rv{n Exp~(ition of the Epiflle ~it in Row.-3. and Rom. 4· where the Apo!lle f.,ith plainly and clearly that it was ~ ofFaith that it mi!(ht be ofGrace; it was ofGrace becaufe it was ofFaith. l am now to apply this Salvation (f.,ith he) to this Soul, and I would have my Grace exalted f\ill, therefore I wtll have Fattb. It was of Fmth that tt might be of Grace. But I will not f\and to open thot. 2. The Apofllc you fee maketh Salvation a Gift, for thofe Words [it h the Gift ofGod] the Holy Ghof\ bath fo penned them,that the Grammar of them may refer as well to Salvauon as to Fatth: now if that Salvation, the Right to Salvation,be an enure Gtft thot ts gtven at a Lump, then there was no Grace that was fo fit in the Heart of Man to anfwer this Gift, as Faith. For Faith is a meer Receiver. That which is C,id ofLydia, in .AtJ. r6. that God opened her Heart to attend, it is in the Ongmal to take them to her, namely,the tbingsthatPalllfpake and he open– ed her Heart to take them in,!be did but receive tbem,fo elfewhere. That they might rect:ive Remijfion ofSins and all Inberitance through Faith, All:s 26.18. I could give you many places for it. Now, 1. It is Faith ofall Graces elfe that cloth fir!l: receive; and it receiveth. by a Revelation, The Righteoufoefi ofGod is reve•led from Faitb to Faith. Love and Joy, that are other Graces, do but flow from this. It is Faith that gives the fir!l: Entertainment to that Grace, and Salvation brought by Grace, and others take it in by Faith. 2. It is Faith that is only a Receiver, that is, it cloth nothing elfe but receive ; - it returns not. Doth the Hand of a Beggar that takes an Alms, return any thing to the Man that gives? No, it only takes it. The Beggar indeed dotb other A/lions, puts off his Hat, he l:iows to him and gives him Thanks, and in thefe there is a Return, but the Hand that takes it, is nothing but a Receiver, and that All is on!y receiving. Love it cloth Reverence to God,and it is officious and laborious, the labour ofLove as it is called, but Faith it cloth nothing elfe but re~ ccive. 3· No other Grace could receive it immediatly but Faith, Fidei czmt folo Deo ex Chris7o •·es eft charitatis CIIIJt Deo et proximo. F~itb worketb by Love, Love there– fore arik:tb from Faith, but it is Faith only that immediatly receivetb: For the Right ofSalvation cometh immediatly out of the Womb of Free Grace, as it lay there from Ever!afting, purchafed by Jefus Chrifl; what is there in the Soul tliat immediately receiveth it ? only Faith. There are two Ails of Faith; the one is upward to God, and the other is downward. .AtJ111 elicit!# (as we call it) and Actus imper11t111. The one brings f0rtb without the help ofany otherGrace,that is, to receive tho Grace offered in the Gofpel, and the other works by other Graces. It is Faith only glorifies God immediatly, other Graces by the help of Faith. _ 4- There is nothing elfe but Faith could have took in the whole of Salvation compleatly. We are fanchfied by Degrees, we !ball· be glorified many years hence, it i~ Glory referved to the latter Day, we have it by parcels m the Poifef– fion. What Grace is there that could take in the whole at once? that could look to all that is to come and to all that is pail? Nothing elfe but Faith. The Apotlle when he faith here, J'e arefaved, he ref~rreth to what he had laid before, we fit (C,ith he) i1t lmiVw/y. places i1t Chrijl, and, we are rift" with ChriJI; thefe are things to come, ifwe refpel:t the al:tual bef\owing ofthem. The Rtght, we have now, what can take this Right in? Nothing but Faith can make me fee my felf fit in heavenly places with Chrifl, and fee my felf rifen with Cbrift. Faith can take in all that was done before the World was, can take in all that God means to do, yea and give a Subfiftence thereunto. Love cannot do this, Love may make a Fancy ofthe Party,but it cannot make the Party prefent; but Faith makes all thefe things prdl:nt. And then again, the Lord bath put all Salvation and Grace that he means to bcll:ow, in the Promife: nothing cite in us an!ivers the Promtfe but Fattb,_ fo you have it in Ro11t. 4· 13· and G,,/. 3· 22. I will not ltand to enlarge upon thts. By
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