The Act by Which We Effectually Apply Christ to Our Own Souls, or Saving Faith
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Joun 1: 12.
No sooner is the soul quickened by the Spirit of God, but it answers, in some measure, the end of God in that work, by its active reception of Jesus Christ in the way of believing. What this vital act of faith is upon which depends our interest in Christ and everlasting blessedness, this scripture will show; in which observe three things:
l. The privilege conferred is a very high and glorious one, than which no created being is capable of greater: “power to become the sons of God.” The word rendered power is one of large extent and signification, and is by some rendered this right, by others this dignity, by others this prerogative, this privilege, or honor. It implies a title or right to adoption, not only with respect to the present benefits of it in this life, but also to that blessed inheritance which is laid up in heaven for the sons of God. Oh, what an honor, dignity, and privilege is this!
2. The subyects of this privilege are described: ‘As many as received him.” This text describes them by that very grace, farth, which gives them their title and right to Christ and his benefits; and by that very act of faith, which primarily confers their right to his person, and secondarily to his benefits, namely, recezveng ham. There are many graces besides faith, but faith only is the grace that gives us right to Christ; and there are many acts of faith besides receiving, but this receiving or embracing Christ is the justifying and saving act: “As many as received him,” as many, be they of any nation, sex, age, or condition. For “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” Col. 3:11. Nothing but unbelief bars men from Christ and his benefits. As many as received him: the word signifies ‘to accept, take,” or, as we fitly render it, to receive, assume, or take to us; a word most aptly expressing the nature and office of faith, yea, the very justifying and saving act; and we are also heedfully to note its special object, not jis but Him, his person as ‘ he is clothed with his offices, and not only his benefits and privileges; these are secondary and consequential to our receiving dim. So that it is a receiving, assuming, or accepting the Lord Jesus Christ which must have respect to the tenders and proposals of the gospel, “for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith,” Rom. 1:17, therein is Jesus Christ revealed, proposed, and offered unto sinners as the only way of justification and salvation; which gospel offer, as before was shown, is therefore ordinarily necessary to believing. Romans LOrs PL “ete:
8. This description is yet farther explained by the additional exegetical clause, even to them that believe on his name. Here the terms are varied, though the things expressed in both are the same; what he there called recezving, is here called beleving on his name, to show us that the very essence of saving faith consists in our receiving Christ. By his name we are to understand Christ himself; it is usual to take these two, believing in him and believing in his name, as terms convertible and of the same import. Hence we draw this proposition:
The recewwing of the Lord Jesus Christ is that saving and vital act of faith which gives the sowl right both to his person and benefits.
We cannot act spiritually till we begin to live spiritually: the Spirit of life must first join himself to us in his quickening work, as shown in the last chapter. This being done, we begin to act spiritually, by taking hold upon or receiving Jesus Christ, which is the point now to be considered.
The soul is the life of the body, faith is the life of the soul, and Christ is the life of faith. There are several kinds of faith besides saving faith, and in saving faith there are several acts besides the justifying or saving act; but this recewwing act, which is our present subject, is that upon which both our righteousness and eternal happiness depend; by this it is that we are justified and saved: “To as many as received him, te them gave he power to become the sons of God.” Yet it doth not justify and save us by reason of any proper dignity that is found in this act, but by reason of the object it receives or apprehends. ‘The same thing is often expressed in Scripture by other terms, as ‘‘comeng to Christ,” John 6:35; trusting or staying upon Christ, Isa. 50:10; but whatever is found in those expressions is all comprehended in this.
I proceed, then, to explain the nature of this receiving of Christ, and show what it includes; to prove that this is the justifying and saving act of faith; to show the excellency of this act of faith; to remove some mistakes, and give a true account of the dignity and excellency of this act; and then to bring home all in a proper application.
