Christ Crucified, Sermon 59
SERMON LIX.
ISAIAH LIII.XI.
Verſe 11. —By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many, for he ſhall bear their iniquities.
THe Knowledge of Chriſt was wont to be much thought of by the People of God, and to be in high eſtimation among them; and we may ſay, we wote well it was deſervedly ſo, conſidering that it is by His Knowledge, that Juſtification was derived to them, and is deryved to us; This is that which the Lord is clearing by the Prophet here; to wit, how the benefit of Chriſts Sufferings, and Purchaſe may be deryved, and communicat unto a Sinner; Which theſe words (though but few) as purpoſly made uſe of, to clear; even that His Sufferings ſhould not be in vain, but that He ſhould ſow a Seed, and though that Seed ſhould not be all Men, yet they ſhould be manie; and the way how theſe many ſhould come by the benefit of His Sufferings is alſo held forth; and that is, By his knowledge, who is the Righteous Servant: We ſhew you, that this doth upon the matter look to Faith, and is meant of it; and confirmed it by other paralel Scriptures, which ſay, that through faith in him, all that believe are juſtified; we came alſo to ſpeak of this Faith which Juſtifies, and did propoſe Five things to be ſpoken of concerning it, (and indeed if any thing be of concerment, this is; if a right to Chriſt and His purchaſe be of concernment, then ſure it muſt be of concernment to know how we come by that Right) 1. The neceſſity of it. 2. The object of it. 3. The act of it. 4. The effects that flow from it. 5. The manner of it's concurring in the attaining of Juſtification; We ſpoke of the Firſt, to wit, of the neceſſity of Faith; and ſhew that though there be a full Satisfaction laid down to merit and procure Juſtification, yet it's applyed to none but to Believers, and not till they believe.
2. We ſpoke alſo to this, That Faith, as it Juſtifies, looks not to all the Word of God, as it's Object, but mainly, and principally to Chriſt, and to the Word only, in ſo far as it holds out Chriſt in the Promiſes and Offers of Gods Grace, as it's here called the Knowledge of Him, or Faith in Him.
We now proceed to hint a Word for clearing of a Queſtion, and it's a new and very late one, to wit, whether Juſtifying Faith layes hold on Chriſt as a Saviour and Prieſt only, or whether it layes hold on Him not only, as a Prieſt to ſave, but alſo as a King to command? though this doth not look at firſt bluſh to be of any great moment, and that ſuch an inconſiderable-like difference is not to be ſtood upon; yet we will find that this laſt wants not it's own influence on altering the common and ordinary, and (as we conceive) the ſolid received Doctrine, concerning the way of Juſtification; if we ſhould admit it: And therefore we anſwer the Question from the Text. That Chriſt conſidered as ſuffering, and bearing our Sins, and ſo as offering Himſelf in a Sacrifice, is the Object that Juſtifying Faith, as ſuch takes hold of; Therefore the connexion of theſe two is clear in this verſe, He ſhall ſee of the travel of his ſoul and be ſatisfied; and by his knowledge ſhall many be juſtified; and again it is ſubjoyned, as the reaſon why many ſhall by Faith in Him be juſtified; Becauſe he ſhall bear their iniquities; By the Knowledge of Him that Offered Himſelf in a Sacrifice, many are Juſtified; and many are Juſtified, becauſe He bears their iniquities; which will infer this, that Faith conſiders Him as ſatisfying for the iniquities of His People, in it's acting on Him for Juſtification, and Pardon of Sin; it is true, Chriſts Offices are not divided, and it is not true Faith if it take not hold of Him, and make not uſe of Him in all His Offices; but as there are ſeveral evils in us, which His Offices do meet with, and are ſuited unto, ſo ſhould Faith take hold of them, and make uſe of them for curing, and removing of theſe evils; He is King, Prieſt, and Prophet, and Faith takes hold of Him, as a King to command, and ſubdue us to Himſelf, as a Prophet to illuminat us, and cure our blindneſſe, and as a Prieſt to ſatisfie Divine Juſtice, and to procure the pardon of Sin, as we are not to ſeperat, ſo we are not to confound theſe, we uſe not to ſay that Chriſt as a Prophet doth Juſtifie us, nor that as a Prieſt He doth illuminat us; no more ſhould we, nor can we well ſay, that as a King He ſatisfied Juſtice for us; The ſame bleſſed God is Wiſe, Righteous, Holy, Faithful, Juſt, Merciful, &c. Yet He is diverſly conſidered in reſpect of our conceiving and uſe-making according to our need; ſo is it here. For clearing whereof, take theſe grounds. 