Chapter IV
\ That a special act of faith on the free grace of God as justifying shiners, and
on the blood and righteousness of Christ, is the only true justifying faith. This proved by several arguments. What are the reasons why God hath
singled out this special faith to be that faith upon which he justifies. The
uses.
3. Having explained the nature of special justifying faith, and what acts conduce to it, I come now to demonstrate, that it is only by this special
286 OF THE OBJECT AND ACTS [PART II. BoOK I.
faith that we obtain an interest in Christ and his righteousness unto salva
tion and justification.
(1.) You know that there is a special part of God s word, which is the
gospel, even as Christ, the grand subject of it. is called eminently 6 Xoyog, the Word, John i. 1. Now what is the gospel? Truly it is nothing else
(take it strictly in the special sense and meaning of it) but that doctrine which holds forth the grace of God justifying, pardoning, and saving sin
ners, and which holds forth Jesus Christ made righteousness to us. Now then, this gospel it is called in a peculiar respect the word of faith ; and for what respect but this ? because it is a special object of a special faith which God saveth us by. The apostle, in Eom. x. 8, speaking of the gos pel in distinction from the law, and from all else in the Scripture, saith, * This is the word of faith which we preach. What is that same special word of faith ? He tells us, ver. 9,
* That (so we read it, but some trans late it nempc, or), namely this, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe with thy heart, thou shalt be saved ; and the
Scripture saith, ver. 11, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. This is called the word of faith, which holdeth forth this spe cial object of the special faith of a believer. And then again, in Gal. iii. 1,2, the gospel it is called the hearing of faith, having spoken of Christ being crucified before their eyes in the words before ; so also in 1 Tim.
iii. 9, it is called the mystery of faith. Now as the gospel is called in a
special manner the word of faith, so in us that faith is called special faith which relateth to this word, and the rest is rather called wisdom to salva
tion, whereby we know all things else in the Scripture ; but this carries the name of faith, and is called faith in Jesus Christ, and therefore it is
is called faith of the truth, 2 Thes. ii. 13, that is, of the gospel ; it is not only faith of truth, take it in general any truth revealed in the word, but faith of that truth ;
< God hath chosen you to salvation, saith he,
* through faith of the truth. As the gospel is called the word of faith, so on the other side faith is called the faith of the gospel, Phil. i. 27. Thus
it is a special faith, because it has this special object.
(2.) Then again add this to it, that though the apostles"were to preach all the word of God, yet they had a special ministry
: The word of faith which we preach, saith Paul in Bom. x. 8,. Now the faith that is to be in Christians, it is to be suited to their ministry
: So we preach, and ye believed, 1 Cor. xv. 11. Now then, if that preaching of remission of sins in the name of Christ, if preaching the righteousness of God through faith, the righteousness of faith which is in the Son of God, if this were the spe cial proper ministry of the apostles, then that is the special faith of a Christian which is suited to this ministry. Now it is evident that this was the special thing that they preached. In Acts xx. 24, thus saith the
apostle, So that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus. What was that ? To testify the gospel of the grace of God. Take the gospel as it holds forth the
grace of God, that is, that special grace of God, his free grace in pardoning, saving, and justifying sinners, this is the special ministry (saith he) which I received of Jesus Christ. You have it likewise elsewhere often professed by the apostle.
When Jesus Christ began to preach, he began with this, Mark i. 15, Repent, and believe the gospel, the gospel of grace, and the gospel that holds forth Christ; and as he began, so he ended with it : Mark xvi. 15, Go and preach the gospel, and he that believeth shall be saved. And whon he was in heaven, what was the commission he gave to Paul ? Paul
CHAP. IV.] OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 287
said, in the place I cited even now, that his ministry was to testify the
gospel of the grace of God. Now what was Paul s commission given him
by Christ from heaven ? See Acts xxvi. 18, I send thee to the Gentiles,
to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God ; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
(3.) Consider this likewise, that when any of the people came to Christ, or came to the apostles, to know what to do to be saved, still they directed them to faith upon a special object for salvation. What saith Paul to the
poor jailor in Acts xvi. 31, when he asked what he should do to be saved ? He gives him the most sovereign, special, only remedy, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved. He doth not bid him believe on God simply, and believe that God is powerful, just, &c., but he points his
faith to that which is the special object of it, Believe on the Lord Jesus, saith he. You may have in the Scripture, and in the New Testament,
descriptions of one that shall be saved, by faith on other things besides
believing on Jesus Christ, but you shall never have a direction (when a man comes to ask what he shall do to be saved) unto any thing else. So
in John vi. 29,- Christ himself, when they asked him, what they should do, that they might work the works of God, he directs them to this,
* Believe on him whom he hath sent.
(4.) Consider, that all the saints from the beginning of the world,
especially under the New Testament, do profess their trusting upon the
special grace and mercy of God, as the special object of their faith. You have them brought both together, both the saints in the Old and in the New Testament, in Acts xv. 11, and they both meet in this centre, in this
special faith. The apostle there had in the very words before spoken of
their fathers under the Old Testament, and he had said, that the law was
a yoke, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear ; how shall we be saved now ? and how were they saved then ? Mark what follows : But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ I take it, that by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is not meant the grace personally in Jesus Christ, but that grace which God beareth us through Jesus Christ
we shall be saved, even as they, or (as the words is in the Greek), after
the manner they were ; and all by believing, and that for salvation, having that special aim, and acting our faith upon the grace of God in Jesus
Christ. This (as I said before) was the special faith of all the primitive Christians: 2 Peter i. 1, To all them, saith he (for none else are true
Christians but those), that have obtained like faith (even this special
faith), on the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ; and in
1 Peter i. 21, there you shall see what manner of Christians they were, and what their faith was upon
: Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be
in God. This is the description of the primitive believers, they believed
in God through Jesus Christ, in God justifying through Jesus Christ ; and
this was the faith of the apostles themselves : Gal. ii. 16, We, saith he,
speaking of the apostles, have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
* in him, and the faith of Jesus, is three times men
justified ; and there,
tioned, as being that which only we are justified by ; and in Eev. xiv. 12, you have all the saints described by this, that they keep the faith of Jesus ; they are described by this special faith.