I. I will endeavor to explain tux nature of this receiving of Christ, and show what is implied in it; indeed, it involves many deep mysteries and things of greatest weight. People are generally very ignorant and unacquainted with the importance of this expression. They have slight thoughts of faith who never passed under the illuminating, convincing, and humbling work of the Spirit: but we shall find that saving faith is quite another thing, and differs in its whole kind and nature from that traditional faith and common assent which is so fatally mistaken for it in the world.
1. It is evident that no man can receive Jesus Christ in the darkness of natural zgnorance: we must understand and discern who and what he is whom we receive to be “the Lord our righteousness.” If we know not his person and his offices, we do not take, but mistake Christ. It is a good rule in the civil law, Mon consentit qua non sent it. A mistake of the person invalidates the match. They that take Christ for a mere man, or deny the satisfaction of his blood, or divest him of his human nature, or deny any of his most glorious and necessary offices, Iet them ery up as high as they will his spirituality, glory, and exemplary life and death, they can never receive Jesus Christ aright. This is such a flaw in the very foundation of faith as undoes and destroys all. All saving faith is founded in light and knowledge, and therefore it is called knowledge, Isa. 58:11; and seeeng is inseparably connected with belzering, John 6:40 Men must hear and learn of the Father before they can come to Christ. John 6:45. The receiving act of faith is directed and guided by knowledge. I will not presume to state the degree of knowledge which is absolutely necessary to the reception of Christ; I know the first actings of faith are, in most Christians, accompanied with much darkness and confusion of understanding: but yet we must say in the general, that wherever faith is, there is so much light as is sufficient to discover to the soul its own sins, dangers, and wants, and the all-sufficiency, suitableness, and necessity of Christ for the supply and remedy of all; and with- ‘out this Christ cannot be received. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you’ rest.” Matt. 11: 28.
2. The receiving of Christ necessarily implies the assent of the wnderstanding to the truths of Christ revealed in the gospel; his person, natures, offices, his incarnation, death, and satisfaction; which assent, though it be not in itself saving faith, yet is the foundation and groundwork of it; it being impossible the soul should receive and embrace what the mind does not assent to as true and infallibly certain. True faith rests wpon the lestumony of God as unquestionable. This assent of faith is called our receiving the witness of God, 1 John 5:9; our setting to our seal that God is true, John 3:33. The divine verity is the very object of faith: into this we resolve our faith. “Thus saith the Lord,” is that firm foundation upon which our assent is built. And thus we see good reason to believe those profound mysteries of the incarnation of Christ; the union of the two natures in his wonderful person; the union of Christ and believers; though we cannot understand these things by reason of the darkness of our minds. It satisfies the soul to find these mysteries in the written word’; upon that foundation it firmly builds its assent; and without such an assent of faith there can be no embracing of Christ. All acts of faith and religion, without assent, are but as so many arrows shot at random into the open air, they signify nothing for want of a fixed, determinate object.
It is therefore the policy of Satan, by injecting atheistical thoughts — with which young converts often find themselves greatly tried — to undermine and destroy the whole work of faith. But God makes his people victorious over them; yea, and they do assent to the truths of the word even at the time when they think they do not, as appears by their tenderness and fear of sin, their diligence and care in duty. If I discern these things in a Christian’s life, he must excuse me if I believe him not’ when he says he does not assent to the truths of the gospel.
3. Our receiving Christ necessarily implies our hearty approbation, liking, and estimation; yea, the acquiescence of our very souls in Jesus Christ as the most excellent, suitable, and complete remedy for all our wants, sins, and dangers that ever could be prepared by the wisdom and love of God for us. We must. receive him with such a frame of heart as rests upon and trusts in him, if ever we receive him aright. To them that believe he is precious. 1 Pet. 2:7. This is the only sovereign remedy in all the world that is full and efficacious enough to cure our wounds; and as Christ is most highly esteemed and heartily approved as the only remedy for our souls, so the sovereign grace and wisdom of God are admired, and the way and method he has taken to save poor souls by Jesus Christ most heartily approved, as the most apt and excelient method both for his glory and our good, for it is plain that none will espouse themselves with conjugal affection to the person whom they esteem not as the best for them that can be chosen. None will forsake and quit all for His sake, except they account him as the spouse did, “‘ The chiefest among ten thousand.”
