'• 302 The Faith ~faur take poffeffion of the fame, aJ1d ufe them as your own to all intents and purpofes of falvation, John iv. 42 ~ ' We know that this is indeed the Chrifi, the Savi.. our of the world,' 2 Sam. xxii. 3· and Luke i. 47· mj Saviour. Do not think this too much for you : i~ is no more than what is neceifary to faving 'faith in Chrifi. If you believe only, in the general, That Chrifi is the Saviour of the world, but believe not– that he is your 'Saviour in p;1rticular ; what do you believe llnore than devils do ? They believe him to be Jefus .aSaviour, Mark. i.24. If you would go beyond them, you mufi believe, he is your Saviour; and confequently' that his righteoufnefs arid h1lvation are . yours, in the fenfe before opened : for where Chrifi: is given, with him are fi·eely givep all things. And, pray confider, how can ye rake him or receive him · as your 1 Saviour, if he is' not yours indeed ? A .man may fraudulently take poffeffion of_what he doth not believe to be ·his by right ; hut no man can fairly and ~ honefily claim and take poffeffion of what he cloth not believe to be his own. Certainly, God mull firfl: give Chrifi to us, before we can receive him: ' For a man can .receive nothing except it be given h~m from heaven,' John iii. 27. Giving on God's part 1 and receiving on ours, ' here, are correlates: and the former is the foundation of the latter. Now God's .gift is fufficient to ~1ake ~thing ours. , Therefor.e be· lieve firmly, that Chrifi is your Saviour in p2rticular; that his righteoufnefs is yours, and eternal life is yours. Quell. But how ~an I, a poor finner, . by nature nnder'the ~utfe, believe that Chrifi is my Saviour, that his righteoufnefs, and eternal life, are mine? An.(. You may firmly believe it, becaufe you have the word and tefiimony of the eternal Godupon it, in his/ ho(~ gofpe1. What is the gofpel, whiCh the apofiles were fent, in the name of God to tefiify ? The apofHe J~lm d~da.res it, r John iv. 14. ' 'Vc teflifl, That · · the /
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