1. The Scripture ſpeaks of, and points Chriſt out in His Sufferings, as the Object of Juſtifying Faith, Rom. 3.25. Whom God hath ſet forth for a propitiation through faith in his blood: where the Blood of Chriſt, and He as Suffering is propoſed as Faiths Object; ſo, 1 Cor. 1. We preach Chriſt crucified, 1 John 2. We have an advocat with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our ſins, where He is holden forth in His Sufferings, as the propitiation that Faith layeth hold on, John 3.14. As Moſes lifted up the ſerpent in the wilderneſs, ſo muſt the Son of man be lifted up, that whoſoever believeth on him, &c. Where Chriſt lifted up, and as dying on the Croſs, is made the Object of Juſtifying Faith; even as the brazen Serpent lifted up was the Object that they looked to, when they were ſtung, and cured. 2. It's alſo clear from the Laws, lybelling and charging us for the Debt of our Sin, that makes us lyable to condemnation, and Faith being the mean of our Juſtification, and abſolution from the Debt, it muſt needs look to the Cautioners paying of our Debt, and ſo anſwering the Charge; which was done in His Death, for He payed our Debt, Satisfyed the Penalty of the Law, and came under the Curſe in ſuffering Death; as is clear Gal. 3. the 10. v. being compared with v. 13. So, Rom. 8.34. Who ſhall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods elect it is God, that juſtifies, who ſhall condemn? it is Chriſt that died; which is brought in as Faith's anſwer to the charge; The charge cannot be denyed, for we are guilty of ſo many Sins, and therefore lyable to condemnation; but ſaith Faith, Chriſt hath died: It propoſes Him dying as a Satisfaction for anſwering the charge, and for obtaining of abſolution. 3. Chriſt as Suffering and Satisfying Juſtice, is our Righteouſneſſe, and therefore muſt be the object of Faith, as it's Juſtifying whereupon it pleads an abſolution before the Throne of God; So that when we come to plead and found our Defence before Gods Throne; it is not on this, that Chriſt is a King, and hath ſubdued us; but it is on this gro…d; That He is our Prieſt, and hath ſatisfied Juſtice for us, and payed our Debt, and procured a diſcharge to us; So the Apoſtle ſpeaking of Chriſts Sufferings, Col. 2. Sayes, That he blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was againſt us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his croſs; It's Chriſt as Suffering that is the ground of our Peace, and therefore Faith as Juſtifying muſt ſo conſider Him: Though we deſire to move nothing needleſly, yet laying it once for a ground; That Juſtifying Faith layes hold on Chriſt as a King, This will follow as a conſequence, and as we ſuppoſe, as a reaſon, That our obedience to Chriſt, as a King hath the ſame influence, and the ſame Cauſality in our Juſtification, that Faith's reſting on Chriſt's Satisfying for as a Prieſt hath; becauſe as Chriſts Prieſtly Office gives us a warrand to reſt upon Him for Juſtification, ſo would His Kingly Office, (if it were the Object of Juſtifying Faith as ſuch) when taken hold of for our obedience: We have touched on this. 1. That ye may ſee the warrantableneſs of this Doctrine which is received in the Churches of Chriſt, and that ye may conſider Chriſt as the high priest of your profeſſion, and plead Juſtification from His Sacrifice, acting Faith, upon Him accordingly. 2. That we may put a Bar againſt the introducing of Juſtification by Works under one pretext or another, how ſpecious ſoever; ſeing the Scripture ſo directly oppoſes Faith and Works in our Juſtification; For if we once admit that Chriſt, as King, is the Object of Juſtifying Faith as ſuch, it would overturn the diſtinct way of Faith's acting upon Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, for anſwering the Charge put in the Sinners hand by the Law; and when the ſoul getteth a challenge for Sin, would put it to look what obedience it hath given to Chriſt, as a King to anſwer that challenge, or charge by; and would in the ſame manner alſo put the Soul to gather the ground of it's peace from the one, as well as from the other, that is both from Chriſts Righteouſneſs, and from it's own obedience, not only as an evidence, but a ſocial cauſe, or not only to it's own ſenſe, but as to the effect: But we leave this as a …hing to be regrated; that when the…e is ground enough of ſtumbling, becauſe of our ignorance, and blindneſs; there ſhould, and that very unneceſſarily be ſuch new occaſion of ſtumbling to Souls caſt in the way of Faith.