There are two things in Christ which must gain the greatest approbation in the soul of a poor convinced sinner and bring it to rest upon him. It can find nothing in Christ that is distasteful or waswetable to it, as it finds in the best creatures. In him is no weakness, but a fulness of all saving power, ‘able to save to the uttermost;” no pride, causing him to scorn and contemn the most wretched soul that comes to him; no inconstancy or levity, to cause him to cast off the soul whom he hath once received; no passion, but a Lamb for meekness and patience. There is no spot to be found in him, He is “altogether lovely.” Song 5: 16.
And again, as the believer can find nothing in Christ that is distasteful, so he finds nothng wanting in Christ that is necessary or desirable. Such is the fulness of wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption in
Christ, that nothing is left to be desired but the full en-Method 6 ‘ joyment of him. 0, saith the soul, how completely happy shall I be if Lean but win Christ! I would not envy thie nobles of the earth were I but in Christ. I am hungry and athirst, and Christ is meat indeed and drink indeed. This is the best thing in all the world for me, because so necessary and so suitable to the needs of a soul ready to perish. Iam a law-condemued and a self-condemned sinner, trembling for fear of the execution of the curse upon me every moment; in Christ is complete righteousness to justify my soul; O there is nothing better for me than Christ. I see myself plunged, both in nature and practice, into the odious pollutions of sin, and in Christ is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness; his blood is a fountain of merzt, his Spirit is a fountain of holiness and purity; none but Christ, none but Christ. O the manifold wisdom and unsearchable love of God, to prepare and furnish a Saviour so fully answering all the needs, all the distresses, all the fears and burdens of a poor sinner Thus the believing soul approves of Christ as best for it; and thus in believing it gives glory to Ged. Rom. 4:21.
4. Receiving Christ consists in the consent and choice of the will; and this is the opening of the heart and stretching forth of the soul to receive him. ‘Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” Psalm 110: 3.
It is the great design and main scope of the gospel to bring over the wills of poor sinners to this. It was the great complaint of Christ against the incredulous Jews, “Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life.” John 5:40. The saving, justifying act of faith lies principally in the consent of the will, which consent is the effect of the almighty power of God. Eph. 1:19. He allures and draws the will to Christ, and he draws with the cords of a man — that is, he prevails with it by rational arguments The soul being prepared by conviction of its lost and miserable state by sin, and that there is but one door of hope open to it for an escape from the wrath to come, which is Christ; being also satisfied of the fulness and completeness of his saving ability, and of his willingness to apply it for our salvation upon such just and equal terms; this cannot but prevail with the will of a poor distressed sinner to consent and choose him.
5. The last and principal thing included in our receiving Christ is, the respect that this act of acceptance has to the terms upon which Christ 1s tendered to us in the gospel. ‘So we preach, and so ye believed.” 1 Cor. 15: 11. Faith answers to the gospel offer as the impress upon the waz does to the engraving in the seal; and this is of principal consideration, for there is no receiving Christ upon any other terms but his own proposed in the gospel to us. He will never come lower, nor make them easier than they are; we must either receive him upon these, or part with him for ever, as thousands do, who could agree to some articles of the gospel terms, but rather choose to be damned for ever than submit to all. This is the great controversy between Christ and sinners; upon this many thousands break off the treaty and part with Christ, because he will not come to their terms; but every true believer receives him upon his own; their acceptance of him by faith is in all things consentaneous to the overtures made by him in the written word. So he tenders himself, and so they receive him, as will be evident in the following particulars:
(1.) The gospel offers Christ to us sencerely and really, and so the true believer receives and accepts him, even with a “faith unfeigned.” 1 Tim.1:5. If ever the soul be serious and in earnest in any thing, it is so in this. Can we suppose him that flies for his life to the refuge city, to be serious and in earnest to escape the avenger of blood who pursues him? Then is the heart of a convinced sinner serious in this matter; for under this figure is the work of faith presented to us. Heb. 6: 18.
