eemed stand in need of. Hence "he is a prince
exalted to give repentance and forgiveness of sins," Acts v. 31. "All
power in heaven and earth is committed unto him," Matt, xxviii. 18, 19.
Hence he is called, "the author and finisher of faith," Heb. xii. 2; and
he tells his disciples, John xiv. 13, 14, that whatever they shall ask
in his name, he will do it. He is made a Prince and a Saviour, "having
all judgment committed unto him," John v. 22; and "he is Lord of all,"
Acts x. 36. Rom. xiv. 9.

6. Hereupon the sinner, being convinced of his lost condition through
sin and misery, of an utter impossibility of helping himself out of that
state of death, of Christ's all-sufficiency and willingness to save all
that will come to him, and of its own inability to believe or come to
him for life and salvation, or to lay hold on, and lean to his merits
and satisfaction, and so despairing in himself, is to look out to Jesus,
the author of eternal salvation, the foundation and chief corner-stone,
the author and finisher of faith; I say, the sinner, being thus
convinced, is thus to look out to Jesus; not that that conviction is any
proper qualification prerequisite as necessary, either to prepare,
dispose, and fit for faith, or far less to merit any manner of way, or
bring on faith; but because this is Christ's method to bring a soul to
faith by this conviction, to the glory of his grace. The soul naturally
being averse from Christ, and utterly unwilling to accept of that way of
salvation, must be redacted to that strait, that it shall see, that it
must either accept of this offer or die. As the whole needeth not a
physician, so Christ is come to save only that which is lost; and his
method is to convince the world of sin, in the first place; and then of
righteousness, John xvi. 8, 9.

7. This looking out to Jesus for faith, comprehendeth those things: (1.)
The soul's acknowledgment of the necessity of faith, to the end it may
partake of Christ, and of his merits. (2.) The soul's satisfaction with
that way of partaking of Christ, by a closing with him, and a resting
upon him by faith. (3.) A sense and conviction of the unbelief and
stubbornness of the heart, or a seeing of its own impotency, yea, and
unwillingness to believe. (4.) A persuasion that Christ can over-master
the infidelity and wickedness of the heart, and work up the soul unto a
willing consent unto the bargain. (5.) A hope, or a half-hope (to speak
so) that Christ, wh