brought to nothing in his own eyes, he finds in himself no resource for
justification and salvation.

Then comes in that other part of Scripture, the promises of God, which
declare the glory of God, and say, "If you wish to fulfil the law, and,
as the law requires, not to covet, lo! believe in Christ, in whom are
promised to you grace, justification, peace, and liberty." All these
things you shall have, if you believe, and shall be without them if you
do not believe. For what is impossible for you by all the works of the
law, which are many and yet useless, you shall fulfil in an easy and
summary way through faith, because God the Father has made everything to
depend on faith, so that whosoever has it has all things, and he who has
it not has nothing. "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that
He might have mercy upon all" (Rom. xi. 32). Thus the promises of God
give that which the precepts exact, and fulfil what the law commands;
so that all is of God alone, both the precepts and their fulfilment. He
alone commands; He alone also fulfils. Hence the promises of God belong
to the New Testament; nay, are the New Testament.

Now, since these promises of God are words of holiness, truth,
righteousness, liberty, and peace, and are full of universal goodness,
the soul, which cleaves to them with a firm faith, is so united to them,
nay, thoroughly absorbed by them, that it not only partakes in, but
is penetrated and saturated by, all their virtues. For if the touch of
Christ was healing, how much more does that most tender spiritual touch,
nay, absorption of the word, communicate to the soul all that belongs to
the word! In this way therefore the soul, through faith alone, without
works, is from the word of God justified, sanctified, endued with truth,
peace, and liberty, and filled full with every good thing, and is truly
made the child of God, as it is said, "To them gave He power to become