Confession of His Faith, Chapter 3 · Section 4
SECT. IV.
Of the Verbal Differences.
1. THere is so great Ambiguity in the term Works, that I think§. …. it occasioneth much of our contentions. 1. By works may be meant in general, any good action: or 2. More specially, such actions as a Workman doth for his wages, making it Debt, for the benefit that may redound thereby to another, by way of commutative Justice. 3. Or else for perfect obedience according to the Law of Nature as made to perfect man in innocency 4. Or for the doing of the task of services in Moses Law, in themselves considered; which was specially called Works. 1. Because of the laborious, external, endless task of duty which it contained: and 2. Because of the costliness of the Sacrifices, in whose value they much trusted. 3. Because of Gods own institution of them, which (mistaking the end) they the more confided in. 5. For Actions which are conceited Meritorious (when indeed they are not,) though not upon the terms of commutative Justice, yet of distributive. 6. For any action which is done more for anothers good then our own: Either, when men conceit they advantage God, or when they help men. Especially when they are costly actions: as giving to the poor, building Almes-houses, Colledges, Churches, &c. 7. For sincere obedience to the Lord that bought us, according to the gracious terms of the Gospel 8 …or the External part of this obedience, distinct from Love, Trust, &c. And perhaps there may yet more sences be remembred. Concerning this I lay down these Propositions.
1. Paul never took Works in the first sence, so as to exclude them from being conditions of Justification: For then he should have excluded Faith and Repentance.
2. Nor did he so take them in the seventh or eighth sence, excluding them from being conditions of our final Justification.
3. James took not Works in the same sence as Paul▪ For the Works that James speaks of were necessary, but the Works that Paul mentions might not be attempted or imagined, which make the reward to be not of Grace but of debt; and the Works of Jewish Ceremonies cease.
4. Because it is the Scripture Phrase to call Evangelical obedience by the name of Works, therefore no man is to be blamed simply for so doing.
5. Yet is there so great a difference between Gospel-obedience, and both Mosaical Ceremonies, and the perfect fulfilling of the first Law, or any conceited Merits, that we should keep that difference as apparent as we can; and therefore not use the term Works, (which Paul so appropriates to the other sorts) when there is any jealousie whether you mean not one of the other sort of works; unless you explain your self in the use. And therefore ordinarily the terms Obedience, or Repentance, Love, &c. are fitter then the term Works.
6. For though no creature can Merit of God in Commutative Justice, yet Adams works were, 1. As much in weight and number as God in Justice could require of perfect man. 2. And they were to be more in giving out to the honor of God, and less in direct receiving: though yet he did receive in all. Our works are nothing to what is due for number or weight; and they are all so purely receptive, that though we must aim at Gods Glory, yet it is at the Glorifying of Free-Grace, wherein we are receivers. Faith is the acceptance of Christ and life freely given: Love is but the mode or nature of that acceptance, respecting the goodness of the Object. Repentance is but an emptying our hands of dung, that they may be fit to receive Gold. Lamentation, Humiliation, and open confession of sin, are but proclaimings of the freeness of Grace, and telling God and men how much we are unworthy of it, and deserve the contrary: or else preparations to make our hearts fit to tast and value the freeness of Grace.