The Life of Justification Opened, Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
Of the object of justifying Faith.
THough something of the Object of Faith was hinted before Chap. XX. when we were speaking of the Nature of Faith: yet it will not be amisse, to speak a little more of it here, both in reference to what followeth; and also, & more particularly in order to the better understanding of, what it is to Live by Faith.
In order therefore to the explaining of this Object, we would premit these few things.
1. As was mentioned in the forecited place, there is presupposed unto the right exercise, & actual exerting of Faith, accepting the offered Saviour & Salvation through him, a Conviction of sin & misery, in one measure, or other, whereby the Sinner is brought to a desparing in himself, seing he can finde no remedie, or reliefe for himself, within himself, and to a concluding, that he is an undone man, if there be no other remedie, than what he is able to do for himself: for after all meanes assayed (and a soul in that case is ready to turn to many hands, to seek reliefe, & until preventing grace come, will embrace & close with any promising way, how chargable & troublesome so ever it be, ere it sweetly comply with the only Manabasing & Grace-exalting way of Salvation, through Faith in Christ, revealed in the Gospel) he findeth himself disappointed. And further, it is presupposed, as necessarily requisite hereunto, some knowledge of the grounds of Religion; & particularly of the Gospel, of Christ, of his offices, Work &c. all revealed in the Gospel.
2. When we speak here of the Object of Faith, we mean that Faith, by which a Soul is united unto Christ, & closeth with Him, as offered in the Gospel, & improveth Him to all ends & uses, which their case & necessitie, in all time coming, calleth for. So that it is one & the same Faith, whether it be called Uniting Faith, Saving Faith, Justifying Faith, Sanctifying & heart-purifying Faith, or the like. It is one & the same radical grace, receiving these or the like various denominations, from the effects brought about by it, or the several ends & uses it hath, & is appointed for. And the same Faith bringeth all these effects about, in its way, according to the Order, Methode & measure, ordained of God: the same Faith, whereby the beleever is Married to Christ, & Covenanteth with Him, as Head, Husband, Lord & Saviour, by the same is he justified, adopted & brought into a state of Peace & Reconciliation with God. By the same Faith also doth the man get his heart Purified, & he liveth the life of Sanctification. By the same also he getteth Strength, Reviving, Comfort, & Support in times of Temptation & Trial. So that the Beleevers life first & last is by Faith, the beginning, progress, all the steps of it, & final Salvation is by Faith; whence it is called Saving Faith, to distinguish it from that Historical Faith, which, (though true in its kind yet) is not from the saving grace of God, nor hath it effects accompanying Salvation.
3. Though this Faith be one & the same, by which the Beleever liveth first & last; and which proveth serviceable & useful to him, on all occasions, & to all ends & uses, that his several necessities call for: Yet in reference to these various ends & uses, it acteth not after one & the same manner, in all points: Faith acteth not every way, after one & the same manner, in order to get Strength for Duties, that it acteth, in order to get Sin Pardoned: It acteth not the same way for Subdueing the reigning power of sin, that it acteth for Justification, nor doth it act the same way for Comfort and upholding strength in a day of trial, that it acteth, in order to Justification: And yet we need not say, that it acteth distinctly & differently, according to every distinct benefite, and blessing, that is had thereby: The diffe…ent natures of the necessities we stand into, with the different wayes of the …ord's communicating what we stand in need of, according to the various Relations he standeth in, & various offices he hath taken on, in reference to his peoples good, may satisfie us herein, & according as these several particular necessities may come under one head, & reliefe may be conveyed to them, after one & the same manner: All which will be best discerned by the understanding Christian, in his application to Christ, according to his Condition & wants, which he would have helped & supplied.