(2.) Christ is offered to us in the gospel entzrely and undwvidedly, as clothed with all his offices, priestly, prophetical, and regal, as Christ Jesus the Lord, Acts 16:31; and so the true believer receives him. The hypocrite, like the harlot, is for dividing, but the sincere believer finds his need of every office of Christ, and knows not how to want any thing that is in him. His ignorance makes him necessary and desirable as a prophet; his guilt makes him necessary as a priest; his strong and powerful lusts and corruptions make him necessary as a kung; and in truth he sees not any thing in Christ that he can spare; he needs all that is in Christ, and admires infinite wisdom in nothing more than the investing Christ with all these offices, which are so suited to the poor sinner’s wants and miseries. As the three offices are undivided in Christ, so they are in the believer’s acceptance; and before this trial no hypocrite can stand, for all hypocrites reject and quarrel with something in Christ; they like his pardon better than his government. They call him indeed Lord and Master, but it is an empty title they bestow upon him; for, let them ask their own hearts if Christ be Lord over their thoughts as well as words, over their secret as well as open actions, over their darling lusts as well as others; let them ask, who will appear to be Lord and Master over them when Christ and the world come in competition — when the pleasures of sin shall stand upon one side, and sufferings to death and deepest points of self-denial upon the other side? Surely it is the greatest affront that can be offered to the divine wisdom and goodness to separate in our acceptance what is so united in Christ for our salvation and happiness. As without any one of these offices the work of our salvation could not be completed, so without acceptance of Christ in them all, our union with him by faith cannot be completed. The gospel offer of Christ includes all his offices, and gospel faith just so receives him; to submit to him, as well as to be redeemed by him; to imitate him in the holiness of his life, as well as to reap the fruits of his death. It must be an entire re: ceiving of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(3.) Christ is offered to us in the gospel exclusively as the only Saviour of sinners, with whose blood and intercession nothing is to be mixed; but the soul of a sinner is singly to rely and depend on him, and no other. Acts 4:12; 1Cor.3:11. And so faith receives him. “TI will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.” Psalm 71:16. “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.” Phil. 3:9. To depend partly upon Christ’s righteousness, and partly upon our own, is to set one foot upon a rock and the other in a quicksand. Hither Christ will be to us all in all, or nothing, in point of righteousness and salvation; he affects not social honor; as he did the whole work, so he expects the sole praise. If he be not able to save to the uttermost, why do we depend upon him at all? and if he be, why do we lean upon any beside him?
(4.) The gospel offers Christ freely to sinners as the gift of God, John 4:10; Isa.55:1; Rev. 22:17; and so faith receives him. The believer comes to Christ with an empty hand, not only as an undeserving, but as a hell-deserving sinner; he comes to Christ as to one that justifies the ungodly. ‘To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Rom. 4:5. By him that worketh not the apostle means a convinced, humbled sinner, who finds himself utterly unable to do the task the law sets him, that is, perfectly to obey it; and therefore in a Jaw sense he is said not to work, for it is all one as to the intent and purpose of the law, not to work, and not to work perfectly. This he is convinced of, and therefore comes to Christ as one that is in himself ungodly, acknowledging that the righteousness by which alone he can stand before God is in Christ, and not in himself in whole or in part. And, by the way, let this encourage poor souls that are daunted for want of due qualifications for closing with and embracing Christ. Nothing qualifies a man for Christ more than a sense of his unworthiness of him, and the want of all excellences or ornaments that may commend him to divine acceptance.
(5.) The gospel offers Christ orderly to sinners, first his person, then his prevleges. God first gives his Son, and then with him, or as a consequence of that gift, he gives us all things. Rom. 8:32. In the same order must our faith receive him. The believer doth not marry the portion first and then the person, but to be found in him is the first and great care of a believer.
