lving to go no other way to the Father, and to plead
no other righteousness before God's bar but Christ's; that is faith,
yea, the lively acting of justifying faith.

Thus then is Christ made use of as the way to the Father, in the point
of justification, when the poor awakened sinner, convinced of his sin
and misery, of his own inability to help himself, of the insufficiency
of all means beside Christ, of Christ's all-sufficiency, readiness, and
willingness to help, of the equity and reasonableness of the conditions
on which he is offered, and life through him, is now content and fully
satisfied with this way, actually renouncing all other ways whatsoever,
and doth with heart and hand embrace Jesus Christ, and take him as he is
offered in the gospel, to make use of him for all things, to Jean to
him, and rest upon him in all hazards, and particularly, to refuge
itself under his wings, and to rest there with complacency,
satisfaction, and delight, and hide itself from the wrath of God and all
accusations.

Yet it should be known, that this act of faith, whereby the soul goeth
out to Christ, and accepteth of and leaneth to him, is not alike in all.

1. In some it may be more lively, strong and active, like the
centurion's faith, that could argue syllogistically, Matt. viii. 8, &c,
which Christ looked upon as a great faith, a greater whereof he had not
found, no not in Israel, verse 10; and like the faith of the woman of
Canaan, Matt. xv. 21, &c, that would take no naysay, but of seeming
refusals did make arguments, which Christ commendeth as a great faith,
verse 28. But in others it may be more weak and fainting, not able to
reason aright for its own comfort and strength, as Matt, vi. 30, but is
mixed with much fear, as Matt. viii. 26, yea, and with much
faithfulness, so that the soul must cry, "Lord, help my unbelief!" Mark
ix. 24.

2. In some the acts and actings of this faith may be more clear and
discernible, both by themselves, and by spiritual onlookers; in others,
so covered over with a heap of doubts, unbelief, jealousy, and other
corruption, that the actings of it can hardly, or not at all, be
perceived by themselves or others; so that nothing shall be heard but
complaints, fears, doubtings, and objections.

3. In some, this faith may have strong and perceptible actings,
wrestling through much discouragement and opposition, and many
difficulties; as in the woman of Canaan, Matt. xv.; running through with
p