[92] Heb. ii. 17, and iv. 15.
[93] John xxii. 5.
‘True and living faith in Christ Jesus the Son of the living God,[94] has respect to his entire being and fulness, to him entirely as in himself, and as all power in heaven and earth is given unto him;[95] and also an eye and respect to the same Son of God[96] as inwardly making himself known to the soul, in every degree of his light, life, spirit, grace, and truth; and as he is both the word of faith, and a quickening spirit in us;[97] whereby he is the immediate cause, author, object, and strength of our living faith in his name and power; and of the work of our salvation from sin and bondage of corruption: and the Son of God cannot be divided from the least or lowest appearance of his own divine light, or life in us or in mankind, no more than the sun from its own light: nor is the sufficiency of his light within by us set up in opposition to him the man Christ, or his fulness, considered as in himself, as without us; nor can any measure or degree of light, received from Christ, as such, be properly called the fulness of Christ, or Christ as in fulness, nor exclude him, so considered, from being our complete Saviour; for Christ himself to be our light, our life, and Saviour,[98] is so consistent, that without this light we could not know life, nor him to save us from sin or deliver us from darkness, condemnation or wrath to come: and where the least degree or measure of this light and life of Christ within is sincerely waited in, followed and obeyed; there is a blessed increase of light and grace known and felt; as the path of the just it shines more and more, until the perfect day;[99] and thereby a growing in grace, and in the knowledge of God, and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, hath been, and is truly experienced. And this light, life, or spirit of Christ within, (for they are one divine principle,) is sufficient to lead unto all truth; having in it the divers ministrations both of judgment and mercy, both of law and gospel, even that gospel which is preached in every intelligent creature under heaven: it does not only, as in its first ministration, manifest sin, and reprove and condemn for sin; but also excites and leads them that believe in it to true repentance; and thereupon to receive that mercy, pardon, and redemption in Christ Jesus, which he hath obtained for mankind in those gospel terms of faith in his name, true repentance and conversion to Christ, thereby required.
[94] John xvi. 1.
[95] Mat. xxviii. 18, and xi. 27. John xvii. 2. Heb. ii. 8.
[96] John xiv. 23, and xvii. 21, 22, 23, 24, 26.
[97] 1 Cor. xv. 45. Rom x. 7, 8.
[98] John i. 4. 9, and iii. 19, 20, and xii. 35, 36, 46, and viii. 12.
[99] Prov. iv. 18. Psal. xxxvi. 9.