(5.) Lastly, It appeareth that it is through this special faith that we are thus saved, having this special object, because it is not said only, that all
that do believe shall be saved through him ; which you have in Acts xiii. 39,
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By him, saith he, all that believe shall be justified, and receive forgive ness of sins. But whereas some might say (and truly it might be objected), Suppose I believe, though it be on something else, yet I may be saved by Christ, and for Christ s sake meritoriously ; therefore, to obviate this, there are two places more, which if you do but add, you will see that it is not only all that believe shall be saved through him, but, through him all shall be saved that believe on him also ; that is, as none but believers, and such as have
faith, are saved, and saved through faith, so their faith must be on him too
by which they are saved ; for so it is expressly said in Acts x. 43, Through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. The like you have in Acts xxvi. 18, ..By faith which is in me. And therefore now here is the thing wherein the strength of the argument lies: the Scripture doth not only say, He that believeth shall be saved ; for so it saith too, He that repenteth shall be saved, and faith is not only said to be unto salvation, for so repentance is said to be unto salvation ; but it is
plainly expressed, He that believeth is saved by believing on him. Qui credit et credendo quidem salvatur, who believes, and is indeed saved by believing. And this is yet more express
< This (says he) * is it that is witnessed by the law and all the prophets, even the righteous ness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, to all and upon all that believe. He confesses not himself to have said, on them that believe, but more emphatically also adds, by faith ; so as this righteousness is not only said to be on them that believe, for it is on them that repent too, but it is also expressed that it is by believing
: Rom. iii. 22,
: It is the righteousness of God, which is by faith on them that believe ; and this faith is the faith of Christ. Add to this that place in Gal. iii. 22, where there is the like duplication, The Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. It is given, and by believing on Christ. And all argues, that as salvation is by faith alone, so that it is by faith upon this special object, upon Jesus Christ.
4. But you will ask me, What is it in Christ that is the special object of this special faith ?
I shall give you an answer out of the Scripture in a word or two. You shall find it to be faith in his blood, and faith in his righteousness, or in his obedience. Faith in his blood you have in Rom. iii. 15, and faith in his righteousness you have in that place I have so often quoted, 2 Pet. i. 1. These are the matter of our justification, which the soul hath recourse unto, to be accepted for, and to have them imputed to it. If you ask, answerably to both these, for what it is that the soul comes to Christ, believeth on his blood, believeth on his righteousness, to obtain what ?
I answer, It is to obtain two things, the one answering his blood, and the other answering his righteousness, viz., remission of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified, these being the two legacies which the soul comes for ; and both by faith that is in me, saith Christ, in Acts xxvi. 18 ; so that indeed there is the whole obedience of Christ, active and passive, blood and righteousness, for remission of sins, and for an inheritance, as thus you have them singly mentioned in several scrip tures ; and to give you them both in one scripture, Rom. v., first at the 9th verse, saith he, Being now justified by his blood; and what doth his blood serve to justify us from more peculiarly ? From wrath :
* Being justified by his blood, saith he, we shall be saved from wrath through him ; and elsewhere we are said to be justified from sin and from wrath ; and then, in ver. 18, 19 of that chapter, As by the disobedience of one
CHAP. IV.] OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 289
many were made sinners (viz., that act of Adam s disobedience imputed to
them), so by the obedience of one many are made righteous (so the word
is), they are constituted righteous by that righteousness and obedience. He had spoken of his blood before, ver. 9, he now speaks of his righteous ness, for he opposeth it to that actual disobedience of the law which Adam committed, which consisted of one act ; but this is abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness. My brethren, we are not made righteous by the act of believing ; no, we are constituted and made righteous by that obedience of Christ on which we believe ; the text is express for it. Now observe it, as justified by his blood takes away wrath, as you have it ver. 9, so our being made righteous by his obedience is for justification of life. Eead the very words of the 18th verse, where, speaking of justification of
life, which is distinct from remission of sins, and freedom from wrath, he
saith, it is by having the righteousness of Christ made ours, we being made
righteous by his obedience. So that, I say, this is the special object of
faith, and this was the faith of the primitive times.
4. I now come to shew the reasons (which have the greatest harmony in them with all other truths, and have as much conviction in them, being added unto Scripture, as any) to make this thing good, why that God should
single out this act of faith, as having in a special manner his grace, and Christ s righteousness for salvation, in its eye. Why God, I say, should
single out this act of faith, as that upon which he is said to justify ; so that
let a man have never so much faith concerning God himself, under all other
consideration, be it a belief of the power, justice, truth, or whatsoever it be that doth glorify God never so much, if it be not (if we could suppose them severed) faith towards God as merciful, saving, justifying, &c., it is not justifying. Or, let a man believe never so much of Jesus Christ, and that spiritually too, if he do not believe in Christ as a Saviour, for right eousness and pardon, on his blood for justification, and on his righteousness to be saved by it, all the other faith will do him no good, neither is any other faith said to save or to justify. Now the reasons why God hath
singled out this special act of faith in such a peculiar manner, as that which should be peculiarly saving, and upon which he saveth men, they are these :
(1.) Consider what is the end of faith. It must needs be this : to bring ns to God, that we may come to him, and close with him, and so may fear him, obey him, or whatever else you will put upon it. Without this, all the world must yield that the end of faith is not attained ; therefore in the
Scripture that faith that saveth us is everywhere expressed by a coming to God, and a coming to Jesus Christ. You have the expression frequently in John v. and John vi. ; as, on the contrary, unbelief in those that have the gospel preached to them is expressed by not coming to Jesus Christ, and by departing from the living God ; so you have it in John v. 40, and Heb. iii. 12. Now none will come to God unless upon a special ground of confidence in God justifying and accepting. To believe all of God else, to believe that God is true in his word, in all his promises, and not to have the substance of that promise in the eye, viz., that God is a justifier and a Saviour, will be ineffectual ; all other promises, and believing on God under all other notions, will never bring a man to God, or make him come unto him, Heb. xi. 6, None cometh to God but he that believeth that there is a God, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him. Special faith is here expressed by seeking of God. You have the like in Isa. xi. 10, the which if you compare with Rom. xv. 10, they both will open to you that in Heb. xi. 6. In Isa. xi. 10, saith the prophet, In that day (speak ing of Christ)
* there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign VOL. VIII. T
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to the people, and to him shall the Gentiles seek. Mark the expression,
seek ; and now compare with this, Rom. xv. 10, and see there what the
apostle renders and translates the prophet s seeking into. And again,
saith he, quoting this place in Isaiah, Esaias saith, there shall be a root
of Jesse, and he shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, and in him shall the
Gentiles trust. Mark it, seeking and trusting they are put all for one ; I
allege it for this, that the notion of seeking in that Heb. xi. 6, is believing on God, and expressed both by seeking and coming to him. Now, saith
the apostle in Heb. xi. 6, there must be a twofold apprehension in a man
for the ground of his coming to God: 1, an apprehension aud a spiritual
belief that God is; 2, that he is the rewarderoi them that seek him, or (if
you will, in the apostle s language elsewhere) of them that trust in him, or
believe in him. It is not therefore simply the belief of all things concern
ing God that will bring a man s soul to seek to him, or to come to him,
unless God be considered as he prorniseth himself a reward, as he did to
Abraham. The blessing of Abraham in forgiving his sins, and giving him
* I will be thy reward, saith God in
heaven, whereby was it expressed?
