The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Fiftly, Faith is a Precious Grace, because it doth free the soul from the guilt of sin.
EIftly, Faith is a Precious Grace, because it is that Grace that doth free the soul from the guilt of sin: That great Encomium and Commendation that we have o… Faith so often in Scripture, That we are justified by Faith; that sets out the preciousness of this Grace, it is that grace that doth deliver the soul from the guilt of sin, and no other grace but that doth it; other graces may be the signs of a mans being delivered from the guilt of sin, but there's no grace by which we are delivered from the guilt of sin, but by Faith. A man indeed cannot be delivered from the guilt of sin without Repentance, he must repent, but it is not that grace that doth free him from the guilt of his sins, all the Repentance in the world will not do it except Faith comes, so that though without other graces we cannot be freed from the guilt of sin, yet Faith is the thing that doth it, It is not only a grace without which we cannot be freed, but it is that grace by which we come to be freed; we are justified by Faith, the Scripture speaks; it never saith we are justified by Love, but by Faith, all means under Heaven cannot do it, the soul hath to deal with Christ in the point of Justification only by his Faith. Luther hath an expression, saith he, In the Point of Justification, there Christ and Faith is all alone, as the Bridegroom and the Bride in the Bed-Chamber are alone; when they come abroad, then they have their train and friends go along with them, but they are alone in the Bed-Chamber▪ so in ou… Conversation, in the course of our lives, there we have the …rain of all other Graces; but the point of Justification is as the Bed-Camber, and there only Christ and Faith, and nothing else is to be: If you bring any thing else to joyn with your Faith in the point of Justification, you spoyl all. There may be much means for the soul to obtain pardon of sin, hearing the Word, many Duties performing, all this frees not the soul from guilt, yea, many prayers made, and cries to God for mercy, perhaps many tears shed much sorrow, much trouble, this doth not do it; that which cannot be done by all duties, by all tears shed, by any repentance, by what help Men or Angels can afford, this is done by Faith, and therefore Faith is a most precious Grace: Many a soul hath been a long time under the sence of sin (the spirit o… bondage) and have been seeking for the pardon of sin, and would give all the World and the things therein, if they had them, for the obtaining of the pardon of sin, and deliverance of their souls from those chains of guiltness that are upon them; now when God sends Faith into the soul, the work is presently done, at an instant, in the twinkling of an eye; that which all other means have been diligently and laboriously used for many years, and could not do, that Faith (when it comes into the soul) doth in a moment: A sinner that hath been guilty of the greatest, of the vilest of the most notorious, abominable …s in the world, if God comes but once to send Faith into that soul, this Precious Grace, such a soul is immediately as cleer from sin as the child new born (I mean from the guilt of it) yea, and cleerer too a great deal; the first instant that Faith is in the soul, such a sinner that was so vile before, is as cleer from the guilt of sin as ever Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob was, as any of the Prophets and Apostles, yea, as cleer from the guilt of it as the Saints are in Heaven: Oh what a precious grace is this grace of Faith, that shall make such a mighty change and alteration, that one that before had such a load upon it, and such woful guiltiness, did apprehend its self to have even the chains of darkness upon it, being held by the cords of its own sin, and being bound over to eternal death, comes now in one instant to be freed from all everlastingly, so as it shall never return again upon him: This is the work of Faith in justifying o… the sinner, and not only freeing thee from the guilt of thy sin, but putting upon thee an everlasting righteousness, and cloathing thee with the white Robes of the Righteousness or Jesus Christ, so that thou standest now before God (all the guilt of thy sin removed) in the cloathes of thy elder Brother Jesus Christ, and so art look'd upon as righteous in and through him, the Lord our Righteousness. Oh Precious is the Grace of Faith: and that's the Fift thing.