which is in Christ alone, and in communion with him; how is it possible, I say, that such a person should not seriously and ardently desire to have Christ dwelling in him, seek and pant after this, and indeed with such longings, as nothing short of the possession of the thing desired can satisfy as hunger and thirst are only allayed by meat and drink.

XIX. This hunger and thirst are followed by a receiving of Christ the Lord for justification, sanctification, and so for complete salvation: which is the fifth, and indeed the formal and principal act of faith. Thus the heavenly Father freely offers his Son to the sick and weary soul; and Christ the Lord offers himself with all his benefits, and the fulness of salvation which is in him, saying, behold me, behold me, Isa. lxv. 1. And the soul now conscious of its own misery, and with joy and hope observing the fulness of salvation that is in Christ, and earnestly desiring communion with him, cannot but lay hold on and receive, with the highest complacency of soul, that extraordinary blessing thus offered, and thus by receiving, appropriate or make it his own. And by this act, at length Christ becomes the peculiar property of the believing soul. Thus it lays claim to whatsoever is Christ's, which is offered at the same time with Christ, and above all the righteousness of Christ, which is the foundation of salvation. And in this manner, by apprehending Christ, he is united to him; and being united to him, he is judged to have done and suffered what Christ, as his Surety, did and suffered in his room and stead. And thus it is easy to understand how we are justified by faith on Christ.

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XX. The scripture more than once represents this act of faith in express terms. Remarkable is the passage, John i. 12. 66 as many as received him," which is equivalent them that believe on his name;" and Col. ii. 6. “ as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord;" to which may be added what the Lord has very emphatically said, Isa. xxvii. 5. "let him take fast hold of my strength," or my tower, so as not to let it go. For take fast hold of, and let go, are opposed, Prov. iv. 13.

XXI. But because the soul thus apprehending Christ for salvation, does at the same time recline and stay itself upon him, therefore this act of faith is explained by this metaphor also, as Psalm lxxi. 6. "by thee have I been holden up" (stayed). Isa. xlviii. 2. "stay themselves upon the God of Israel," pretending to and feigning a true faith: he is stayed, is another term used, Isa. I. 10. stay upon his God; add Isa. x. 20. 2 Chron. xvi. 7, 8. If you would sub

tily distinguish this act of the believing soul, thus reclining and thus staying itself upon Christ, from the act of receiving Christ, and make it posterior thereto, I shall not oppose it. Let us therefore call this the sixth act of faith.

XXII. Which we think is very significantly expressed by the Hebrew word on, which properly signifiés, to throw one's self in order to be carried, on the truth and power of an other; as an infant throws itself to be carried on the arms of its nurse. For it is derived from, which properly signifies to carry hence, a carrier, a nursing father, Numb. xi. 12. " carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child:" and signifies to be carried, Isa. lx. 4. "thy daughters shall be nursed (carried) at thy side." Instead of which it is said, Isa. lx. 12. ye shall be borne upon her sides. And Christ really carries believers as nurslings, in his bosom, Isa. xl. 11. for Moses also uses that similitude, "the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bare his son," Deut. i. 31. " underneath are the everlasting arms," Deut. xxxiii. 21. n therefore in virtue of its signification denotes to give up one's self to be carried by Christ, and so to cast himself into his bosom and arms. By which similitude the activity of the believing soul towards Christ is most elegantly expressed.

XXIII. Moreover, when the believer so receives Christ and leans upon him, he not only considers him as a Saviour but also as a Lord. For he receives a whole Christ, and receiveth him just as he is: but he is no less Lord than a Saviour. Yea, he cannot be a Saviour unless he be likewise a Lord. In this doth our salvation consist, that we neither belong to the devil, nor are our own, nor the property of any creature, but of Christ the Lord. Faith therefore receives Christ the Lord, Col. ii. 6. Nor does Christ offer himself as a husband to the soul upon any other condition, but this, that he acknowledge him as his Lord, Psal. xlv. 10, 11. And when the soul casts himself upon Jesus, he, at the same time, renounces his own will, and surrenders himself up to the will of Jesus, to be carried whithersoever he pleaseth. Whence there is also in faith a humble surrender and giving up one's self, whereby the believer, as in duty bound, yields himself, and all that is his, to Christ, who is freely given him. "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine," Cant. vi. 3. 2 Cor. viii. 5. “ gave their own selves to the Lord." Almost in the same form as Amasai, with his companions gave themselves up to David, 1 Chron. xi.. 18. "thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse." And this

our surrender to Christ, which we account the seventh act of faith, is the continual fountain and spring of all true obedience, which is therefore called the obedience of faith, Romans i. 5.

XXIV. After the believing soul has thus received Christ, and given himself up to him, he may, and ought, thence to conclude, that Christ with all his saving benefits are his, and that he shall certainly be blessed by him, according to this infallible syllogism or reasoning of faith: "Christ offers himself as a full and complete Saviour to all who are weary, hungry, thirsty, to all who receive him, and are ready to give themselves up to him: but I am weary, hungry, &c. Therefore Christ has offered himself to me, is now become mine, and I his, nor shall any thing ever separate me from his love." This is the eighth, and the reflex act of faith, arising from consciousness or reflexion, Gal. ii. 20. 2 Tim. i. 12. Rom, viii. 38.

