-~.;,; ; · , .· Trufl for Salvation. 3I9 .- .--':Obj~Cl. 2. Many . truil in Chrifl: as their Saviour,. with a particular cm'lfidence, that he'll fave them ; and yet are grofiy ignorant, profane, or formal hy– pocrites; and ther~fore·not true believers, nor united to Chrifl:. ;lnfw. The Apoftle [peaking offaith un· feign~d, 1 Tim. i. 5· cloth fuppofe that there is a feigned faith. And indeed fuch trufiers in Chriit have it : but as for this trufi, which we have defcrib– ed from the ·word, 'tis as certain, they have it not~ as it is certain that true faith pruifies the heart, ACl:s xv.. '9, and truly fimtlifies, Chap. xxvi. 18. As fuch trufiers L1y, that they receive Chrifi, and refi on him alone for falvation, embrace, accept, and confent to -him in the gofpel-offer: even fo ,they L1y, that they trufl: on him. But this trufr on him, the~ really have 'not. For,firft, They trufi not on him for his whole falvation: nay, as for the chief part thereof,. to wit, falvation from fin, they are by no means re- - conciled thereto: wherefore it may well be an object: of their fears and averfion ; but it c·annot be an object of their trnfi. Secondly, They trufi not on him alone for the falvation they really .defire: they do not trufl: on him with all their heart; but partly to him, and partly to their own doings and fufferings, betwixt which. and the Saviour their heart is divided. This is clear from Mat. v. 3• ' Ble.!fed are the poor in fpirit : for · ' theirs is the kingdomofheaven.' La/fly, Their trufl: • is not grounded on the faithfulnefs of God in the free promife of the gofpel; but rear'd up on fome ·one or . other fandy foundation, Ifa. liii. I. ' Who bath be– .. Jieved our report ?' Mat. vii. 26. ' Every one that heareth thefe fayings of mine, and cloth them not,. lhall be likened unto a fooli!h man that built his . houfe upon the fand.' And thus have we Jhown, . what is that faith or believing, by which a finner unites \Vith Jcfus Chrifl~ and fo enters ravingly into the covenant of grace. X .Why
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=