We see what manner of faith is in most men, that snatch out of Christ * That is, = resents, dislikes. — G.
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what they list, to serve their own turn. As he died for their sins, so they nro glad of him ; but as ho is a lord and king to rule and govern them, so they will have none of hiru, but ' turn the grace of God into wantonness,' Judo 4. But Christ, as we must rest and rely on him only, so wc must receive him and believe on him wholly.
Now faith looks upon Christ as the main object of it, as it justifieth. The same faith it looks upon the whole word of God as a divine truth revealed ; but for the main work of it, it looks upon Christ. Christ is the jewel that this ring of laith doth enclose ; and as the ring hath the value from the jewel, so hath Hiith from Christ. In the main point of justifica- tion and comfort, faith lays hold upon Christ for mercy; for the distressed alHicted soul it looks first of all to comfort, and peace, and reconciliation ; therefore it looks first to him that wrought it — ^that is, Christ. Now, the same faith that doth this, it believes all divine truths, the threatenings, and precepts, &c. Faith chooseth not its object to believe what it lists, but it carries the soul to all divine truths revealed. But when we speak of justifying faith, then Christ, and the promises, and the mercy of God in Christ, is the first thing that the soul looks unto.
Christ is the first object of faith, before anj' benefit or gift that we have from him ; first, we must receive Christ before we have any grace, or favour, or strength, from him. And a sanctified soul looks first to Christ, to the love of Christ, to the person of Christ, and then to his goods and riches. As one that is married, she regards first the person of her hus- band, and then looks to the enjoyment of his goods, and inheritance, and nobilities, or else it is no better than a harlot's love. So faith looks to the person first. It knits us to Christ, to be in love with, and to embrace Christ, and then it looks to all the good things we have by him. For he never comes alone. There is a world of good things in him : all that tends to gi'ace and glory. Yet it is the person of Christ that the soul of a Chris- tian principally looks to. Other divine truths are the object of faith to du-ect and sway our lives ; yet, notwithstanding, they are not the object of faith ; when we look for comfort, for forgiveness of sins, and reconciliation with God, then it looks to Christ especially.
Therefore we that are ministers of the gospel of Christ should especially look to unfold the riches of Christ; and those that are God's people should especially desire to have Christ unfolded, and the riches of God's love in Christ. The soul that ever found the sting of sin, the conscience that ever was awakened to feel the wrath of God, it accounts nothing so sweet as evangeUcal truths, those things that concern bis Husband and Saviour. A carnal man loves to hear moral points wittily spoken of, as delightful to his ear ; but the soul that understands itself, what it is by nature, that ever felt in any degree the wrath of God for sin, of all points, it desu-es most to hear of Christ and him crucified. Therefore we may judge ourselves by our ears, of what tempers our souls are; for 'the ear tastes of speeches as the mouth doth meat,' as Job saith, Job xii. 11. ' Believed on in the world.'
By ' world,' especially here in this place, is meant the world taken out of the world, the world of elect. There is a world in the world, as one saith well in unfolding this point ; as we see, man is called a little world in the great world (n). Christ was preached to the world of wicked men, that by preaching, a world might be taken out of the world, which is the world of believers. Hence we may clear our judgments in that point, that when Christ is said to redeem the world, it must not be understood gene-
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rally of all mankind. We see here, the world is said to believe in Christ. Did all mankind believe in Christ '? was there not a world of un- believers ?
"We see here Christ * believed on in the world ' — the world that was opposite, that were enemies, that were under Satan. Who shall despair, then ? Therefore, let us conceive well of Christ. Why was he ' manifest in the flesh ? ' and why is there an ordinance of preaching ? Wherefore is all this, but that he would have us believe, be our sins what they will '? Put the case that there were a world of sin in one man, that one man were a world of naughtiness ; as in some sense, St James saith, ' there is a world of wickedness iu the tongue,' James iii. 6. If in the tongue, much more in the heart, which is the sink of wickedness. But put the case, there were a world of wickedness in one man, what is this to the satisfaction of ' God manifest in the flesh,' and to the infinite love of God, now pacified in Christ, looking upon us in the face of his beloved Son ? You see here Christ is ' believed on in the world.' Do but consider what is meant by the world in Scripture, how it is set down to be in an opposite state to Christ, and look to the particular state of the Gentiles, that are said to be the world. What wretched people were the Corinthians before they be- lieved, and the Ephesians, and the rest !