We come now to ſpeak of the Act of Faith as Juſtifying, called here Knowledge, and the knowledge of him, to ſhew that it points at Juſtifying Faith; for if it were not ſo, it were the ſame with common Knowledge, whereby we believe any Hiſtory of the Bible; but this being Juſtifying Knowledge, it muſt be Knowledge of another kind: We ſhall here clear, 1. Wherein the Act of Juſtifying Faith conſiſts. 2. Remove ſome miſtakes about it, and make ſome Uſe of it.
For the First, we ſuppoſe there are theſe Four requiſit, in, or to Juſtifying Faith; though not alwayes in the ſame degree. 1. That there be diſtinct Knowledge in ſome meaſure of the Object; an antecedent that Faith preſuppoſes, and for which cauſe Faith gets the name of Knowledge here and elſewhere in Scripture; the antecedent being put for the conſequent; For Faith hath alwayes Knowledge with it, though Knowledge hath not alwayes Faith. 2. That there be an aſſent to the thing known; as when we know that we are Sinners, and that it is the Blood of Chriſt that muſt cleanſe us from Sin, we muſt aſſent to the truth of theſe, as Chriſt ſayes, John 8. If ye believe not Moſes his writings, how ſhall ye believe my Words? If ye aſſent not to the truth of that he hath written, how can ye believe my ſpeaking? both theſe are in the underſtanding, and if there be no more, this makes but Hiſtorical Faith. 3. When the Soul knows it's a Sinner, and under the Curſe, and that Chriſt is a Saviour, and that there is Salvation to be gotten by ſuch a Mean, and that he an able Saviour, and hath aſſented to the truth of theſe; there is a conſenting of the heart to that Truth conditionally propoſed, and made offer of, that is to receive Chriſt as he is offered in the Goſpel; which in Scripture is called a receiving of Him, John 1.12. To as many as received him, &c. And this is an Act of the Will; reſpecting Chriſt as offered, and a bargain propoſed that will make the Soul happy where Faith accepts. 4. There is a reſting on Chriſt received as a good bargain; which is alſo an Act of the heart, or will, called in Scripture a committing our ſelves to him, a leaning on him, or rolling our ſelves on him; which we conceive to be the ſame that Paul hath, Philip. 3.9. That I may be found in him; When the Soul places it's ſafety here, and lippens to Chriſts Righteouſneſſe alone, as contradiſtinguiſhed to it's own; Theſe Two laſt Acts are properly the eſſence of Faith as Juſtifying; and they are well holden out in the Catechiſm, where Faith is deſcribed to be a ſaving grace whereby we receive and reſt upon Christ as he is offered in the Goſpel; we ſhall illuſtrat it in a compariſon made uſe of before to this purpoſe; Suppoſe there were a number of Rebells, that had incurred the Princes diſpleaſure, and were guilty of Treaſon by the Law, ſuppoſe alſo the Princes Son, or ſome Courtier hath ſatisfied for them, and procured their Pardon and Peace, upon which there comes out a Proclamation, that if they will ſubmit, and yeeld themſelves, and lay down their Arms, they ſhall be pardoned, and admitted to friendſhip, as if they had never Rebelled; Theſe Rebels muſt know. 1. That there is an Act of Favour paſt, and a Proclamation made on ſuch Terms. 