but
of thy actions; and of thy person for thy actions' sake, which is
false.

4. Therefore, this faith is deceitful, even such as will leave
thee under wrath, in the day of God Almighty; for true justifying
faith puts the soul, as sensible of its condition by the law, upon
flying for refuge unto Christ's righteousness, which righteousness
of his is not an act of grace, by which he maketh for justification,
thy obedience accepted with God; but his personal obedience to the
law, in doing and suffering for us what that required at our hands;
this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth; under the skirt
of which, the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spotless
before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.

{364} IGNOR. What! would you have us trust to what Christ, in his
own person, has done without us? This conceit would loosen the
reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live as we list; for what
matter how we live, if we may be justified by Christ's personal
righteousness from all, when we believe it?

CHR. Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou; even
this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of
what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy
soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea,
thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this
righteousness of Christ, which is, to bow and win over the heart
to God in Christ, to love his name, his word, ways, and people,
and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.

HOPE. Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from heaven.

{365} IGNOR. What! you are a man for revelations! I believe that
what both you, and all the rest of you, say about that matter, is
but the fruit of distracted brains.

HOPE. Why, man! Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions
of the flesh, that he cannot by any man be savingly known, unless
God the Father reveals him to them.

{366} IGNOR. That is your faith, but not mine; yet mine, I doubt
not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many
whimsies as you.

CHR. Give me leave to put in a word. You ought not so slightly
to speak of this matter; for this I will boldly affirm, even as my
good companion hath done, that no man can know Jesus Christ but by
the revelation of the Father; [Matt. 11:27] yea, and faith too,
by which the soul layeth hold upon Christ, if it be right, must be
wrought by the exceeding