4. Hence, though the Principal Object of this Faith be alwayes one and the same; Yet there may be some peculiarities in that object, which Faith eyeth more in one case, than in another: As we finde the Saints, in their adresses to God, in their several straits & necessities, sometimes pitching upon one attribute of God, sometimes upon another; according as thereby Faith presented God to the soul in a sutablness to the present case it was in; and so when dispensations seemed to crosse the promises, Faith eyed God as Faithful & Unchangable; when enemies appeared strong, difficulties invincible, and the like, Faith took hold on God, as the Almighty, to whom nothing was impossible; & when sin appeared as a discouragment to drive them from their hopes, Faith took hold of the mercy of God &c. So when a poor sinner is under the convictions of sin & threatnings of the Law, Faith must take up Christ in a sutableness thereto, & eye something in Him, that peculiarly suiteth that case; & when againe the beleever hath need of Light, Instruction, Strength, Comfort, Throwbearing & the like, he fixeth his eye on some thing in Christ, that suiteth that particular necessity: and so Faith acteth accordingly: And thus, though the object remaine the same, and Christ be alwayes made use of; Yet Faith may and doth act more immediatly on Christ, as Prophet, when in one case whereunto this office carrieth a respect; and at another time more immediatly & directly on Christ, as a King, when the present necessity calleth for help from Christ as King; & againe faith acteth on him, as a Priest, when only that, which Christ, as a Priest did, can answere their present necessitie. Yet, (which is carefully to be observed, to prevent Mr. Baxter's challenge) I do not say, nor see I any necessity to say, that these several acts of Faith, are as so many several Conditions unto the receiving of the several favours, taking the terme Condition in his sense; I do not say, that Faith acting one way on Christ is a proper Condition of Justification, & Faith as acting another way on Christ is the proper Condition of Adoption, & that Faith acting a third way on Christ is the proper Condition of Sanctification &c. but that, as the effects & benefi…es, which sinners stand in need of, are ascribed unto several effectuating acts of Christ, & to the several Relations & offices he hath taken on; so Faith in order to the receiving of these benefites, acteth suitably on Christ, & the Beleever is, taught so to do by the Spirit of the Lord, to his Comfort, Hope & Encouragment.
5. I presuppose here the Formal Object of all divine faith, which is the Truth & Veracity of God; for all divine faith giveth credite unto divine Revelations upon the Credite▪ the Truth & Veracity of the Revealer. Thus saith the Lord, who is true, & who is Truth itself, is the sole Formal ground & Ratio of this Faith.
6. I presuppose here also that Comprehensive Material Object of all divine Faith, which is the whole will & mind of God, concerning whatsomever thing it be revealed, whether by the Scriptures, or by the Light of Nature. If the Truth & Veracity of God be the only Formal Ground of this Faith, then all that this God revealeth must be beleeved & received, as true, when known to be revealed by Him. By faith we understand, that the worlds were framed by the word of God. Heb. 11: 3. & we beleeve all things which are written in the Law & the Prophets Act. 24: 14. Yea & in the whole word of God: I do not here determine, what particular Truthes, revealed in the word, are necessarily to be expresly & explicitly beleeved, by every one, that hath a true Saving Faith, & what not: only this I say, that many particular truthes, are revealed, whereof a true Beleever may be ignorant, & yet have a true Saving Faith, receiving all, which he knoweth to be revealed by the Lord, & rejecting no one Truth whatsomever, that he knoweth to be revealed.
But we are here to speak of that Object of Faith, which immediatly & directly concerneth our delivery from our natural state of sin and miserie; and our eternal Salvation: And this, we judge, to be whole Christ Iesus, as he is hold forth and revealed in the Gospel. We say Christ Jesus (1) wholly, and (2) as he is held forth and revealed in the Gospel. And both these, for explications sake, may be branched out, in several particulars.
I say then first. That whole Christ is the object of Saving or Justifying Faith. Hence are we so often times commanded to Receive him, & to Beleeve in & on Him & in his name; & Faith is expressed by a Coming to him, Eating & Drinking of Him, Receiving of him, &c. Ioh. 1: 12. & 3: 16, 36. & 6: 29, 35, 37, 40, 44, 47, 51, 54, 55, 58. & 7: 38. Act. 10: 41, & 13: 38, 39. & 26: 18. Rom 3: 22. Gal. 2: 16. and many moe places. Hence this Faith is called the Faith of Christ Gal. 2: 16. and the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2: 20. So then Saving and Justifying Faith taketh whole Christ.
1. Faith taketh him & closeth with him wholly; as to his Natures: Faith receiveth him, as Mediator, God & Man in one person, though it be formally terminated on him, as God Ioh. 14: 1. & as the Son of God Gal. 2: 20. Yet faith receiveth him, as God manifest in the flesh. 1. Tim. 3: 16. as the word made flesh Ioh. 1: 14. as the Christ, the Son of the living God Matt. 16: 16. Ioh. 6: 63. as the Immanuel, God with us Esai. 7: 15. Mat. 1: 23. Luk 1: 31.
