hence tt ts that faith is called the faith of Chrifl , Gal 2 . I 6. Phil . 3. 9. Becaufe Chrift is it whom faith apprehends immediately, apd as for the other promifes they depend all on this, whofoever beleeveth on ·him foal/ .rehive remijfion offins : and he th11t beleeveth on ;he Son ~ . if
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