I deny not but it is lawful for any to have an eye to the benefits of Christ. Salvation from wrath is and lawfully may be intended and aimed at: ‘‘ Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.” Isa. 45:22. Nor do I deny but there are many poor souls who, being in deep distress and fear, may and often do look mostly to their own safety at first; and that there is much confusion, as well in the actings of their faith as in their condition; but sure I am that it is the proper order in believing, first to accept the person of the Lord Jesus. Heaven is no doubt very desirable, but Christ is more: ‘‘ Whom have I in heaven but thee?” Psalm 73:25. Union with Christ is, in the order of nature, antecedent to the communication of his privileges, and so it ought to be in the order and method of believing.
(6.) Christ is advisedly offered in the gospel to sinners, as the result of God’s eternal counsel, a project of grace upon which his heart and thoughts have been much set. Zech. 6:13. The counsel of peace was between the Father and the Son. And so the believer receives him, most deliberately weighing the matter in his most deep and serious thoughts; for this is a time of much solicitude and thoughtfulness. The soul’s espousals are acts of judgment on our part as well as on God’s. Hos. 2:19. We are therefore bid to sit down and count the cost. Luke 14: 28. Faith, or the actual receiving of Christ, is the result of many previous debates in the soul. The matter has been pondered over and over. The objections and discouragements, both from the self-denying terms of the gospel and our own vileness and deep guilt, have been ruminated and lain upon our hearts day and night; and after all things have been balanced in the most deep consideration, the soul is determined to this conclusion, “I must have Christ: be the terms never so hard, be my sins never so great and many, I will yet go to him and venture my soul upon him; if I perish, I perish. I have thought out all my thoughts, and this is the result, union with Christ here, or separation from God for ever must be my lot.”
Thus doth the Lord open the hearts of his people, and win the consent of their wills to receive Jesus Christ upon the deepest consideration and debate of the matter in their own most solemn thoughts. They understand and know that they must deeply deny themselves, take up his cross and follow him, Matt. 16: 24, renounce not only sinful, but relrgrous self. These things are hard and difficult, but yet the necessity and excellency of Christ make them appear eligible and rational.
By all this you see faith is another thing than what the sound of that word, as it is generally understood, signifies to the understandings of most men.
Il. Our next work will be to evince this receiving of Christ to be THE SPECIAL SAVING FAITH OF Gop’s ELECT. This is that faith of which such great and glorious things are spoken in the gospel, which whosoever hath shall be saved, and he that hath it not shall be damned. This I shall prove by the following arguments:
Arc. 1. That faith which gives the soul right and title to spiritual adoption, with all the privileges and benefits thereof, is true and saving faith Our right and title to spiritual adoption arise from our union with Jesus Christ; we being united to the Son of God, are by virtue of that union reckoned or accounted sons: “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Gal. 3:26. The effect of saving faith is union with Christ’s person; the consequence of that union is adoption, or right to the inheritance. ‘‘To as many as received him, to them gave he power,” or right, “to become the sons of God.” A false faith has no such privilege annexed to it; no unbeliever is thus dignified, no stranger entitled to this inheritance.
Are. 2. That only is saving and justifying faith which is in all true belrevers, in none but true believers, and in all true believers at all times. There is no other act of faith but this fiducial recewing of Christ as he is offered, that agrees to all true believers, to none but true believers, and to all true believers at all times.
There are three acts of faith, assent, acceptance, and assurance. The Papists generally give the essence of saving faith to the first, mere assent. There are’ some who give it to the last, assurance. But neither can be correct. Assent is not solely applicable to true believers or justified persons. Assurance applies to justified persons and them only, but not to all justified persons and at all times. Assent is too low to contain the essence of saving faith: it is found in the unregenerate as well as the regenerate, yea, in devils as well as men. James 2:19. It is supposed and included in justifying faith, but it is not the justifying or saving act. Assurance is as much too high, being found only in some eminent believers; and in them too but at times. There are many true believers to whom’ the joy and comfort of assurance is denied; they may say of their union with Christ, as Paul said of his vision, “whether in the body or ont of the body, I cannot tell” — “whether in Christ or out of Christ, I cannot tell.”