2. Faith taketh him wholly, as to his Offices; as a Prophet, as a Priest, & as a King: Faith embraceth him, as that great Prophet Act. 3: 22. as the Word of God, that came out of the bosome of the Father, to reveal his mind & counsel for our Salvation Ioh. 1: 17, 18. Faith receiveth him also as Priest, offering up himself to God a sacrifice for sins, and making Satisfaction to the justice of God, & as Interceeding with the Father Ephes. 5: 2. Heb. 2: 17. & 7: 25. & 9: 14, 28. Hence we hear of Faith in his blood. Rom. 3: 25. And Christ crucified is proposed to Faith to receive, & feed upon. And in order to Justification & Pardon, faith (as we shall hear) hath a special eye unto the Surety. Righteousness of Christ. Faith also receiveth him as a King, to subdue their souls to himself, to make them Subjects, to swey his scepter in their souls, to subdue all their spiritual Enemies, & to Support, Rule, Guide & Defend them by his Spirit Esai. 33: 22. Act. 5: 31. Psal. 110. through out.
3. Faith receiveth him wholly, as to the Relations he hath taken on, in reference to his people, to wit, as an Husband Ephes. 5: 30, 31, 32. as an Head Ephes. 5: 23. & 1: 22. Col. 1: 18. as the Chief-Corner stone Ephes. 2: 20. 1. Pet. 2: 4, 5, 6, 7. as a Vine Ioh. 15: 1, 2, 5. As a Witness, Leader & Commander Esai. 55: 4. as a Light Esai. 42. 6. & 49: 9. Faith receiveth him under whatsoever Title, & Denomination, he is held forth for the comfort of his People.
4. Faith receiveth him wholly, as to the Work imported, & Ends designed by these Offices, Relations, & Denominations, which he took upon him, & under which he holdeth forth himself.
5. Faith receiveth him wholly, as to the Furniture & Qualifications, whereby he was fitted for the discharge of the duties, belonging to the Offices, which he did execute both in his Estate of Humiliation & Exaltation; & for throughing & perfecting of the work, which he undertook to do: so that Faith receiveth him, as the Anointed of the Lord, & as having the Spirit of the Lord upon him, & as having all Fulness, all Power & Authority, even the Spirit without measure, Esai. 61: 1. Luk. 4: 18. Ioh. 3: 34. & 1: 14, 16. Col. 1: 19. & 2: 3, 9, 10. Mat. 28: 18.
6. Faith receiveth him wholly, as to all the sinners Necessities, Cases, Wants, Straits, & Difficulties, which they either are, or may be into, from first to last: All the Vessels must hang on Him, as the nail, that it fastened in a sure place Esai. 22: 24, 25. Faith eyeth Him, & Him alone, & seeketh the upmaking of all in Him alone, as knowing that in Him only, sinners can be compleet Col. 2: 10. & out of his fulness must they receive, & grace for grace. Ioh. 1: 16. Therefore is he held forth, as fournished with all richly, that we stand in need of, as a Store house & Treasurie of all necessaries, as having Eye salve, Gold & Rayment, & what we need. Revel. 3: 18.
7. Faith receiveth Him, with all the Sufferings, Crosses, & Inconveniences, that can follow: Faith taketh up the Crosse, & followeth Christ. Mat. 10: 37, 38. Mark. 8: 34. Mat. 16: 24. Luk 9: 23.
Next I say, That Christ as revealed, held forth, & offered in the Gospel, is the object of Saving & Justifying faith: And so
1. He is received, as the result (to speak so) of the wonderful Contrivance & Designe of free Grace, Love, Goodness, Mercy, & Wisdom, concerning the glorifying of God, in the Salvation of the chosen ones, in & through Him: faith here observeth & closeth chearfully with that gracious Covenant of Redemption, betwixt Jehovah, or God Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and the Son in order to the Salvation of poor man, through the Sones becoming Mediator, God-man, & becoming Cautioner, for such as were given unto Him, and coming in their Law-place, and suffering for them, and their debt. &c. Faith closeth with, and embraceth this foundamental Ground of Salvation, in all its Parts, Ends & Meanes: and so receiveth Christ, as standing in such a place, and as engageing to through such a designe of Love & free Grace; so far as the Beleever cometh to know & understand the same to be revealed. We may consider to this end Esai. 53. through out Ephes. 1: 3. & forward. Rom. 3: 21-27. and other places; & there see how Christ is held forth.