* They that know
Gen. xvii. 1, or it may have relation to that in Ps. ix. 10,
thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou hast not forgotten them that
seek thee. Thou art a God that dost regard, and hast a special regard to
them that seek thee, and do trust in thee ; for seeking and trusting are put both for one in that psalm likewise. Now what was the name of God in
the Old Testament, which did draw in the hearts of all his people to trust
* The Lord God, gracious and merciful,
in him, and to seek him ? It was,
pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin, Exod. xxxiv. 6. This was his
name, and those that knew it and believed it spiritually, they trusted in
him, and looked upon him as one that was a rewarder, and not forgetful
(which is all one, for a diminutive expression implies more than it express-
eth) of them that seek him. So that now, if a man would come to God, and be brought to him, it is not all the general faith about God that the
soul of man can take in, let him know never so much of it, that will do it,
unless he withal know him in his special promise of favour, and of being a
reward to them that trust in him; otherwise men are driven away from
God, men will never come to him, if it were not for a promise of special
mercy, pardoning them, accepting them, and rewarding them :
^ There is
mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared, saith the psalmist in Ps.
cxxx. 4-7. No man would fear God, would come to him, would seek to
him, or worship him, or meddle with him, let him have never so much faith
* mercy with him, and plenteous
in all things else, if it were not that there is
redemption, as it follows there. Men would not seek God, nor come to
God, but under the notion of a God promising reconciliation in Christ,
promising to be a reward in Christ, and to be favourable in Christ.
The papists (that I may shew you the deceits and mistakes of men all
along as I go in this great point) they tell us that it is general faith, faith
to believe all things else of God, as well as to believe upon God giving of
himself out to us in special promises, that is justifying faith ; and therefore
they do find fault with Calvin, and blame him and others of our protestant
writers, for saying that the schoolmen erred in making God (simply con
sidered) the object of faith; and for saying that God in Christ, God as
justifying, God as rewarding and pardoning sin, as he is thus, is the
special object of faith ; and they seem to argue strongly for their opinion.
I shall mention their argument, and answer it in a word. Say tbey, the
primary object of faith must needs be God himself, simply considered, in
all his attributes, and not in any special manner, God in Christ, or God in
CHAP. IV.] OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 291
respect of grace and mercy; because, take God as justifying, and God revealed in Christ, that is but a secondary thing to God himself, it is but
I attribution secundarium, an attribute at second hand, by reason of his own
I purpose taken up to shew mercy to sinners, therefore, say they, that which
is not the primary thing in God cannot be the primary object of our faith. And then farther they argue thus too : vision in heaven succeedeth faith, but to know God in himself, or God to be all in all, to know God in all his excellencies, this, say they, is the perfection of heaven ; therefore God so considered must needs be a more perfect object of faith than to con sider God as justifying us, or God revealed in Christ ; for, say they, faith and vision have the same object, only with this variation, that God is revealed obscurely to our faith here in this life, but clearly in the world to come.
For answer to this, and so to clear this first reason that I have men tioned before I go off of it, I say, God himself, simply considered in him
self, is not the primary object of our faith; for faith cannot see God as in
himself, none can see God and live ; that is appointed indeed for vision in the world to come. We must therefore make that the primary object of our faith which is suited to us, and suited to the way of believing by God s
ordination, and to a man s mind and spirit here in this life, as we are in our way to heaven; and therefore now to go and throw off Christ and faith in him, and make communion with God as God all in all, immediately in
himself, to be justifjing faith, though there is such a communion with him in the world to come, when God shall be all in all, yet this is not suited to what we see here in this life, therefore we must take that to be the primary object of faith which is ordained to be so unto us while we are here. Now, God is revealed to us here in this life two ways
: either by such words or names which he hath given himself as do express his attri
butes, which are his backparts, as that he is called just, and faithful, and
true, and gracious, and merciful, and knowing all things, &c. ; or else God
is to be considered as he is revealed to us in Jesus Christ, in the word of the gospel which is preached to us, for what is Jesus Christ but God manifested in the flesh ? Now, then, of the two, which do you think is the chief object of our faith, whether God revealed in his attributes, or God revealed in Christ ? Certainly God revealed in Christ. I yield you that God known in himself is beyond both these, for both these are but means to know him by ; but of the two, I say, God in Christ is the special object of our faith, the other is but a secondary thing in comparison of this. Why ? Because it was the knowledge of God which they had in the Old Testament; and the truth is, that aboundeth with such a know
ledge of God, in words expressing his attributes, and if that had been the more perfect, then all that addition that Jesus Christ hath brought by the
i revelation of himself had been in vain. Now, if our minds could arrive at God immediately, we needed neither the one nor the other.
So that the sum of the answer is this, that it is true that the knowledge of God simply considered in his nature, in his being, in all his excellencies, when he is known, is most excellent; but the question is of that way of knowing him which God hath appointed us in this life. And so, I say, the knowledge of God in Christ is the most excellent, and Jesus Christ is he that makes all the attributes of God (which is another way of knowing him in this life) more conspicuous than they were in the Old Testament; therefore Christ, and God revealed in Christ, pardoning, justifying, saving, and all that Jesus Christ hath done to that end, is to us the primary object of faith.
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(2.) Another reason why God hath appointed such a special faith to be
justifying, is, because men that are sinners (for in that consideration the
strength of the reason lies, or at least there is thereby a further strength added to the former) can never come to close with God ; they can never come to seek him, but under the representation of God in Christ, and of God pardoning, and God justifying. This is certain, that the more strongly a sinner believes all things that are in God, all his excellencies, his holiness, his power, his justice, take all the attributes that are in God ; the more
strongly, I say, he believes these, if he should not withal apprehend this God as one that not only hath mercy in his nature, but that holds forth mercy in his promises, and in Christ, for the pardon of sin and for salva
tion, the more it will drive a sinner off from God, unless the special grace or mercy of God, as it is held forth in the promise, be revealed to that man s soul ; and then, indeed, the more strongly he believes all the excel
lencies that are in God, the more such a belief will strengthen his heart to come to God, and to believe in him, when once he hath closed with him under the notion of merciful, and justifying, and pardoning in and through
Christ; otherwise, I say, it puts men off from God; so it did Cain, so it did Adam, who ran away from God. And what is the reason that the
devila believe and tremble? It is, because all that they know and appre hend of God hath no special promise of mercy to them as sinners from that God. They know that God is merciful, but because there is not a declaration of God s will to be merciful to such as are in their condition, because they know that his mercy is limited to men, that good-will is to men on earth, as the angels sung, Luke ii. 14, and not unto devils in hell, that no name is given unto men by which they can be saved but only the name of Christ, and not to devils ; therefore the more, I say, that they know of God, the more they tremble, and the more they go off from God; but it is God apprehended under that special notion, as one that hath a name of being merciful, put out in his promises to such sinners as we are, that draws sinners to him.