A true believer may ‘‘ walk in darkness, and see no light.” Isa, 50:10. Nay, a man must be a believer before he know himself to be so; the direct act of faith is before the reflex act: so that the justifying act of faith lies neither in assent nor in assurance, Assent says, I believe that Christ is, and that he is the Saviour of his people. Assurance says, I believe and am sure that Christ died for me, and that J shall be saved through him. So that assent widens the nature of faith too much, and assurance on the other hand straztens it too much; but acceptance, which says, “I take Christ in all his offices to be mine,” fits it exactly, and belongs to all true believers, and to none but true believers, and to all true believers at all times. This therefore must be the justifying and saving act of faith.
Are. 3. That and no other is the justifying and saving act of faith to which the properties and effects of saving faith belong, or in which only they are found. By saving faith Christ is said to dwell a owr hearts, Eph. 3:17; but it is neither by assent nor assurance, but by acceptance, and receiving him, that he dwells in our hearts: not by assent, for then he would dwell in the unregenerate; nor by assurance, for he must dwell in our hearts before we can be assured of it: therefore it is by acceptance.
By faith we are justefied. Rom. 5:1. But neither assent nor assurance, for the reasons above, do justify; therefore it must be by the receiving act, and no other.
The Scripture ascribes great difficultzes to that faith by which we are saved, as being most opposed to the corrupt nature of man; but of all the acts of faith, none is clogged with such difficulties, or conflicts with such opposition as the receiving act does; this act is attended with the greatest difficulties, fears, and deepest self-denial. In assent, a man’s reason is convinced, and naturally yields to the evidence of truth. In assurance there is nothing against a man’s will or comfort, but much for it; every one desires it: but it is not so in the acceptance of Christ
ei upon the self-denying terms of the gospel, as will hereafter be evinced. We conclude, therefore, that in this consists the nature and essence of saving faith.
Ill. Having seen what the receiving of Jesus Christ is, and that it is the faith by which we are justified and saved, I next come to open the Dignity AND EXCELLENCY of this faith, whose praises are in all the Scriptures. There you find it renowned by the title of precious faith, 2 Pet. 1:1; enriching faith, Jas. 2:5; the work of God, John 6:29; the great mystery of godliness, 1 Tim. 3:16; with many more rich epithets throughout the Scriptures bestowed upon it.
Simply as a saving grace, faith has hut the same excellence with all other precious saving graces. As it is the fruit of the Spirit, it is more precious than gold, Prov. 8: 11, 19; and so are all other graces: in this sense they all shine with equal glory, and that a glory transcending all the glory of this world; but then consider faith relatively, as the instrument by which the righteousness of Christ is apprehended and made ours, u.d in this view it excels all other graces. This is the grace that is singled out from among all other graces to recezve Christ, by which office it is dignified above its fellows. As Moses was honored above the many thousands of Israel, when God took him up into the mount and admitted him nearer to himself than any other of all the tribes might come, so faith is honored above its fellow-graces in being singled out and solemnly anointed to this high office in our justification. It is that precious eye that looks unto Christ as the stung Israelites did to the brazen serpent, and derives healing virtue from it to the soul. It is the grace which instrumentally saves us. Eph. 2:8. As it is Christ’s glory to be the door of salvation, so it is faith’s glory to be the golden key that opens that door.
What shall I say-of faith? It is the bond of union; the instrument of justification; the spring of spiritual peace and joy; the means of spiritual life and subsistence; and therefore the great scope and drift of the gospel, which aims at and presses nothing more than to bring men to believe.
1. Faith is the bond of our wnion with Christ; that union is begun in our vivification, and completed in our actual receiving of Christ; the first is the bond of union on the Spirit’s part, the second a bond of union on our part. Christ ‘dwells in our hearts by faith.” Eph. 3:17 Thus it is a door opened to let in many rich blessings to the soul; for, by uniting us to Christ, it brings us into special favor and acceptance with God, Eph. 1: 6; makes us the special objects of Christ’s conjugal love and delight, Eph. 5: 29; and draws from his heart sympathy and a tender sense of all our miseries and burdens. Hebrews 4:15.
