When Christ sent the seventy disciples forth to preach and heal the sick, notwithstanding they were to be refused of many, as it is Luke x. 11, yet they were taught by our Saviour, as to wipe ofi' the dust of their feet against them, so also to convince them in this, that the kingdom of heaven was come near unto them. In vain, therefore, do wicked men and our adver- saries cavil against God's justice in this, which every man's conscience shall accuse himself at last to be guilty of, and clear God of ; in that they would none of wisdom's counsel, shutting their eyes against all instructions, refusing to be reformed. This I thought good to add, to avoid the snarling of wicked, 'carnal, profane persons.
2. The second point is, that true faith doth answer this iMvticuJar love and gift of Christ, hij appJying it to itself. True faith is an applying faith. Thei'e is a spirit of application in true faith ; for God in the Scriptures offers Christ, and Christ offers himself in the ministry to all that believe. Here- upon comes faith to make Christ our own. It doth appropriate Chi'ist to itself in particular. Christ is a garment, faith puts him on ; Christ is a foundation, faith builds upon him ; Christ is a root, faith plants us in him ; Christ is our husband, faith yields consent, and consent makes the match. So then there is a particular truth that strikes the stroke betwixt Christ and us : ' He loved me, and gave himself for me.' The nature of faith is to make generals become particulars, to restrain generals into particulars ;
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for there is a particular cause, which must have a particular restraint. Christ's love is propounded to all in general. Before it do me good I must have a particular restraining faith for to make it my own. Now the papists are enemies to this particular faith, it being opposite to their opinions and authors, save some of the honester that incline to us. They say, that we ought to believe with a catholic general faith, that there is remission of sins for the church, but not ' for me ;' for where, say they, is your name set down in Scripture ? They are against this special faith, because they know it is the ground of assurance, unto which they are enemies ; this assurance also being an enemy to all their fooleries, forgeries, and courses they take to have assurance.
We must know more clearly, that there is a particular faith required of us. A Christian ought to say, ' Christ loved me.' Neither is this by any special revelation ; for God's Spirit doth witness ordinarily, first or last, so much to all that are his, except in some cases. Now that you may know this particular faith is aimed at by God in the Scripture, look what is the end of the ministry and of the sacraments. Are not we ambassadors from God to men, to unfold Christ's love in particular unto them : if they believe, then to tell them, that they may be assured of salvation ? Doth not the apostle, Rom. x. 9, speak in paiticular, that, ' if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' This is spoken to every man in particular.
And for the sacraments, what kind of faith doth baptism seal, when water is sprinkled upon the child ? Doth it seal a general washing away of guilt ? No ; but a particular washing away of the guilt and filth of the sins of the party* baptized. Wherefore are the sacraments added to the word, but to strengthen faith in particular ? Therefore every one in particular is sprinkled, to shew the particular washing of our souls by the blood of Christ. What is the reason that the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is added to the word, but that every one may be persuaded that it is his duty to cast himself upon Christ, and to eat Christ, and to believe his own particular salvation ? It overthroweth the main end of the sacraments, to hold a confused faith in general. Therefore seeing it is the main end of the word and ministry, let us labour for this particular faith, that we may say in special, ' Christ loved me, and gave himself for me.' Nay, ' for me,' if there had been no other men in the world but I. And the rather labour for this, because it is that which distinguisheth us from counterfeit Chris- tians and believers. For wherein is the main difference ? It is in appro- priation. True faith doth appropriate Christ unto itself, makes Christ a man's own, it being the nature of saving faith to draw the general into par- ticulars, which is meant by eating Christ, drinking his blood, and putting on Christ ; all which enforce particular acts of faith. But against this it will be said,
Ohj. St Paul had a special revelation, without which no man ought to believe thus much.
Ans. I answer, he had no special revelation, for, Rom. viii. 38, he en- largeth the comfort unto all : ' For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' It is idle to speak of a special revelation, unless we call it so, as it is hid from the world ; so every Christian hath a special revela- * Cf. footnote, Vol. III. p. 9. -G.