So that let papists and popish spirits, that would have a general faith to save us, dispute what they will, that God, considered in himself, is the chief object of faith, yet still clearly take us as sinners, God, as a justifier of sinners, out of his infinite mercy and grace, is the chief object of faith unto us. Yon have it plainly in Eom. iv. 5, To him that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, is faith accounted for righteousness. Go, take a man that is ungodly, and how will this man ever come to believe in
God, unless under this notion, that he is one that justifies the ungodly? And therefore that is the faith that is accounted for righteousness. It is not believing that God is true, or holy, or just, simply considered in him
self, if a man believe these never so strongly, that will justify him; but to
believe on God under this notion, that he is a justifier of the ungodly, this
is a man s faith which is accounted to him for righteousness. Without
this, it is certain sinners would have no heart to come unto God. You have an excellent expression to this purpose in Eph. iii. 12, where, speak ing of Jesus Christ, and so of God, considered as in Christ revealed, he
* In whom (having spoken of Christ in the very words before) we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Here is the special faith expressed, which is pitched either upon God as justifying in Christ, or upon Christ through whom God justifieth. Now go, take a
saith,
sinner, he would never have any boldness, never have any confidence, so much as to come to God ; he would have no heart to do it ; he would be
driven off from him, if he did not first look on God as in Christ; for, mark
CHAP. IV.] OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 293
it, he mentions Christ twice, In whom we have boldness by the faith of him. The meaning is this, that take the reality of the thing itself, the
access, the leave that God giveth for sinners to come to him, it is in and
by Christ. In whom, saith he ; God really admitteth men to him, or else would not do it. And as thus for the reality of the thing, it is in Christ, and without him there would be no access to God, so it is only that man who apprehendeth Christ, and cometh to God through Christ, that hath
this access with confidence, and therefore that is added, by the faith of him. For this is a true rule, which will never deceive us, that look what it is
that moveth God to accept us, the apprehension of that in God strengtheneth our hearts to come unto him to be accepted. Now if God did not
look upon us in Jesus Christ, there were no acceptation of us on God s
part; and if we, on the other side, did not by faith look upon God through Jesus Christ, there would be no confidence, no boldness, but the heart would go back; therefore he puts in both, In whom, saith he, through the faith of whom, we have boldness, and confidence, and access to God.
If there were a glass (to make such a supposition) through and by which
the sun did shine upon the world, and take that glass away, and the sun
did not shine ; and, on the other side, if that the eyes of men and other
creatures were so weak that they could not behold the sun but through that glass; if both these were true, what a great necessity were there that
the means of the sight of the sun should be still as through that glass. So is it here; God himself, out of Christ, shineth not upon sinners, neither can the sore, the weak eye of a sinner dare to behold that God, which is a
consuming fire, but as looking through this glass; and therefore, I say, though man in his primitive innocent state had another way and means of
coming to God, as Adam had, yet notwithstanding now, as sinners, we have not. And let me tell you this too, that, take Adam s condition, there was a special kind of faith even in him too. He must have believed and known (at least if not by faith, by some other ways, whether it was by the law of natural righteousness in his heart, I dispute not) that this God did
accept him to life, and that he was in his favour. It is true, indeed, he had this knowledge by the intervention of his own good works ; otherwise,
though Adam had known God to be omniscient, to be holy, to be just, to
be true, and to be happy, and perfect, and blessed, if that he had not taken all these attributes of God in at this little hole, the beams shining in at this hole, that this God justifieth me, approveth me upon my obe
dience, he had the sight of this through his works and holiness, be
cause the law between Adam and God stood as between a creator and a
creature, all the other knowledge would not have comforted Adam s heart, had not he, I say, apprehended God to justify him; though then, indeed, the way of justification was on the account of Adam s holiness, and
through his works. Hence now, therefore, God, as justifying and approv
ing of Adam as a person in his favour, and God as his God was the primary notion under which Adam looked upon God, and to him all the other were but as secondary in comparison of this, much more is it so to a poor sinner. And therefore, now let us consider God justifying us out of grace
(for otherwise, if we consider ourselves under the first covenant, all the
attributes of God come in upon us with terror), and then all his attributes
shining but through this one consideration, that God is a God that justifies
sinners, come in sweetly upon us. And therefore, let popish spirits say what they will, yet still unto us as sinners it is God as gracious, God as
justifying, it is God as in Christ revealed, which is the proper and special
object of justifying faith. For, consider, when a sinner doth turn to God,
294 OF THE OBJECT AND ACTS [PART II. BOOK I.
and come to believe in good earnest, what is the chief thing he hath in his eye in the knowledge of himself? He hath the guilt of sin, poor soul! I am, saith he, obnoxious to the wrath of the great God ; this is the chief, the first thing he hath then in his eye ; therefore, now answerably in his
seeking unto God, what hath his faith recourse unto ? To that God who
justifies the ungodly, and to that Christ through whom he doth it ; and therefore he hath recourse to them for justification first, and sanctification afterwards. And why ? Because the power of sin is not first in his eye, but the guilt of sin, therefore answerably justification (take him as he is a
sinner), and God as justifying, and Christ as justifying, must needs be in his eye first, and then afterward Christ as sanctifying. Adam, he might have leave to study all the attributes of God, one after another, by pieces and parcels, and pick and choose which he would think of first, even as scholars do pieces of divinity ; and God might draw out an act of faith and knowledge of or to himself, under this attribute or that attribute, as he pleased; but this poor soul that is a sinner, when it comes to God, he hath not the leisure to look over all things else in God, or, if he hath, he is terrified with them ; but, saith he, I am lost. And what is the first ques tion he asketh ?
< What shall I do to be saved ? That is the first ques tion in order of nature ; therefore, now, if you will answer this poor soul s
question, you must tell him of God in Christ, and of God s saving and
justifying sinners in Christ.
(8.) A third reason why God hath appropriated our salvation to such a
special faith on Christ is, because it is unto that faith, the object of which only pacifieth the heart against condemnation, that God only doth annex
justification. If to any at all it must needs be that faith, the object of which alone pacifieth the heart against guilt and condemnation ; but now only the faith that is in Jesus Christ and his righteousness, and upon God as justifying, hath that for its object which alone is able to quiet and pacify the heart against condemnation, therefore God hath annexed alone to this faith our being justified. Yea, it is this which first puts in the chief life into the soul : Rom. i. 17, The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; and it follows, The just shall live by faith. The greatest death is in the guilt of sin, so that if we could suppose that a general faith could act against the power of sin, yet it could not raise the soul from death in the guilt of it, until the righteousness of God which acquits it be
revealed, Col. ii. 12, 13; to this also accord those places which express, that
< he who seeth the Son hath life, and that he who believeth on the Son hath life, John iii. 26, 1 John v. 11, Gal. ii. 20. But will you first, before I proceed to prove this, mark how I express myself ; I say, that
faith, the object of which serveth to pacify ; I do not say, that faith, the act of which always pacifieth, but whose object alone I must have peace from. Look what thing, what consideration, what apprehension alone must
give that soul peace and quiet against condemnation, certainly faith upon that object is it which God hath annexed justification unto. Always the act of faith upon Christ and upon grace doth not bring peace, but there
is that in the thing believed, or that will do it in the event. Now the reason of the consequence of this is clear, for justification you know
is opposed to condemnation, therefore that object of faith, and that of faith which serveth to pacify the heart only against condemnation, the belief on that thing certainly only justifieth. Now there is nothing but God as justifying, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and his
righteousness, through whom God justifieth, that is able to pacify and
quiet the heart of a sinner ; nothing else will do it. We use the like
CHAP. IV.] OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 295
argument against the papists, that therefore \ve are justified by faith
alone.