2. It is the instrument of our justification, Rom. 5: 1. Till Christ be thus received by us we are in our sins — under guilt and condemnation; but when faith comes, then comes freedom: “By him all that believe are justified from all things.” Acts 13:39; Rom.8:1. It apprehends or receives the pure and perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus, wherein the soul, how guilty and sinful soever it be in itself, stands faultless and spotless before the presence of God; all bonds to punishment are, ‘upon believing, immediately dissolved; a full and final pardon sealed. O precious faith! Who can sufficiently value it?:
What respect, reader, wouldst thou have to the hand that should bring thee a pardon when on the ladder or block! A pardon, which thou canst not read without tears of joy, is brought thee by the hand of faith. O inestimable grace! This clothes the pure righteousness of Jesus upon our defiled souls, and so causes us to become ‘the righteousness of God in him,” or as it is, 1 John 3:7, “righteous as he is righteous;” not with a formal inherent righteousness of our own, but with a relative imputed righteousness from another.
I know this most excellent and most comfortable doctrine of imputed righteousness is not only demed but derided by Papists. Stapleton calls it the monstrous birth of Luther’s brain! But, blessed be God, this comfortable truth is well secured against all attempts of its adversaries. Let their blasphemous mouths call it in derision, as they do, putative righteousness, that is, a mere fancied or conceited righteousness; yet we know assuredly Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us, and that in the way of faith, Rom. 5:17; and 2 Cor.5:21. This was the way in which Abraham, the father of them that believe, was justified; and the way in which all believers, the children of Abraham, must in like manner be justified. Romans 4:22-24. Who can express the worth of faith in this one respect, were this all it did for our souls?
3. It is the sprung of our spiritual peace and joy; and that as it is the instrument of our justification. If it be an instrument of our justification, it cannot but be the spring of our consolation, ‘Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” Rom.5:1. In uniting us with Christ, and apprehending and applying his righteousness to us, it becomes the seed or root of all the peace and joy of e Christian’s life. Joy, the child of faith, therefore bears its name, ‘‘The joy of faith.” Phil. 1:25. So 1 Peter 1: 8, “Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable.” We cannot forbear rejoicing when by faith we are brought to the sight and knowledge of such a privileged state. When faith has first given and then cleared our title to Christ we cannot but rejoice, and that with joy unspeakable.
4 It is the means of our spiritual livelihood and subsistence; all other graces, like birds in the nest, depend upon what faith brings in to them; take away faith, and all the graces languish and die; joy, peace, hope, patience, and all the rest depend upon faith, as the members of the natural body do upon the vessels by which blood and spirits are conveyed to them. “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.” Gal. 2:20. It provides our ordinary food and extraordinary cordials: “I had fainted unless I had believed.” Psalm 27: 13.
5. As faith is all this to our souls, it is no wonder that it is the maw scope and drift of the gospel to press and bring souls to believing: it is the gospel’s grand design to bring up the hearts of men to faith. The urgent commands of the gospel aim at this. 1 John 3:23; Mark 1:14,15; John 12:36. Hither also look the great promwses and encouragements of the gospel. John 5: 35, 87; Mark 16:16. And the opposite sin of wnbelief is everywhere fearfully aggravated and threatened. John 16: 8, 9; and 3: 18, 36.
IV. But lest we commit a mistake here, to the prejudice of Christ’s honor and glory, which must not be given to another, no, not to faith itself, I am to show upon wHaT account faith is thus dignified and honored; that so we may give unto fazth the things that are fazth’s, and to Christ the things that are Christ’s.