2. He is received as the great Gift of God Ioh. 4: 10. as the Soveraigne Mean, through which all the great designe of Grace is brought about, in a glorious manner, as the authorized Ambassadour of God, and messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3: 1. as the grand Effect of Love, Grace & Goodwill Tu. 3: 4. Ioh. 3: 16. as fore-ordained and set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3: 25. and as made of God unto us wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification & Redemption. 1. Cor. 1: 30. He is received as the Power of God, and as the Wisdom of God 1. Cor. 1: 24. as He, in whom God was reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them 2. Cor. 5: 19. and as made sin, though he knew no sin for us, that we might be made the Righteousness of God, in him 2. Cor. 5: 21. that is, as the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23: 6. Thus faith, in receiving Christ, as thus held forth in the Gospel, eyeth God, the Giver, the Sender, the Maker of Christ to be sin, and eyeth God, as the Justifier of the ungodly in him Rom. 4: 5. and as the Reconciler of us to himself by Christ 2. Cor. 5: 18. as forgiving sins, and granting Redemption through Christ's blood, according to the riches of his Grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us, in all wisdom & prudence. Ephes. 1: 7, 8. Here is the incomprehensible riches of the Mercy & Grace of God Father. Son & Holy Ghost, eyed as the Object, according to their peculiar methode & order of working, in this grand affaire.
3. He is received as offered & held forth in the Promises: Thus was he embraced of old, as the promised Messiah, and as the substance of all the Promises, which the Fathers of old saw a far off Heb. 11: 13. Ioh. 8: 56. That promise made to Abraham that in him all Nations should be blessed, was the Gospel Gal. 3: 8. and contained a bunddle of promises vers. 16. And the faith of this, was that faith, by which Abraham was justified Rom. 4: 16-22. Hence all the promises are made good in and through him; and they are all yea & amen, in him 2. Cor. 1: 20. And he is the Substance of them all; for they either hold forth his Person, or his Work, or some thing of Him, or some thing from Him, according to the Various Exigencies & Necessities of his people.
4. He is received as the grand meane of declaring & setting forth the glorious Attributes of God; which the Lord will have manifested in and by this noble designe of the Gospel: for Faith sweetly acquiesceth in this designe of God's, to preach forth his Excellencies & Vertues, in this manner; and therefore receiveth Christ, as offered & held forth in the Gospel, for such a glorious End; & so receiveth him, as the great Gift of Love Ioh. 3: 16. as the mean, whereby the Righteousness of God is declared Rom. 3: 25. and his Grace Ephes. 1: 5, 6. and as the Power of God. and the Wisdom of God. 1: Cor. 1: 24, Ephes. 3: 10. Thus Faith seeth the glory of God shining with a peculiar splendour, in the face of Jesus Christ 2. Cor. 4: 6.
5. So is he received as the grand & only Meane to bring about all the great Ends, designed of God, and desired by them: so that in the receiving of him, all these ends are closed with, and expected: such as Remission of sins, Justification, Acceptation, Adoption, Sanctification, Peace of Conscience, Joy in the Holy Ghost, yea life, and Immortality & full Redemption Ephes. 1: 7. Col. 1; 14. Act. 26: 18. Rom. 3: 25. & 4: 6, 7, 8. Ephes. 1: 11, 12, 13, 14. Rom. 5: 1, 2, 3. 1. Pet. 1: 3, 4. So that Faith eyeth here, by way of end, all that Grace & Glory, they would have, and can desire to make them up,
6. And, in a word, He is received as the grand meane to Interest them in God, Father, Son & Holy Ghost, as theirs; to bring them nigh unto God, and in Covenant with Him, and to enjoy the several Effects & Benefites of their Workings. They come to God through Him, as the only way to the Father Ioh. 14: 6. They close with the Father, as their God and Father through Him, and with the Holy Ghost, as their Sanctifier, and comforter through Him, who sendeth the Spirit from the Father, Ioh. 15: 26. & 14: 26.
All these several things belong unto the adequate & full Object of that faith, whereby beleevers become Justified, Adopted, Sanctified, & shall be at length finally Saved, for they shall receive the end of their faith, the Salvation of their souls 1. Pet. 1: 9. Yet to prevent mistakes, we would adde some few considerations.