I will give you clearly a scripture for this, and so pass from it. In Rom. iii. and Rom. iv., the apostle discourseth of faith as justifying, and
he makes the object of that faith in chap. iii. to be Jesus Christ ; he
calleth it the faith of Jesus, ver. 26, &c. ; he also makes God as justi
fying the ungodly the object of faith in chap. iv. ver. 5, and he doth shew
that we are justified alone by faith as acted upon those two objects, and
not by the works of the law. Now how doth he conclude in chap. v.
ver. 1? Being justified by faith, saith he (that is, by this faith on God
justifying, and on Jesus Christ, which is the faith only by which he had
proved we are justified in the words before), we have peace with God
through Jesus Christ; that is, this the only faith that pacifieth the heart;
faith only as pitched upon these objects nakedly, and barely, and singly
will quiet the heart, and bring peace with God ; nothing else will do it. Now I appeal to the experience of all believers, and in this case I may
very well do it ; I appeal to all your consciences, you that have been exer
cised in the conflicts of faith and believing, what hath ever quieted your
hearts ? All that you knew of God or of Jesus Christ would not do it,
till you came to lay hold upon the grace of God as justifying ungodly wretches merely for his own name s sake, and till you laid hold on the
Lord Jesus Christ, through whom you are justified ; nothing else but God
nakedly and simply considered, without anything in yourselves, hath ever
quieted the heart of you sinners. As the apostle argues from experience
in a like case, so do I argue from experience in this case too. The apostle
in Gal. iii. 2, when he would prove that it is the gospel only that conveys the
Spirit, saith he, This only would I learn of you, you that are so much for the
law, I pray tell me your experience, I appeal to your own experience (and
* Received you the Spirit by the works
experience in this case is a sure rule),
of the law, or by the hearing of faith ? What doth he mean by the Spirit ? He means the Spirit of God sealing up salvation to them, as in Eph. i. 13, You were sealed by the Spirit of promise, and
* we have received the Spirit,
the anointing, 1 Cor. ii. 12. Of this Spirit he speaks, for afterwards he
speaks of the common gifts of the Spirit, ver. 5. Now I appeal to you,
saith he, what was it that did bring this Spirit down into your hearts, thus
sealing up salvation to you ? Was it all the works of the law that ever
you did ? No ; it was by the hearing of faith, saith he. Now the thing I
cite this for, is to shew that in a case and argument of this nature the
apostle appeals to the very experience of Christians. What is the reason
that the experience of Christians must needs decide such a case as this is ?
Because that God s dispensations are alway suited to his own appointments or ordinances ; that is, you will find that God will only bless his own way, and his own means. Now then (saith the apostle) if works of the law had
been a way and a means through which God conveyed his Spirit, some
of you would have had the Spirit conveyed to you by works of the
law ; I appeal to you if ever you had. But, on the contrary, you have
found it, and generally found it, that the Spirit was conveyed to you by
the hearing of faith. Certainly then this is the truth. Why ? Because
experience would not second this unless it were God s own appointment and ordination, that the hearing of faith conveyeth the Spirit, for that
which God sanctifieth to be effectual hath always the substance of his own
ordination in it. Now then in the like manner do I here argue, that faith
whose object only quieteth the heart against condemnation is certainly that
as pitched on that object alone upon which God doth justify us ; now
OF THE OBJECT AND ACTS [PART II. BOOK I.
nothing can, or ever did, or will quiet the heart (I appeal to all experi ence), ^but this special faith pitched upon the grace of God justifying immediately and freely, and upon the Lord Jesus Christ made justification to us.
(4.) The soul can lay hold upon no promise that God hath made (it cannot only neither come to him, nor treat with him, but can lay hold upon no promise else), neither by way of assurance, nor by way of recum bency ; it cannot with any heart cast itself upon God or Christ for the performance of any promise further than as it hath pitched, either by way of assurance or casting itself, upon the special mercy of God to pardon, or accept it in Jesus
_ Christ ; and therefore this must needs be the first and principal act of faith. I do not say, that no man can cast himself upon God for any other promise till he be assured that God doth justify him ; but till he hath dealt with God for justification as a God that justifieth the ungodly, and as a God thus merciful, and till he hath dealt with Jesus Christ, and come to him for salvation, this soul can never come to him for any other promise with any cheerful heart. It is most certain, you cannot have recourse to God for other promises with any boldness and heartiness further than your hearts are in a proportion strengthened to rest upon, and to have recourse unto the grace of God to justify, and unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom we are justi fied ; it is a thing which you may make a use of now by the way. Take this for a rule, that yonr way when you would deal with God for any temporal promise, it is to renew your faith for your justification and salva tion. I will give you an instance or two for it ; in John xi. 26, 27, &c., there was the sister of Lazarus, Martha, who was to deal with Jesus Christ, and he with her, concerning the raising of her brother; Christ he tells her that her brother shall rise again: ver. 23, Yea, saith she,
< I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Christ now he was to bring her heart off to this, that he should rise sooner, that he would raise him up now, which she was very backward to believe. What doth Jesus Christ do therefore ? He puts her first upon this, to renew her faith upon him for salvation, so you have it clearly, ver. 25, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life : he that believeth in me, though we were dead, yet shall he live : and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Here you see he draws her on to believe in him for salvation, and to renew that faith. There are a great many observations which may be made out of these words ; as, first, this, you see the special faith of the gospel, which Christ would have us put into our creed. You know there is a creed which we call the apostles creed, but here is one main article of a creed which Christ hath made : Believest thou this ? saith
he.^ He doth catechetically instruct her in this main point, namely, that he is the resurrection and the life, and that whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never die. To believe, therefore, with a special faith on Christ for salvation, and against condemnation, this is the great thing of the gospel ; and Christ he doth urge it upon her, that he might bring her faith first off to this, and then it would be easy for her, more easy for her, having renewed that faith upon Christ for salvation, and not dying, to believe that he would raise her brother, which was a temporal mercy which she was then treating with him about, and which he was rather bringing her off to be persuaded of. Hence therefore I conclude, that if you would have any temporal mercy, or believe in any promise else, first believe in him for salvation and against condemnation, believe on him for pardon of sin, renew such acts of faith. Another thing I observe by the way, out of those words, is this, her answer
CHAP. IV.] OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 297
is, Yea, Lord, I believe that them art the Christ, the Son of God. Hence
some say, that to believe that Christ is the Son of God is true faith, and
faith enough. But you must join Christ s words and her answer together,
for Christ doth net call her to believe that he is the Son of God, but to
believe on him that she might not die, and therefore I say, put her answer
and Christ s words together, and~ the meaning is clearly this, she believed
him to be the Son of God, and she believed in him also that she should not
die ; and having brought her heart off to this, it was more easy for her now
to believe that Christ would raise up Lazarus her brother, than which she
desired nothing more of a temporal mercy.