2. They muſt have a general Faith, and Aſſent to the thing, and that there is no Queſtion but ſuch a thing is done. 3. There is a conſultation by the underſtanding with the will, if they will admit of, and receive it, and truſt themſelves to it. And then, 4. There is the hearts conſenting to accept of the offer of Grace, on the Terms of the Proclamation, and a reſting on it, which is a lippening of their Defence to it, that if ever they ſhould be called to an accompt, they will make uſe of ſuch an Act of Grace, and of the Proclamation for their Defence, and ſafety, and lippen to it, and to His Faithfulneſſe who made the Proclamation, believing that He will fulfil His Word, and Promiſe: It is juſt ſo here, in a Sinners acting Faith for Juſtification; We may inſtance and illuſtrat it alſo in the example of the Prodigal, wherein we may find ſomething of all this; when he had been in the hight of his diſtraction and madneſs, in his natural condition; It's ſaid, He came to himſelf, he knew and believed that there was meat enough in his Fathers houſe, and reſolved to go home; upon his knowledge follows his reſolution, and his will conſents; I will riſe and go; which ſuppoſes his Faith of an offer of meat, on condition of his going; and then there is that whereon he grounds his Defence; I will ſay, father I have ſinned; I will diſclaim all, and betake me to thy Grace, implyed in the word Father; he reſolves to table his Defence on this ground, and upon this comes home.
More particularly; 1. Knowledge of the Object reſted upon is neceſſary, Rom. 10. How can they believe on him of whom they have not heard? It is not poſſible we can believe what we know not: And as every other ſtep hath ſome doctrinal miſtake, and ſome practical, ſo hath this; The Doctrinal miſtake is that Error of Papiſts, unworthy to be refuted; They ſay there is no Knowledge requiſit to Faith; Yea, ſome of their prime men have ſaid, that Faith is rather Ignorance then Knowledge; but ſurely then Faith would not be called Knowledge, if it might rather be defined Ignorance; but this they maintain to keep the People in Ignorance of the Goſpel, and it's the ground of many moe Errors, and much Deluſion; It's even as a blind man could go well in a ſlippery place where are many Pits, for Knowledge is no leſſe neceſſary to Faith, then eyes are to ſuch a man: The practical Errors in this, are ſuch as we find in many of you, who think ye can believe well, but aſk, and put you to it ye cannot tell what; many of you are obſtinat maintainers of implicit Faith, while ye ſay ye have Faith, and yet cannot tell what it is, nor whereon it is grounded; but we ſay that Knowledge is ſo neceſſary to Faith, that if it be not a part of it, yet it's neceſſarly antecedanious to it, and preſuppoſed; Therefore, if ever ye would be accounted Believers, ſtudy Knowledge, and the Knowledge of Chriſt Crucified, at leaſt ſo far as to ground your Faith upon; It's ſad that ſo many will maintain the reality of their Faith, and yet are groſly Ignorant of the Fundamenta…s of Religion; Knowledge is the very uſe of, and firſt ſtep to believing, and yet it's hardly poſſible to brangle the vain confidence of many, whom it's as impoſſible to bring to Knowledge.