1. By all this, we do not meane, that all these Objects, or Various parts or Considerations of the one adequate & compleet Object, are expresly and distinctly conceived & laid hold on by every Beleever, when they act faith on Christ, or come unto God through him, according to the Gospel-command: But that these things belong to the full Object of Saving faith, and are implied therein; so that whoever beleeveth savingly, beleeveth these several truthes, according to the measure of the Revelation of God, and of their Capacity & Information. So that a more full & explicite beleefe of these particulars is now required under the Gospel, than was required under the Old Testament, when …his Revelation was not so full and plaine, as now: and more is required of such, who have had clear information of Gospel truthes; than of others, who have wanted that Advantage: and more also is required of such, as have large Capacities & Understandings, than of others, who are more Rude & of a narrower Reach.
2. Wherever any of these truthes are rightly beleeved, and heartily closed with, all the rest are implicitly also received; for they cannot be separated; the whole contrivance is such a noble piece af divine art & of infinite wisdom, that all the several pieces, are indissolubly knit together: Hence what ever piece it be, that the beleever first doth directly & explicitly close with, or under whatsoever notion Christ at first be embraced, according us the beleever cometh to more distinct apprehensions of other pieces or parts of this contrivance, so his heart complyeth with, and he cordially embraceth the same.
3. We may be hereby helped to understand, the several and various expressions used in Scripture, to pointe forth faith, acting on its object; for, however these be not alwayes one and the same, but different; yet the same whole object is implicitly understood; and these particulars, expresly mentioned, must not be considered abstractly, or alone; but according to their several place in the grand designe, and with respect thereto; as when the object of faith is said to be He, who justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4: 5. and to be Him, who raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead vers. 24. and in that same Chap. the object of Abraham's faith, whereby he was justified, is the Promise, that God would make him a Father of many Nations &c. vers. 17, 18. &c. all these must be considered with respect unto Christ, the grand medium, who was appointed to be a Saviour to all Nations, and was to die & rise againe, after satisfaction made to Justice, and in and through whom alone God will Justifie the poor sinner, that is ungodly in himself. With reference here unto must we understand the Publicans saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner, and the saints under the Old Testam. their so frequent fleeing to the Grace, Mercy & Bounty of God; for all this was with respect to the only Soveraigne way, that the Lord had condescended upon, whereby to shew forth, and manifest, his Mercy & Goodness & Grace to sinners. In the New Test. we finde more express mention made of Christ, as the object of faith, as Iesus of Nazareth, the true Messiah, who was promised Ioh. 20: 31. 1. Ioh. 5: 9, 10, 20. Ioh. 1, 45. Act. 13: 38. or as Lord & God. Ioh. 20: 28. as the Son of David. Mat. 15: 21. & 9: 27, & 20: 30. & 21: 42. As the Son of God Ioh. 9: 35. as the Christ the Son of God Ioh. 11: 27. Act. 8: 37. as come forth from God Ioh. 16: 30, 27. as the Lord Iesus Act. 16. 31. as raised by God from the dead Rom. 10: 9 as one that died & rose againe 1. Thes. 1: 14. as sent of God Ioh. 17: 8. that Iesus is the Christ. 1. Ioh. 5: 1. So that under all these and the like, one and the same thing for substance is pointed forth; though some particular in that grand designe of grace is more expresly & immediatly pointed at; yet that particular is to be understood with reference to the whole; and the whole is to be included. So also when God is mentioned as the object of faith; either absolutely 1. Pet. 1: 2. Tit. 3: 8. Heb. 5: 1. 1. Thes. 1: 8. or in Reference to Christ, whom he sent Ioh. 5: 24. or through whom he is beleeved in 1. Pet. 1: 21. or the like, the matter must be thus understood.
4. Hereby also may the Various Explications of this object of faith, given by men, be some way understood & reconciled, when some say, the Mercy of God is it, others say, the Promises, some Remission of sins, and the like? some God the Father, Son & Holy Ghost: for such as seem to restrict it most, may be understood as not speaking exclusively of what else the Scripture mentioneth as belonging thereunto.
5. All this notwithstanding, faith may have & hath a special respect to Christ as Priest, and making Satisfaction to justice, and laying down the Ransome-money, and paying the debt, according to his undertaking as Surety, in order to the particular benefite of Justification, and of Pardon of sins; as was in part cleared above, and may be more spoken to afterward, in the following Chapters.