You shall find, likewise, that when men and women came to be healed,
as for instance the man sick of the palsy, Mat. ix. 2, when he was brought
to Christ to be healed of his palsy, what doth Christ first say to the poor man when he came to him ? He said unto him, Son, be of good cheer ;
thy sins be forgiven thee. They brought him to be healed of his palsy ;
you see Christ, afore ever he heals his palsy, speaks first to the man, Son,
be of good comfort ; thy sins be forgiven thee. What do I argue out of
these words ? First, that Jesus Christ, the good Physician, he knew the
sore of the man s heart ; poor man, he would fain be healed of his palsy,
but the desire of forgiveness stuck in his spirit, and his faith stuck most at
that ; for Christ here he speaks ad cor, to the heart, and therefore, afore
he would heal his palsy, he first speaks to that which was most in his eye, and which the man most wanted, and which he came for : Be of good cheer ;
thy sins be forgiven thee. The words argue that the man was exercised
about this, how his sins should be pardoned through Jesus Christ that was
the Saviour of the world ; therefore Christ first tells him, thy sins be for
given ; for the man thought with himself, Alas, the curing of my sickness
will do me no good, if that my sins remain ! What doth Christ therefore ? He answereth according to the man s thoughts ; Thy sins, saith he, are
forgiven thee. Again, thought the poor man, this temporal mercy will not
be granted, unless he forgive my sins too ; my sins brought this disease
upon me, and it will not be taken away unless my sins be forgiven. There
fore Christ, speaking to the poor man s heart, tells him first that his sins
are forgiven. Hence, I say, I argue that the man s soul was more exercised
about the forgiveness of his sins than about his palsy ; therefore, I say, any
of you too cannot come with comfort to believe any other temporal promise,
or anything else, unless you come first, either by assurance to believe your
sins are forgiven, or to deal with God about forgiveness, as this poor soul did.
I might give you the like instances in many others that were healed, and
I might exemplify this to you in the business of Abraham. The Lord did
make a promise to Abraham which seems to be but an outward promise,
(and take the letter of it, and it was but an outward promise) concerning
the multiplying of his seed. And it is a thing that Bellarmine objecteth. You talk, saith he, that your faith that justifies is pitched only upon God
as justifying, and upon Jesus Christ. The faith that Abraham was justified
by was believing the multiplying of his seed as the stars of heaven. In
Eom. iv. 3 it is said, The Scripture saith, Abraham believed God^and
was counted unto him for righteousness. Now, where is it said that
Abraham s faith was counted unto him for righteousness ? You have it in
Gen. xv. 6. And upon what occasion was it spoken, that his faith was
counted to him for righteousness ? It was believing of that promise, that God would make his seed like the stars of heaven. Now, saith the great
objector, here is your justifying faith ; it is merely faith upon a temporal
promise. But you shall see how this man is mistaken, for read but the
208 OF THE OBJECT AND ACTS [?AKT II. BOOK I.
first verse of that Gen. xv., and mark what God saith afore he makes him that temporal promise, if you will make it such, though, if I had time, I could shew you it is more ; but take it so. Saith God there first,
< Fear not, Abraham : I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. There God makes a special promise of mercy and blessednsss unto Abraham, and having made this, he makes him a promise of multiplying his seed, ver. 5 ; 4 And he believed in the Lord (ver. 6), and he counted it tohim for right eousness. That is, his faith was exercised upon the special promise, by reason of which, and by virtue of which, God did bestow upon him this other promise, of making his seed as the stars of heaven. I could give you another answer to it, but I only allege it for this purpose, that temporal promises are believed in, but in the strength of having first closed with God and with Jesus Christ, under special promises of mercy, pardon, and forgiveness, and of receiving of happiness and of blessedness in and through Christ. There is no treating with God for any promise, till that faith hath thus pitched itself upon his free favour in Christ, either byway of assurance, or by way of casting a man s self upon him to be justified ; for a man treateth with God before as an enemy, and will a man come to an enemy for anything, whenas his heart is not with him ? Therefore further, when the
^ soul doth come to God, having some promise out of God s heart, that he is a justifier of such as he is, and so resteth upon him to be justified by him, he will then have recourse to him for anything else too. And the truth is, a man hath no heart to treat with God till then about anything ; therefore, in 2 Pet. i., 3d and 4th verses compared, he saith that, through the knowledge of him (that is, our Lord Jesus Christ, for he had spoken in the verse before of believing in the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ)
< are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. The last sort of reasons which I shall give you for the confirmation of
this, viz., why that God hath singled out special faith thus to justify us upon ; and why he doth not justify us upon general faith, be it never so good ; and why, though we believe other things never so spiritually, and let them have never so spiritual effects upon our hearts, yet it is only be
lieving upon God as justifying and saving which is the right faith. I say, the last sort of reasons to evince it are these, because it suiteth every way, and agreeth with all the principles that are held forth in the doctrine of faith and justification ; and the contrary opinion doth disagree with all true orthodox, sound principles held forth about it.
1. In the first place (for this contains some two or three particulars in
it), it was a meet thing, and well suited together, that God should bestow
all benefits upon us (if he will bestow them through faith), through that faith that is suited peculiarly to, and is pitched upon, the benefits which he doth bestow. It is a rule which Christ hath, and he hath it twice : he hath it in Mat. viii. 13, and he hath it in Mat. ix. 29, 30. The rule is this :
* Be it unto thee according to thy faith, saith he ; so it is in Mat.
ix. 29, when the poor blind man did come unto him to be healed. He hath the very same expression in Mat. viii. 13 : Go thy way, and as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee. That is, look what is the proper aim of your faith, that by God s ordination doth God upon believing be stow upon you. Now if a man had the faith of working miracles, and if he would work a miracle, why according to his faith it would be unto him. If a man came to Jesus Christ to be healed, it was to him according to that faith. Therefore, now, according to this rule then doth God give forth justification, when a man s soul comes to him to be justified, believes on him as a justifier, when he comes to Jesus Christ for that righteousness
CHAP. IV.J OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 299
which should justify, when he believeth on Jesus that he may be justified,
as it is in Gal. ii. W. Saith the apostle in Rom. iv. 5, He that believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith, is counted for righteousness ;
that faith, and no other, for that is his meaning. To believe on Christ,
or upon God, under any other notion, though it may make a man holy, yet
it will not justify a man. You may see the truth of this in the outward
elements of the sacraments, as bread and wine in the Lord s supper, and
water in baptism ; look what it is that they are ordained by God to signify,
that they seal up to us : they signify the blood of Christ, and the death of
the Lord Jesus, and our being one with him therein ; arid as they signify
these by God s ordination, so they do seal up these to us in a more eminent
manner. So it is here ; look what it is that the heart comes to God for,
that is it that God returns again to the spirit ; therefore he returns not
justification to a man till he come to him to be justified; therefore it is that
special act upon which this great benefit is given forth. I do not say that
every man that comes to Christ hath the exact notion of the word, justified
by Christ. Alas, the ancient language of the fathers was, of being saved
by Christ, for they were not acquainted with this word justified. Our
divines of the Reformation speak more distinctly than they, but they meant
the same thing. Only I should add this caution, that benefits of a kind,
if a man come to God for any one, God gives him all the rest ; all benefits
which are out of us, as adoption, sonship, pardon of sin, which are all
acts without us, if a man come to God for one, suppose sonship, he
gives him all the rest ; and according to the kind of faith is the benefit
bestowed.
