If the receiving of a temporal gift naturally tends to the making of
us to move our cap and knee, and binds us to be the servant of the
giver, shall we think that faith will leave him who by it has
received Christ, to be as unconcerned as a stock or stone, or that
its utmost excellency is to provoke the soul to a lip-labor, and to
give Christ a few fair words for his pains and grace, and so wrap up
the business? No, no; the love of Christ constraineth us thus to
judge, that it is but reasonable, since he gave his all for us, that
we should give our some for him. 2 Cor. 5:14.
We are said to be saved by faith, because by faith we lay hold of,
venture upon, and put on Jesus Christ for life: for life, I say,
because God having made him the Saviour, has given him life to
communicate to sinners; and the life that he communicates to them is
the merit of his flesh and blood, which whoso eateth and drinketh by
faith hath eternal life, because that flesh and blood have merit
sufficient to obtain the favor of God. Yea, it hath done so, that
day it was offered through the eternal Spirit a sacrifice of a
sweet-smelling savor to him. Wherefore God imputeth the
righteousness of Christ to him that believeth in him, by which
righteousness he is personally justified and saved from that just
judgment of the law that was due unto him.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182