whom they have offended by their sins: This fear may be correctly called "initial;" and we believe, that it has some hope annexed to it.

VII. That which follows as a Consequence is, the desire of deliverance from sin, that is, from the condemnation of sin and from its dominion; which desire is so much the more intense, by how much the greater is the acknowledgment of misery and sorrow on account of sin.

VIII. The Cause of this repentance is, God by his word and Spirit in Christ. For it is a repentance tending not to despair, but to salvation: But such it cannot be except with respect to Christ, in whom alone the sinner can obtain deliverance from the condemnation and dominion of sin. But the word which He uses at the beginning is, the word of the law; yet not under the legal condition peculiar to the law, but under that which is annexed to the preaching of the Gospel, of which the first word is, that deliverance is declared to penitents. The Spirit of God may, not improperly, be denominated "the Spirit of Christ" as He is Mediator; and it first urges a man by the word of the law, and then shews him the grace of the Gospel. The connection of the word of the law and that of the Gospel, which is thus skilfully made, removes all self-security, and forbids despair, which are the two pests of religion and of souls.

IX. We do not acknowledge satisfaction, which the Papists make to be the third part of repentance; though we do not deny, that the man who is a real penitent will endeavour to make satisfaction to his neighbour against whom he owns that he has sinned, and to the church that he has injured [scandalo] by the offence. But satisfaction can by no means be rendered to God, on the part of man, by repentance, sorrow, contrition, almsgiving, or by the voluntary susception and infliction of punishments: If such a course were prescribed by God, the consciences of men must necessarily be tormented with the continual anguish of a threatening hell, not less than if no promise of grace had been made to sinners. But God considers this repentance, which we have described, if it be true, to be worthy of a gracious deliverance from sin and misery; and it has faith as a consequence, on which we will treat in the subsequent Disputation.

COROLLARY.

Repentance is not a sacrament, either with regard to itself, or with regard to its external tokens.

DISPUTATION XLIV.

ON FAITH IN GOD AND CHRIST.

I. IN THE preceding Disputation we have treated on the first part of that obedience which is yielded to the vocation of God: The second part now follows, which is called "the obedience of faith."

II. Faith, generally, is the assent given to truth; and divine faith is that which is given to truth divinely revealed. The foundation on which Divine faith rests, is two-fold,-the one external and out of or beyond the mind,-the other internal and in the mind. (1.) The external foundation of faith is the very veracity of God [enunciantis] who makes the declaration, and who can declare nothing that is false. (2.) The internal foundation of faith is two-fold,—both the general [notio] idea by which we know that God is true,-and [notitia] the knowledge by which we know that it is the word of God. Faith is also two-fold, according to the mode of revelation, being both legal and evangelical; of which the latter comes under our present consideration, and tends to God and Christ.

III. Evangelical faith is an assent of the mind, produced by the Holy Spirit, through the Gospel, in sinners, who through the law know and acknowledge their sins, and are penitent on account of them: By which they are not only fully persuaded within themselves, that Jesus Christ has been constituted by God the author of salvation to those who obey Him, and that He is their own Saviour if they have believed in Him; and by which they also believe in Him as such, and through Him on God as the Benevolent Father in Him, to the salvation of believers and to the glory of Christ and God.

IV. The Object of faith is not only the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but likewise Christ himself who is here constituted by God the author of salvation to those that obey Him.

V. The Form is the assent that is given to an object of this description; which assent is not acquired by [discursum] a course of reasoning from principles known by nature; but it is an assent infused above the order of nature, which yet is confirmed and increased by the daily exercises of prayers, and mortification of the flesh, and by the practice of good works. Knowledge is antecedent to faith: For the Son of God is beheld before a sinner believes on Him. But [fiducia] trust or confidence is consequent

to it: For through faith confidence is placed in Christ, and through Him in God.*

VI. The Author of faith is the Holy Spirit, whom the Son sends from the Father, as his Advocate and [Vicarium] Substitute, who may manage his cause in the world and against it. The Instrument is the Gospel, or the word of faith, containing [sensum] the meaning concerning God and Christ which the Spirit proposes to the understanding, and of which [ persuadet] He there works a persuasion.

VII. The Subject [in quo] in which it resides, is the mind, not only as it acknowledges this object to be true, but likewise to be good, which the word of the Gospel declares: Wherefore it belongs not only to the theoretical understanding, but likewise to [affectivum] that of the affections, which is practical.

VIII. The Subject [cui] to which [it is directed], or the object about which [it is occupied], is sinful man, acknowledging his sins, and penitent on account of them. For this faith is necessary for salvation to him who believes; but it is unnecessary to one who is not a sinner: And therefore no one except a sinner can know or acknowledge Christ for his Saviour; for He is the Saviour of sinners. The End which we intend for our own benefit is, salvation in its nature. But the Chief End is the glory of God through Jesus Christ.