2. Again, That God justifies us by a special faith, it agrees with this
principle also, viz., with the way of God s justifying us ; and what is that ?
It is not that God doth justify us by faith, as it is an act put forth by us,
an act of ours, or a quality in us, but he doth justify us by reason of the
objects laid hold upon by faith, the free grace of God, and of Jesus Christ ;
so that not so much faith as these are said to justify, being apprehended
by faith. I might be exceeding large in manifestation of this ; it is a
received principle amongst all our orthodox divines ; I will only mention
that in Gal. iii. 8, The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the
heathen by faith, preached the gospel, saying, In thee (speaking of Abraham
personating Christ) shall all nations be blessed. By blessing here he
means justification clearly, for he speaks of taking away the curse in the
following verses ; the thing I cite it for is this, to observe that this expres
sion, In thee shall all nations be blessed, serves wholly to take off all from
a man s self, when you come to the business of justification. In thee (saith
he), that is, in Christ, in that seed, they shall be blessed, for sot he apostle
^ It
explains it : verse 16, not seeds (saith he), but seed, namely, Christ.
is not therefore being blessed in believing, or blessed by faith, or through faith,
as it is an act, but it is through faith as laying hold upon Christ ; it is in
Christ, in in Christ, and in in only him. Now mark how this truth suiteth
others ; if we are justified thus, by Jesus Christ as the object of our faith,
and by God as he is the object of our faith (because he is the justifier, and Christ s righteousness is the matter whereby we are justified, and in that
respect we are said to be justified by faith, because faith lays hold upon
these objects), then assuredly it is only faith as pitched upon these objects,
by which and upon which we are justified. This necessarily and clearly
follows, if (I say), by God as justifying us (out of ourselves) and by his
grace, and by Christ s righteousness (which is out of ourselves in him), and
by faith, not as a quality or act, but only as apprehending these ; if in this
OF THE OBJECT AND ACTS [PAKT II. BOOK I.
sanse we are only said to be justified by faith, then it is evident that faith by apprehending these, and by no other act, is said to justify us. Therefore, do but see the mystery of other opinions. What is the reason that the papists say, that faith alone in Christ doth not justify ? This is the true mystery of it, they do not hold that the grace of God is the justifier of us, nor the righteousness of Christ the matter of our justification, therefore faith doth not justify in respect of its object with them, but it justifieth us only as a righteous quality in us, and a righteous act per formed by us ; and therefore with them the belief of any truth, whatsoever it be, justifies as well as the believing on Christ, or on God that justfies the ungodly ; therefore they say, faith justifies as a disposition ; that is, as any other grace or disposition in us, and not per modwn apprehensionis, as laying hold on Christ and his righteousness ; and their vgurov ^tlbog consists in this, that they assert faith to be only an assent, (and so it may be pitched on any other truth as well as Christ dying), and not a fiducial apprehension of Christ ; this agrees with their principles, and the other agrees with ours.
And what is the reason that others, who hold that faith justifies as an act, lean to
_this, and say, that general faith is that which justifies ? Because if it justify us merely but as an act, pitch it upon any other object as well as this, it will be to us for righteousness, and indeed it may be as well.
But we are justified by Christ, and through faith, even as you would say an house is enlightened by the sun, and enlightened by opening the win dow, it comes all to one, for the house is enlightened by opening of the window, because opening of the window lets in the sun that enlighteneth it ; so it is here, for therefore faith is said to justify, because it lays hold upon, and lets in Christ, and God as justifying, into the heart of a sinner.
3. Again, in the third place, if a man were justified upon any other act of believing of any divine truth, though believed never so spiritually and
truly, and not on this special act of believing on Christ, and on God as
justifying, he were plainly and clearly justified by sanctification ; as, for instance, if I believe that God is holy (this I call part of a general faith), and believe it spiritually and rightly, it makes me holy as he is holy, in my affections. Here now the belief^of God s holiness, if it be a true belief, with the whole heart, serveth only to frame the heart to holiness answerably
: now then, if I should be justified by believing that God is holy, I should clearly be justified by being sanctified. To give you another instance, I believe that God is just, and therefore I fear him : Noah (the text saith),
< moved with fear, prepared an ark, Heb. xi. 7. He believed that God was just and true in his threatenings, and so feared God ; if Noah no\y had been justified by this faith of his, he had clearly been justi fied by faith sanctifying, or, if you will, by sanctification ; for what is holi ness and sanctification but a right knowledge of God in the mind, with suitable affections framed in the heart accordingly ? If therefore a man were justified by any other faith than by faith throwing himself upon Christ for justification, he should be justified by sanctification. So again, I believe that God is thus and thus excellent in himself, thus and thus happy and blessed, that he hath all these perfections in him, here now is faith in my understanding ; therefore I love God, here now is the work of that faith upon my heart, answerable to the faith I have of him in my understanding. If now I were justified by that faith which knows God to be thus excellent, I should be justified by sanctifying faith, by faith as it is
sanctification; or, if you will, by sanctification itself: for, I say, sanctifi-
CHAP. IV.] OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 301
cation is nothing else but faith in the mind, having suitable affections
thereunto in the whole heart. Therefore, though justifying faith sanctifies most of all faith else, and all other faith, though never so spiritual, would
not sanctify without it, because it alone lets Christ and God into the heart,
that doth sanctify me, and justify me too, yet still, I say, faith no way doth
justify but as it lays hold upon God as justifying, and Jesus Christ, whose
righteousness is justification to us. Add to this to confirm it, that in Adam acts of trust in God were required, as well as acts of love (which, whether they had a supernatural revelation for their rise or no is not mate
rial to this point), but yet Adam s faith had not justification by grace, and
by imputation for its object. He indeed was justified by such acts of faith
(as being acts of the image of God in him), as well as by acts of love, and
e contra (as the papists speak) ; but to have such an act singled out, in
respect and relation to such an object, this is proper and peculiar to, and
is the very pith and marrow of the covenant of grace, namely, grace justi
fying us by imputation, and this was the way to make it a distinct cove
nant from ;that of Adam s ; whereas, if by general faith on other objects, or upon any other grounds or promises, we were justified, it would have
been the same way, and the same faith for act and object that Adam was
justified by.
