III. 3. What is the proper nature of religion, of the religion of Jesus Christ. It is "therapeia psyches" -- God's method of healing of a soul which is thus diseased. Hereby the great Physician of souls applies medicines to heal this sickness; to restore human nature, totally corrupted in all its faculties. God heals our Atheism by the knowledge of Himself, and of Jesus Christ whom the Father has sent; by giving us faith, a divine evidence and conviction of God, and the things of God -- in particular, of this important truth, "Christ loved me and gave Himself for me.' By repentance and lowliness of heart, the deadly disease of pride is healed; that of self-will by resignation, a meek and thankful submission to the will of God; and for the love of the world in all its brances, the love of God is the sovereign remedy. Now, this is properly religion, 'faith' thus 'working by love'" working the meek humility, entire deadness to the world, with a loving, thankful acquiescence in, and conformity to, the whole will and word of God.

4. Indeed, if a person were not thus fallen, there would be no need of all this. There would be no occasion for this work in the heart, this renewal in the spirit of our mind. The superfulity of godliness would then be a more proper expression than the 'superfluity of naughtiness.' For an outside religion, without any godliness at all, would suffice to all rational intents and purposes. It does, accordingly, suffice in the judgement of those who deny this corruption of our nature. Mr. Hobbes did of reason. According to him, reason is only a 'well-ordered train of words': according to them, religion is only a well-ordered train of words and actions. And they speak consistently with themselves; for if the inside be not full of wickedness, if this be clean already, what remains, but to 'cleanse the outside of the cup'? Outward reformation, if their supposition be just, is indeed the one thing needful.

5. But you have not so learned the oracles of God. You know that God who sees what is in humanity gives a far different account both of nature and grace, of our fall and our recovery. You know that the great end of religion is to renew our hearts in the image of God, to repair that total loss of righteousness and true holiness which we sustained by the sin of our first parents. You know that all religion which does not answer this end, all that stops short of this, the renewal of our soul in the image of God, after the likenss of God the created it, is no other than a poor farce, and a mere mockery of God, to the destruction of our own soul. O beware of all those teachers of lies, who would palm this upon you for Christianity! . . . By nature you are wholly corrupted; by grace you shall be wholly renewed. In Adam you all died; in the second Adam in Christ, you all are made alive. 'You that were dead in sins God has quickened'; God has already given you a principle of life, even faith in Christ who loved you and gave Himself for you! Now, 'go on from faith to faith,' until your whole sickness be healed, and all that 'mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus'!