COROLLARY.

"Was the faith of the Patriarchs under the covenants of promise, the same as ours under the New Testament, with regard to its substance ?" We answer in the affirmative.

DISPUTATION XLV.

ON THE UNION OF BELIEVERS WITH CHRIST.

I. AS CHRIST is constituted by the Father the Saviour of those that believe, who, being exalted in heaven to the right hand of the Father, communicates to believers all those blessings which He has solicited from the Father, and which He has obtained by his obedience and [actu] pleading; but as [communicatio] the participation of blessings cannot be through communication, unless where there has previously been [ordinatu] an orderly and suitable union between Him who communicates and those to whom such communications are made; it is therefore necessary * See the note in page 177, vol. I. D D

VOL. II.

for us to treat, in the first place, upon the union of Christ with us, on account of its being the primary and immediate effect of that faith by which men believe in Him as the only Saviour.

II. The truth of this thing, and the necessity of this union, are intimated by the names with which Christ is signally distinguished in a certain relation to believers: Such are the appellations of Head, Spouse, Foundation, Vine, and others of a similar kind. From which, on the other hand, believers are called members in his body which is the entire church of believers, the spouse of Christ, lively stones built on Him, and young shoots or branches: By these epithets is signified the closest and most intimate union between Christ and believers.

III. We may define or describe it to be that spiritual and most strict and therefore mystically essential conjunction, by which believers, being immediately connected, by God the Father and Jesus Christ through the Spirit of Christ and of God, with Christ himself, and through Christ with God, become one with Him and with the Father, and are made partakers of all his blessings, to their own salvation and the glory of Christ and of God.

IV. The author of this union is not only God the Father, who has constituted his Son the Head of the Church, endued Him with the Spirit without measure, and unites believers to his Son; but also Christ, who communicates to believers that Spirit whom He obtained from the Father, that, [adhærentes] cleaving to Him by faith, they may be one Spirit. The administrators are Prophets, Apostles, and other dispensers of the mysteries of God, who lay Christ as the foundation, and bring his spouse to Him.

V. The parties to be united are, (1.) Christ, whom God the Father has constituted the Head, the Spouse, the Foundation, the Vine, &c., and to whom He has given all perfection, with a plenary power and command to communicate it: (2.) And sinful man and therefore destitute of the glory of God, yet a believer and owning Christ for his Saviour.

VI. The bond of unity must be considered both on the part of believers, and on the part of God and Christ. (1.) On the part of believers, it is faith in Christ and God, by which Christ is given to dwell in our hearts. (2.) On the part of God and Christ, it is the Spirit of both, who flows from Christ as the constituted Head, into believers, that He may unite them to Him as members.

VII. The Form of union is a compacting and joining together, which is orderly, harmonious, and in every part agreeing with itself by joints fitly [subministratas] supplied according to the measure of the gifts of Christ. This conjunction receives various

appellations, according to the various similitudes which we have already adduced. With respect to a foundation and a house built upon it, it is [inadificatio] a being built up into [a spiritual house]. With respect to a husband and wife, it is a participation of flesh and bones; or it is flesh of the flesh of Christ, and bone of his bones. With respect to a vine and its branches, or to an and its olive boughs, it is an ingrafting and implanting.

VIII. The proximate and immediate End is the communion of the parts united among themselves; this also is an effect consequent upon that union, but actively understood as it flows from Christ; and positively, as it flows into believers, and is received by them. The cause of this is, that the relation is that of disquiparancy, where the foundation is Christ, who possesses all things and stands in need of nothing; the Term or Boundary, is the believer in want of all things. The Remote End is the eternal salvation of believers, and the glory of God and Christ.

IX. But not only does Christ communicate his blessings to the believers who are united to Him, but He likewise considers, on account of this most intimate and close union, that the good things bestowed and the evils inflicted on believers are also done to himself. Hence arise commiseration for his children and certain succour; but anger against those who afflict, which abides upon them unless they repent; and beneficence towards those who have given even a draught of cold water, in the name of Christ, to one of his followers.

DISPUTATION XLVI.

ON THE COMMUNION OF BELIEVERS WITH CHRIST, AND PAR

TICULARLY WITH HIS DEATH.

I. THE union of believers with Christ tends to communion with Him; which contains in itself every end and fruit of union, and flows immediately from the union itself.

II. Communion with Christ is that by which believers, when united to Him, have in common with himself all those things. which belong to Him; yet the distinction is preserved which exists between the Head and the members, between Him who communicates and them who are made partakers, betweem Him who sanctifieth and those who are sanctified.

III. This, communion must, according to the Scriptures, be considered in two views: For it is either a communion of his death, or of his life. Because Christ must be thus considered in