of the PERSON of CHRIST. 3 Two things doth our Saviour confider in the anfwer returned unto his enquiry. (I.) The faith ofPeter in this confeffion, the faith of him that made it. (2.) The nature and truth of the confefflon; both which are re- quired in all the difciples of Chrift; For with the heart man believeth un- t., righteoufaaefc, and with the mouth confeffìon is made unto falcation, Rom. x. io. The firlt thing which he fpeaks unto, is the faith of Peter, who made this confeffion ; without this no outward confeffion is of any ufe or ad- vantage. For even the Devils knew him to be the Holy One of God, Luke v. 34. yet would he not permit them to fpeak it, Mark i. 34. That which gives glory unto God in any confefiìon, and which gives us an interoft in the truth confeffed, is the believing of the heart, which is unto righteouf- nefs. With refpeft hereunto, the Lord Chrift fpeaks, ver. 57. And Jefus anfwerecland faid unto him, Bleffedart thou Simon Bar-jona, for flopand bloodbath not revealed it unto thee, but myfather which is in heaven. He commends and fees forth, the faith of Peter, (t.) From its deft (2.) From its caufe. Its ellèa is, that it made him bleffed in whom it was. For it is not only a bleffed thing to believe and know Jefus Chrift, as it is called life eternal, John xvii. 3. but it is that which gives an immediate inrereft in the bleffed ftate of adoption, juftification and acceptance with God, John i. r2. (2.) The immediate caufe of this faith isdivine reve- lation. It is not the effect or produft of our own abilities, the beft of which are but MI and blood. That faith which renders them bleffed in whom it is, is wrought in them, by the power of God revealing. Chrift unto their fouls. Thofe who have more abilities of their own unto this end, than Peter had, we are not concerned in. 2. He fpeaks unto the confeffion it Pelf, acquainting his difciples with the nature and ufe of it, which from the beginning he principally do. fign'd, ver. t 8. And I fay unto thee, that thouart Peter, and upon this rock will .1 build my church, and the gates of bell flail not prevail againfl it. From the fpeaking of theft words unto Peter, there is a controverfy raifed in the world, whether the Lord Chrill himfelf, or the pope of Rome, be the rock whereon the church is built: And unto that fiate are things come in religion ámong diem that are called chriftians, that the greateft number is for the pope, and againft Cbrifl in this matter. And they have good reafon for their choice. For ifChrift be the rock whereon the church is built, whereas he is a living (lone, thofe that are laid and built on him muff be lively floues alfo, as this Apoftle affures us, t. Epift. ii. 4, 5. they mutt be like unto Chrift himfelf, partaking of his nature, quicken'd by his fpirit, fo as it were to be bone of bis bone, andflefh of his flefli, Epbef. v. to. Nor can any be built on him, but by a living faith, efFecyual in univerfal obedience. Thefe things the generalityof men like not at sil : And therefore the fabrick of the living temple on this foundation is ufual- ly but fmall, feldom confpicuous, or outwardly glorious. But if rite pope be this rock, all the paßifts in the world, or all that have a mind fo to be, be they never fo wicked and ungodly, may be built upon him, and be made partakers of all that deliverance fi'oan the powers of hell, which that rock can afford them. And all this may be obtained at a very eafy rate. For the acknowledgment of the pope's fovereign authority in the church, is all that is required thereunto. How they bring in the claim of their pope by Peter, his being at Rome, being bilhop of Rome, dying at Rouie, ,fixing bit chair at Rome, devoting and tranfmitting all his right, title, power and authority, every thing but his faith, holinefs, and labour in the rninifiry unto the pope, I Sall not here enquire, I have done it elfe- where.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=