2. There is an Aſſent requiſit to the Object Known, which is that we call hiſtorical faith, and this is to be confirmed in the general Truths contained in the Goſpel; as that Adam was made according to Gods Image, that he fell, and brake the Covenant of Works, and made himſelf, and all his lyable to Gods Curſe; That we are by that Covenant under Gods Curſe, That Chriſt Jeſus the Son of God according to the Covenant of Redemption entered Himſelf Cautioner for the Elect, that He really died, and payed their Debt, That His purchaſe is made offer of in the Goſpel, and that according to the Covenant of Grace, there is an real abſolution from Sin, and an eternal happineſſe to be had at the great Day, through embracing of Him; There muſt be an aſſent to the Truth of theſe things, for it is impoſſible, that they who think not themſelves Sinners, and that mind not a Day of Judgement, and a reckoning, will ever cloſe with Chriſt, and lippen to His Righteouſneſſe; I fear there are but few hearers of the Goſpel that come the length of Devils in believing; and yet all will needs be counted Chriſtians: we would here upon the one hand diſclaim the Popiſh Error, that pl…ceth all the eſſence of Faith in the underſtanding; which is ſomewhat ſtrange, ſeing they ſcarce think Knowledge of the thing to be believed neceſſary; The reaſon is, becauſe they know, or at leaſt own nothing more of the concurrence of Faith in Juſtification then is obedience to a Commandement; they think it's a duty, & obedience to a Commandment to aſſent to any Truth; therefore they take this general hiſtorical Faith to be the only Faith, as they take Holineſſe to be the only ground of their Peace, when they are called to an accompt, and thus Faith, as a part of their Holineſſe comes in, but they admit of no particular reſpect to Faiths, taking hold of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, as the immediat ground of their Peace: Upon the other hand, we would ſeclude the vain Faith of many Profeſſors, who, ſome way believe all that's in the Bible, ſo as they queſtion nothing herein; They know no other Faith but this; yet if this were Juſtifying Faith the Devil ſhould have it, For they believe and tremble, They believe there is a God, that Chriſt is the Son of God, that they that believe ſhall not periſh that God is Faithful, &c. But this Hiſtorical Faith is not enough. 1. Becauſe (as I juſt now ſaid) it may be in Reprobats, and Devils. 2. Becauſe the Scripture expreſly differenceth this ſort of Faith, from ſaving Faith, many were called Believers, to whom Chriſt would not commit himſelf, as it is, John 2.24. For, though they believed it to be truth which He ſpake, yet they reſted not on Him; So in the Parable of the Sower, Math. 13. There are three grounds that receive the Seed, which imports in two of them, at leaſt a kind of Believing, but the fourth ground is only good. 3. Becauſe this Faith Acts upon every revealed Truth alike, and aſſents to all Paſſages recorded in the Bible alike; as one, and to that, Paul left his cloak at Troas, and the like; as it Acts on that, this is a faithful ſaying, that Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners, and ſuch like; But according to the ground formerly given, Faith as it Juſtifies Acts on Chriſt only; and therefore this bare aſſent to the Truth of the Word, cannot be Juſtifying Faith; becauſe it Acts no otherways on Chriſt, then it doth upon other things; ye would therefore know a difference in your practice betwixt theſe two, The crediting the truth of a thing, and your actual receiving, and reſting upon that Truth; As for Example, a man propoſeth Marriage to a woman, and ſhe believes that he is in earneſt, and not in ſcorn, yet there is a great difference betwixt that, and her actual conſenting to marrie him; So it is here, the man may believe that Chriſt doth really make offer of Himſelf to him, and yet be far from cordial receiving of Him; or take it in the example made uſe of before, ſuppoſe that ſome of the Rebells we ſpoke of, believe the Proclamation to be a Truth; yet thinking it hard to be under the bands of Government they do not embrace it. If it be Objected here; That the Scripture often calls Juſtifying Faith a believing, that Christ is the Son of God, which is no more then this aſſent of the Judgement, or Hiſtorical Faith; For Anſwer, it would be conſidered of whom the Scripture there ſpeaks. 1. It is of Jews for the moſt part, who had the Faith of the Meſſiah generally among them; and no queſtion, the Believers of them, ſuch as the proſelyted Eunuch, Martha, and Mary had the Faith of the Meſſiah, ſatisfying Divine Juſtice, and of their Juſtification through His Satisfaction; But the great queſtion of the Jews was whether Jeſus the Son of Mary was the Meſſiah or not, and it being revealed, and believed that he was, the other followed, they reſted on Him of will, (to ſay ſo) as the Meſſiah. 2. Believing of Chriſt to be the Son of God, doth not exclude, but include their conſenting to the receiving of Chriſt, but it holds forth alſo their aſſent to, and perſwaſion of that Truth that was then debated, that He was indeed the promiſed Meſſiah, and the Son of God; For the Devils confeſſed Him to be the Son of God, and none will ſay, but there was more in their believing Him to be the Son of God, then in the Devils believing it, who never believe unto Salvation as they did. 3. Conſider that as ſometimes Knowledge is put for Faith, ſo this aſſent may be put for Faith, where yet more is implyed in it, eſpecially conſidering that, Rom. 10. Faith is called, Faith of the heart, with the heart man believeth; Now believing with the heart being an Act of the will, theſe Teſtimonies ſetting out Faith to be a believing Chriſt to be the Son of God; muſt imply a lippening to Him following upon it, we are therefore never to look on theſe places as comprehending a bare aſſent only, but as including alſo, and carrying alongſt with it, the cordial receiving Him, and of reſting upon Him.