I should add one reason more, and that is this, it agrees with the nature
of faith, which is a trusting ; but I will not enlarge further upon this, but
only give you a use or two.
Use 1. By this you may have a very great light to distinguish things.
It is an excellent thing to consider the several ways of conversion, as
popish spirits do lay it forth, and as the divines who are of the reformed
churches, opposite to them, do lay it out. Head a popish divine, and see how he will describe conversion, and the work of God in saving a man; he
will tell you that he saw his sinfulness, that he was contrite under it, humbled under the sight of it, that he feareth God, hateth sin, upon the
si^ht of the evil of it, and begins to have good purposes. There are seven
dispositions the papists have (the Council of Trent hath them), which they make conversion to consist in ; and then what do they say when a man
hath all these dispositions in him ? Through their general faith, believing the threatenings of God, believing the goodness of God, and the evil of
sin, &c., then a man hath holiness infused into him by the sacrament, when he goes to it, being thus prepared by his own dispositions, and so
here is the man converted ; thus they tell the story of it, but they leave
clearly out special faith in Jesus Christ, and upon God for justification, and upon his free grace, and so all their justification is merely by what is
wrought in themselves. And, my brethren, here is much of the ordinary conversion of protestants described in this : many men that profess the Lord Jesus Christ, if you go down into their hearts, you shall find no treating with God in the way of his free grace, or with the Lord Jesus Christ, as
the matter of their righteousness, to be justified through his blood, and to
apprehend it through special faith.
Use 2. It doth teach us what we should especially live by, by what
faith and upon what object we should especially live ; we should live upon that faith which is exercised upon the free grace of God, which is ordained
to be the special object of our faith, and upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and
upon his righteousness. Every man, you know, hath three lives in him : he
hath the life of reason, which the reasonable soul liveth ; and he hath the
life of sense, which is the life that a beast liveth ; and he hath the life of a
plant. If I may make comparison, as the life of reason is the eminent life
302 OF THE OBJECT AND ACTS [PART II. BOOK I.
of a man, which a man as a man leadeth ; and if you exhort a man to live as a man, you would exhort him to live the life of reason in a more eminent manner, though he exercise other acts of life too ; so it is here, the eminent act of faith is to live upon the free grace of God in Christ, to live upon the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel, revealed from faith to faith, for by faith the just do live, Rom. i. 17. Now though to live upon all other truths else, and to act them and digest them, is also a living by faith; so the apostle speaks in Heb. x. 89 ; yet notwithstanding comparatively this life is but as if a man should cease to live the life of reason, which is proper to a man as a man, and live only the life which is common to other creatures. The life of a Christian lieth especially in living by faith on Christ, by the faith which is on him, as the Scripture calls it ; that is, the nobleness of his spirit as he is a Christian ; and if there were no more ends of it but only this, that it is the most precious life, it should draw up your hearts to live this life of special faith. In 2 Peter i. 1 saith the apostle, * To them that have obtained like precious faith with us, in the righteous ness of our Saviour Jesus Christ. What is the reason that the faith of all believers is called alike precious ? Because it is pitched upon the right eousness of Jesus Christ, which righteousness being possessed by a weak
believer, and made his own by believing, he hath the same precious faith the apostles had, the preciousness of it lying in this object. Hence, I say, all faith is alike precious ; but, if you come to other faith whereby you believe other truths, here indeed it is not alike precious faith. He that hath the strongest faith on the power of God, simply so considered, he hath a more precious faith than he that hath a weaker faith in that power. I
allege it for this, that the preciousness of justifying faith lies as it is exercised upon this precious object Christ ; and therefore, if you would live that life of faith which is most precious, most so in God s esteem, most excellent in itself, live upon this Christ.
Use 3. I might enlarge upon that by way of use which I hinted before, namely this, that you cannot believe heartily and strongly on anything else, but as your faith on this Christ and his righteousness receivefh increase. You cannot believe on God for temporal things, no, not for spiritual things, not for sanctification and making of you holy, further than your faith receiveth increases, and attaineth to more degrees in this thing, that it is more and more exercised upon Jesus Christ and upon God as justif}
ing. But you will say, Alas, I believed that long ago, I am already assured that God doth justify me, and shall I now go and live upon that faith, as the
great faith by which I must especially live ? Yes, certainly, for Abraham did so ; you have that great place in Rom iv. 3 for an instance of it. Abraham, saith he, believed God, and it was counted to him for right eousness. The words are taken out of Gen. xv. 6, Abraham had been assured of his justification long before ; in Gen. xii. 1, 2, &c., you shall see there God had blessed him, and he upon the faith of it had left his
country, and God had assured him of his justification, given him as much assurance of it (for he spake to him personally face to face) as Christ did to the man to whom he said, Thy sins are forgiven thee ; and yet Abraham he hath the promise often renewed to him, and his faith often renewed in it ; and that place which the apostle citeth to prove that he was justified by faith was not the first act of faith he put forth, but a
faith he had many years afore, and this is the faith Abraham lived
upon. When he had Canaan promised him, he had recourse to that God that justifieth, and then laid hold upon the promise of Canaan ; when Isaac was promised, he had recourse to that promise in which it was said,
ClIAP. V.J OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 803
< In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, Gen. xii. 3.
Still he renewed his faith upon the special mercy of God, and upon Jesus
Christ ; and he did this again and again, and it was his element, his orb,
his sphere in which he moved ; and when any temporal promise was pro
pounded to him, he renewed his faith on this, and so believed that temporal
promise. This should be that life of faith which we should live for our
justification by God and by Christ ; it is the eminent thing of the gospel, which of all other God will have glorified, and therefore would have us live
upon it.
Use 4. And we may learn likewise from hence how to seek and obtain
* First seek the kingdom of God, saith Christ. What
all other things
doth the kingdom of God consist in ? In righteousness, and peace, and
joy in the Holy Ghost, saith the apostle, Bom. xiv. 17 ; that is, the right eousness of Jesus Christ, whence peace ariseth, and joy in the Holy Ghost ;
seek after this, saith he, exercise faith upon this, and then all other pro mises will come in upon you. Paul, though he had his belief for justifica
tion in Christ many years before, yet, saith he, I account all things but
loss and dung. He inured himself to cast away his own righteousness, and to wrap himself in Christ, he would still exercise a special faith ; I
* accounted all things loss, and do account
have, saith he in Phil. iii. 8, 9,
them so, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith ; so that, I
say, he still renewed a special faith upon Christ, and upon the righteous ness of Christ. If a man would have any other promise made good to him,
this is the way to have it. You see how Christ taught Martha to do it, to
believe on him, that she should not die, and then she would easily believe
that her brother should be raised from the dead. It is special faith, and
therefore we should in a special manner exercise it. So much for this
subject, which I have, with as much brevity and clearness as I could,
opened ; consider it now as a truth of very great moment, and which con-
futeth many errors that run abroad in the world, not only in the hearts of
popish divines, but protestants also.