XXV. Hence, in fine, the soul, now conscious of its union with Christ by faith, obtains trust or confidence, tranquillity, joy, peace, and bold defiance to all enemies and dangers what ever, a glorying in the Lord, a glorying in adversity; while the soul leans (stays itself) with delight on its beloved; with stretched out arms throwing itself, or with its elbow sweetly leaning upon him (po signifies according to the Talmudists the arm-pit), being assured of mutual communion and mutual love, while it sings, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me," Song vii. 10. it piously exults and delights itself in its Lord, is inebriated with his love, rejoices" with joy unspeakable and full of glory," 1 Pet. i. 8. and savingly melts at the glowing flames of reciprocal love; in one word, "rejoices in the hope of the glory of God," Rom. v. 2.

XXVI. We shall now briefly compendize, as it were, in one view, what we have so largely explained. Faith comprehends the knowledge of the mystery of God, and of Christ in the light of grace, the truth of which mystery the believer acknowledges with full assent of mind, on the authority of the testimony of God. And not only so, but he is also in love with that truth, exults therein and glorifies God; he likewise ardently desires communion with Christ, that the things which are true in Christ, may be also true to him for salvation: wherefore, when Christ is offered to him by the word and Spirit, he receives him with the greatest complacency of soul, leans and rests upon him, and gives and surrenders himself to him; which done, he glories that Christ is now his own, and most sweetly delights in him, reposing himself under the shadow of the tree of life, and satiating himself with its most delicious

fruits. This is the faith of God's elect, Tit. i. 1. an invaluable gift, the bond of our union with Christ, the scale of paradise, the key of the ark of the covenant, with which its treasures are unlocked, the never ceasing fountain of a holy quiet and blessed life.

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XXVII. If any imagines that he speaks more exactly when he distinguishes these acts of faith, so as to think some of them precede or go before faith strictly so called, as the knowledge of revealed truth, to which some excellent divines add, a pious affection of the will towards God; that other acts be long to the very form or essence of faith, as assent, hunger and thirst after righteousness, the receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour, and the soul's flying to him for refuge; and that others are accidental, which agree only to a confirmed and strengthened faith; as the certainty or assurance that Christ is now become mine, and the most delightful reliance upon him as mine, joined with exultation and glorying in him; we see no reason why such a person may not enjoy his accuracy without any displeasure to us: for we only intended to shew that all these things concur in the full practice and exercise of faith.

XXVIII. From what has been said it is evident, that the faith usually called historical and temporary, though I question the propriety of that name, very widely differs from saving faith, which we have thus far described. They call an historical faith" a naked assent to the things contained in the word of God, on the authority of God, by whom they are asserted, but without any pious motion of the will." But since this assent may be given not only to the historical parts of scripture, but also may extend to the precepts, doctrines, promises and threat. enings, the character historical, given to that faith, seems to be too restricted. Unless perhaps it be so called, with respect to the manner in which it is conversant about its object. For as he who reads histories of transactions with which he has no concern, barely contemplates them without being inwardly moved or affected by them; so they who have that kind of faith do only, in an idle or careless manner, observe and think of those things which are taught in the word of God, but do not reduce them to practice; though it is not universally true, that even the most ancient histories, and the things which concern ch concern another world, are read without any affection, emotion and application. It had therefore been better to call this faith theo retic, or a naked assent.

XXIX. Our Lord, Mat. xiii. 1. calls that a temporary faith, which, besides that general assent, exults in the known Bb

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and acknowledged truth, makes profession thereof, and stirs up many emotions in the heart, and actions in the life, which exhi bit some appearance of piety; but for a time only, while every thing is prosperous under the gospel, but falls off when the storms of persecution assault it. This is wisely called by our Lord #góozaigos temporary, or for a while. But as it may, and even does frequently happen, that in the prosperous state of the church, men may persevere to the end of their life in this profession of faith and imaginary joy, and in such a course of life as they suppose to be sufficient for the purposes of piety; so this being a constant, but not saving, is not so properly called temporary faith, that being the title which our Lord only gave to the faith of apostates. We might rather perhaps better call it a presumptuous faith.

XXX. But it is needful for our consolation, that we distinctly know how this may be distinguished from a true, lively, and saving faith, which it boldly though falsely resembles. And, .first, there is no small difference in the acknowledgment of revealed truths; to which as to truths, this presumptuous faith really assents; but as it is destitute of the true light of the Spirit, it sees not the proper form or beauty of these truths, and as they are truths in Christ; it does not observe the perfections of God shining in them, does not rightly estimate their value: when it begins first to know them, it is indeed taken with the novelty and rarity of them, but neither burns with an ardent love to them, nor labours much to have them not only impressed upon the soul, but also expressed in the life and conversation: and as often as other things present themselves to the mind, which flatter it with a great pretended shew of pleasure or profit, it easily suffers the ideas of those truths, which oppose that advantage, to be blotted out, and almost wishes these were no truths, which in spite of itself, it is constrained to acknowledge for such. But these things are quite the reverse in true faith, as we shewed, Thes. XVII...

XXXI. Secondly, There is a great difference in the application of the promises of the gospel: For presumptuous faith does not proceed in the right method; it rashly imagines that the salvation promised in the gospel belongs to itself; but this is either upon no foundation, or upon a false one. For sometimes these persons, without any trial or self-examination, which they avoid as too troublesome, and inc. venient to their affairs, foolishly flattering themselves, proudly lay claim to the grace of our Lord; and securely slumber in this vain dream, without either enquiring, or being willing to enquire, what foundation