The Life of Faith, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. We are juſtified by Faith, not before faith. Why ſuch as are juſtified are afflicted, and their happineſs deferred? How faith juſtifies? How imputed for righteouſneſs? Sanctification our formal happineſs. The fruit of the ſpirit, received by faith; yet in the Ordinances. John 7, 38, 39. Hoſ. 14.6. Pſal. 92.13. expounded.
HAving thus laid the foundation, I will now proceed to ſhew you, what Communion a Believer hath with Jeſus Chriſt, by vertue of this Union: and
Firſt, They partake of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and ſo are freed from the ſentence of death, which before they lay under. The Scripture abounds with the proof of this, Acts 10.43. cap. 13.39. and, whatever attempts have been made upon theſe places to diſable them for the proof of Juſtification by Faith, yet that place of the Apoſtle, Galat. 2.16. is beyond all exception, Knowing, ſaith he, that a man is not juſtified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jeſus Chriſt, even we have believed in Jeſus Chriſt, that we might be juſtified by the faith of Chriſt: they believed to the end they might be juſtified: now the end is not before the means, unleſs in intention. As for thoſe who have ſo earneſtly contended for Juſtification before Faith, they ſeem to do it out of a good intent, leſt we ſhould derogate from the Merit of Chriſt, the juſtice of God, or the comfort of the Saints. But they are afraid, where no fear is: for yielding the certainty of Gods Election, and the efficacy of Chriſts death, whereby the Salvation of the Elect becomes ſure in it ſelf, certitudine objectivâ, yea ſuppoſing the greateſt redundancy of merit in the ſufferings of Chriſt, all this doth not amount to juſtification. And I would deſire thoſe who labour ſo earneſtly in this buſineſs, to conſider theſe few things;
1. The Elect are kept long out of heaven after the ſatisfaction made by Jeſus Chriſt.
2. They lie under many evils while they are in this world: theſe things ſenſe will not ſuffer us to deny.
3. It is equally injuſt, to inflict upon any what is not due to them, and to detain from them what is their due: and whether is it harder to ſay, that we are not juſtified till we believe, notwithſtanding the ſatisfaction which Chriſt hath made for us? or that we are juſtified, and yet left under the power of Satan, the curſe of the Law, dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes? wherefore they take not a right courſe to vindicate the juſtice of God: but the matter ſeems to be thus, whatever the purpoſe of God towards ſinners hath been, and whatever intrinſick value may be in the obedience of Jeſus Chriſt, yet his merit was not abſolute, but founded upon an act of Grace, God condeſcending to accept of the ſatisfaction of our Surety, where he might have required the Debt of us: wherefore it was free for him to appoint, upon what termes, and at what time, theſe for whom Chriſt died ſhould be made partakers of the benefit of his death, and under what diſcipline they ſhould be exerciſed till they partake thereof, eſpecially ſeeing the condition he requires of them, derogates nothing from his Grace, being his own gift, having ſuch an aptitude in it ſelf, for that to which it is appointed, and not contributing the leaſt mite to the ſatisfaction for our ſin, and when the deferring of our happineſs, and the afflictions we ſuffer in the mean time, are both for our advantage, and work together for our good, Rom. 8.28. 2 Cor. 4.17. For the Queſtion about the intereſt of Faith in our juſtification, whether it juſtifie as an inſtrument, or as a condition, I think it deſerves not half the words that have been uſed about it, they are both of them School-termes, and not found in the Scripture, and ſhould not therefore diſturb the peace of the Church, eſpecially ſeeing both parties at variance are agreed in the thing, but not in the formal notion, under which they do conceive of it; and I think both ſides are ſo far agreed, that Faith may be called an inſtrument, allowing much impropriety of ſpeech, and that it may be called a condition, while we thereby do not ſuppoſe any ſuch thing as merit. As guilt doth immediately reſult from the act of ſin, by vertue of the threatning, ſo doth righteouſneſs from faith by vertue of the promiſe, as the Law is the ſtrength of ſin, whereby it bindes over the ſinner to puniſhment, 1 Cor. 15.56. So the Goſpel is the ſtrength of faith, by vertue of which the ſinner is acquitted. Yet I would not be underſtood, as if I aſcribed the ſame cauſality to faith in juſtification, as to ſin in condemnation. And where Faith is ſaid to be counted or imputed for righteouſneſs, we need not thereby underſtand that we are juſtified for our faith, or that it is the matter of our juſtification, but our faith is reckoned or imputed to us, that is, God doth reckon us believers, and deal with us as ſuch, that is, juſtifie us according to his own gracious appointment in the Goſpel.
