IIII.
Faith is a wonderfull grace of God, by which the elect doe apprehend and apply Christ and all his benefits vnto themselues particularly.
Here first it is to be cōsidered, that the very nature of faith stādeth in a cer∣taine power of apprehending and applying Christ. This is declared by Paul whe he saith,iYe are buried with him through baptisme, by whome ye are also ri∣sen againe with him by the faith of the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Where it appeareth that faith is made a meanes to communicate Christ him∣selfe, his death and buriall, and so all other benefits to the beleeuer. Againe to beleeue in Christ, and to k receiue or to lay hold on Christ, are put one for ano∣ther by Saint Iohn: which declareth that there is a speciall applying of Christ; euen as we see, when a man hath any thing giuen him, he reacheth out his hand and pulleth it to himselfe, and so makes it his owne. Moreouer, faith is called lthe putting on of Christ: which cannot be vnles Christs righteousnes be speci∣ally applyed to the heart, as the garment to the backe, when it is put on. Last∣ly, this may appeare, in that faith is called m the eating and drinking of Christ: for there is no eating of meat that nourisheth, but first it must be tasted, and chew∣ed in the mouth, then it must be cōueyed into the stomack, & there digested: lastly, it must be applyed to the parts of the bodie that are to be nourished. And Paul praieth for the Eph••sians: that Christ n may dwell in their hearts by faith: which plainely importeth, this apprehending and applying of Christ.
I adde further, that faith is a wonderfull grace of God, which may appeare: first, in that Paul calleth it o the faith of Gods power, because the power of God is especially seene in the begetting of faith. Secondly, experience sheweth it to be a wonderfull gift of God: when a man neither seeth, nor feeleth his sinnes, then to say hee beleeueth in Gods mercie, it is an easie matter; but when a man shall feele his heart pressed downe with the waight of his sinnes, and the anger of God for them; then to apply Gods free mercie to his own soule, it is a most hard matter: for then it is the propertie of the cursed nature of man, to blas∣pheme God, and to despaire of mercie. Iudas who (no doubt) often preached mercy and redemption by Christ in the securitie of his heart: when Gods hand was vpon him, and the Lord made him see the vilenesse of his treache∣rie; he could not comfort himselfe in Christ, if one would haue giuen him ten thousand worlds, but in an hellish horror of conscience hanged himselfe de∣sperately; which sheweth what a wonderfull hard thing it is at the same instant when a man is touched for his sinnes, then to apply Gods mercie to himselfe.