1. I answer, The office of faith is to knit to Christ, and the weakest
First of all, therefore, labour to have a good judgment of main truths: that these comforts are the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and that the word is the word of God. By a general knowledge of the truth of the promises, thou shalt be better able to apply them. If thou stick in the principles, so as not to know them, nor to believe them, there is no talking of the application of faith upon them. We must make that our own in particular, which we believe first in general. And therefore
Christians must first be well seen in the Scriptures, and in the promises there, that they may know what belongs to them, and apply them to themselves.
Aye, but my faith is weak.
1. I answer, The office of faith is to knit to Christ, and the weakest faith will do that, as well as the strongest: and when we are once one with Christ, then our perfection is to be found in him. It is the office of faith to bring us to Christ; and then to look to him for all perfections and for thy title to heaven, and not to faith; and true faith is faith even in the least degree of it. As we say of the elements, every drop of water is water, and every spark of fire is fire. And, therefore, the argument will not hold, if we have not much faith, we have no faith; or if we have no feeling, we have no faith. There are many common errors which we must remove, that they may not hinder us in the application of Christ, by distinguishing between strong grace and true grace; and, above all, labour to know and understand the covenant of grace; the tenor of which requireth no set measures of grace; but 'if we believe, we shall not perish, but have everlasting life,' under so gracious and merciful a covenant are we.
2. But this is not sufficient to satisfy the soul. The very cleaving to Christ is indeed a sufficient ground of comfort, but yet to obtain actual comfort, there must be a knowledge that we do cleave to