For ſo that is ſaid to be imputed to us, which is really inherent in us, as ſin is ſaid to be imputed to a perſon when he is reckoned or accounted a ſinner, and dealt with as a ſinner, 2 Sam. 19.19. But now our juſtification is but in order to our ſanctification, for hereby we live to God, and converſe with him. This is our formal happineſs, I mean Sanctification taken paſſively, and in actu ſecundo, and according to the degree thereof is the degree of our happineſs. When we ſhall know God perfectly, we ſhall love him perfectly, and then our joy and happineſs ſhall be perfected, And if we could ſuppoſe a man to be juſtified and not ſanctified, it would be, but as if a man ſhould have his debt paid, and be left in priſon. Its true, ſuch an one might be exempted from the puniſhment of ſenſe, and ſo, in as good a condition as a beaſt; but it would not exempt him from the puniſhment of loſſe. Juſtification qualifies us for heaven morally, but Sanctification naturally. A fool may have a right to an eſtate, if he be lawfully begotten, but he cannot enjoy it without the uſe of reaſon: So if we ſhould be ſuppoſed to have a right to happineſs by juſtification, we could not enjoy it without ſanctification. Therefore they ſpeak ignorantly, who ſo much cry up Juſtification, and ſpeak ſo ſlightly of Sanctification. Chriſt bleſſeth us in turning us away from our iniquities, Acts 3.26. Now the Author hereof is the Holy Ghoſt, who is the quickening Spirit, Joh. 6.63. the ſpirit of life, Rom. 8.2. in him, we live and move ſpiritually. As he divides his gifts to every one as he pleaſeth, ſo likewiſe his graces: they are his fruits, Galat. 5.22. the conſtant being of our Graces depending upon his perpetual in dwelling, John 14.16. the livelineſs thereof, and our comfort, on his arbitrary influence, which he gives out, or withholds at his pleaſure, Pſal. 51.11. This is as the dew, Hoſ. 14.5. which deſcends inſenſibly, John 14.17. the dew ſweetly refreſhes, Prov. 19.12. ſo doth the Spirit, John 14.16. the dew makes fruitfull, Gen. 27.39. ſo the Spirit makes us grow as the Li…ies for fruitfulneſs, fragrancy, beauty: like the Cedars for duration, and firm rooting; which —quantum vertico ad auras aetherias, tantum radice ad tartara tendunt: vide Rivet in locum.
Now it is by Faith that we receive the Spirit, John 7.38, 39. it is by the Spirit indeed that we are inabled to believe, Fai…h being reckoned among the fruits of it, Gal. 5.22. but then we receive greater meaſures of the ſpirit by faith. Put water into a pump, and you may bring up more, while there is any in the well: So let the Spirit be put within us, whereby we may believe, Ezek. 36.27. and Faith will continually draw further degrees from the fountain: It is as the attractive power, or magnetical vertue in plants, whereby they ſuck juice and moiſture from the root, which makes them thrive and proſper. And for the more full clearing hereof, I will ſhew you how Faith doth improve all thoſe Ordinances, which are the breaſts of conſolation, from whence the chi…dren of God do ſuck, and are ſatisfied with the bleſſings of the Goſpel, Iſa. 66.11. Thoſe that are planted in the houſe of the Lord, ſhall flouriſh in the courts of our God, Pſal. 92.13. It is in the Church that the Ordinances of God are diſpenſed. Neither yet do all flouriſh that are there, but ſuch as are planted there. You may ſee many dead ſticks and boughs in a Garden, which are only for the ſupport and defence of ſome choice plants or flowers: ſo there are many amongſt believers that make the ſame common profeſſion with them, which are but for their defence and ſecurity. If there were none that profeſſed Religion, but ſuch as are found and ſincere believers, how ſoon would they become a prey to Adverſaries. But they are thoſe that are planted or ingrafted, that bear fruit, John 15.4. Now there are three Ordinances whereby a Chriſtians ſpiritual life is maintained, and which do all become effectual thereto by faith, and theſe are Prayer, hearing the Word, and the Lords Supper. Indeed though Baptiſme is ordinarily adminiſtred, when perſons are not capable of exerciſing Faith, yet there is ſome uſe to be made of it: But I ſhall not treat diſtinctly of it here, but leave the Reader to infer by proportion from what is ſaid of the Lords Supper, how it is to be improved, there being much ſaid about it, in a few words, in the larger Catechiſme of the late Aſſembly, and there being a Treatiſe written of it by Maſter Simon Ford.