I find four opinions about the interest of faith in our justification: some will have it to justify us formally, not relatively, that is, by its own intrinsical value and worth; and this is the popish sense of justification by faith. Again, some aflirm, that though faith be not our perfect legal righteousness, considered as a work of ours, yet the act of believing is imputed to us for righteousness, that is, God graciously accepts it instead of perfect legal righteousness, and so in his esteem it is our evangelical righteousness. Others contend that faith justifies and saves us, as it is the condition of the new covenant; while others will have it to justify us as an zs/rument apprehending or receiving the righteousness of Christ: which last opinion
I must adopt, when I consider that my text calls it a recewing of Christ. Most certain it is,
1. That it doth not justify in the popish sense, on account of its own proper worth and dignity; for then justification would be of debt, not of grace; contrary to Rom. 3; 23, 24. This would also frustrate the very scope and end of the death of Christ; for if righteousness come by the law, by the way of works and desert, then is Christ dead in vain. Gal. 2:21. This way of our justification by faith would be so far from excluding, that it would establish boasting, expressly contrary to the apostle, Rom. 3:26,27. In this view of faith there should be no defects or imperfections in it, for a defective or imperfect thing can never be the ground of our justification before God; if it justify by its own worth and proper dignity, it must have no flaw or imperfection in it, which is contrary to the consciousness of all believers. Nay, in this view, it is the same thing to be justified by faith, and to be justified by works, which the apostle so carefully distinguishes and opposes. Phil. 3:9, and Rom. 4:6. So that we conclude it does not justify, in the popish sense, for any worth or proper excellence in itself.
2. It is equally evident that faith does not justify us by the act of believing being imputed or accepted by God as our evangelical righteousness, instead of perfect legal righteousness. In the former opinion you have the dregs of popery, and here you have refined popery. Let all know we have as high an esteem for faith as any men in the world, but yet we will not rob Christ to clothe faith.
We cannot embrace this opinion, because we must then dethrone Christ to exalt faith: we are willing to give to faith all that is due to it, but we dare not despoil Christ of his glory for faith’s sake: fe zs “the Lord our righteousness.” Jer. 23:6. We dare not set the servant above the master. We acknowledge no righteousness but what the obedience and satisfaction of Christ yields us. His blood, not our faith; his satisfaction, not our believing it, is the ground of our justification before God.
Again, we dare not yield this point, lest we undermine all the comfort of Christians, by resting their pardon and peace upon weak, wmperfect work of their own. O, how tottering and unstable must their foundation be that stand upon such ground as this! What alterations are there in our faith, what mixtures of unbelief at all times, and prevalency of unbelief at some times; and is this a foundation to build our justification and hope upon? If we lay the stress here, we build upon very ioose ground, and must be at continual loss both as to safety and comfort.
Nor dare we so wrong the justice and truth of God as to affirm that he esteems and imputes our poor weak faith for perfect legal righteousness.* We know that the judgment of God is always according to truth; if the justice of God require full satisfaction, surely it will not say it is satisfied by any acts of ours, when all that we can do amounts not to one mite of the vast sum we owe to God.
3. And for the third opinion, that it justifies as the condition of the new covenant; though some of great name and worth among our Protestant divines seem to go that way, yet I cannot see, according to this opinion, any reason why repentance may not as properly be said to justify us as faith, for it is a condition of the new covenant as much as faith; and if faith justify as a condition, then every other grace that is a condition must justify as well as faith. I acknowledge faith to be a condition of the covenant, but cannot allow that it justifies as a condition.
I therefore must profess myself best satisfied in the
* Because faith receives Christ our righteousness, and ascribes all to the grace of God in him; therefore we are said to be justified by it only on account of Christ, and not as it is our work. Confes. Helv.
last opinion, which speaks it an instrument in our justification: it is the hand which receives the righteousness of Christ that justifies us, and that gives it its value above all other graces; as when we say a diamond ring is worth one hundred pounds, we mean not the gold that receives, but the stone that is set in it is worth so much. Faith, considered as a habit, is no more precious than other gracious habits are, but considered as an instrument to receive Christ and his righteousness, it excels them all; and this instrumentality of faith is noted in the phrases, by faith, and through faith. Rom. 3: 22, 25. Thus much of the nature and excellency of saving faith.