For the 3. to wit, the receiving Act of Faith, which differs from the former, as we ſhew in the examples hinted at before; It looks to the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator; it accepts of the Terms of the Covenant, as they are propoſed in the Goſpel and conſents to the bargain; and as God, propoſes the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, it ſubmits to the ſame; which Paul, 1 Tim. 1. calls a ſaying worthy of all acceptation, to be welcomed, and believed as ſuch; and the Believers mentioned, Heb. 11. are ſaid, not to have received the promiſes, but to have ſeen them afar off, and to have embraced, (or ſaluted) them: This receiving is no Phyſical, or Natural Act, as if we were to receive ſuch a thing by the mouth, or bodily hand, It's an Act of Faith in the heart, proportioned, and ſuited to this Spiritual Bargain, or Marriage propoſed in the Covenant of Grace; and it's like a mans conſenting to a civil bargain, or like a womans conſenting to marry a man; As when it is ſaid to Sinners ye are naturally dead in Sins and treſpaſſes, and under Gods Curſe; But, be it known to you, that we preach Remiſſion of Sins to you through the Blood of Chriſt; Faith conſiders this offer, accepts of and welcomes it.
The 4th, and laſt Act, is a reſting on him; which is ſtill the ſame Faith, but another Act of it; Not as if there might be a receiving, and not a reſting, or a reſting, and not a receiving; or as if we were to difference them in reſpect of time; but Faith is ſaid to receive, as it reſpects the Goſpel offer, of Chriſt, and his Satisfaction; and it's ſaid to reſt or rely, as it reſpects Chriſt and his Satisfaction, the thing offered and received, with regard to the charge to which it is lyable; It's here that it reſts, and to this it betakes it ſelf, as to it's defence, when challenged: It's difficult to difference theſe two, or peremptorly to ſay whether Chriſts Righteouſneſſe be received, or reſted upon; yet it's made our defence, becauſe it's cloſed with, and we make them two Acts of the ſame Faith, though it's hard to make the one of them to be the effect of the other, or the one of them to be antecedent to the other, in reſpect of time at leaſt; As a Proclamation of Pardon being made to Rebells, they ſay this Proclamation gives a freedom from the Laws purſuit, becauſe they have embraced it, and theſe Rebells make that the ground, if ever they be challenged, whereon they found their Defence; they have this to lippen to, and upon this they reſt: Though none of theſe Acts can well be ſaid to be before, or after the other in reſpect of time: For clearing of this a little more, conſider that this reſting may be looked on, either Paſſively, or Actively; Paſſively, in reſpect of the Believers acquieſcing in Chriſt, and aſſuring himſelf that all ſhallbe well; This is not that Act of Faith that is called for to Juſtification; but ſuppoſes the Perſon to be Juſtified, for he muſt be Juſtified ere he can reſt, or acquieſce in it; Actively, in reſpect of our reſting on him that we may be Juſtified, as the Apoſtle hath it, Gal. 2.16. And this Iſaiah 5.6. Is called a taking hold of Gods covenant; It is an actual committing of our ſelves to Him, that we may win to peace, or a leaning on Him; as ſuppoſe one were to reſt upon a Staff, it doth not only imply the effect, his having of eaſe, but alſo, and firſtly, his leaning to or reſting on it, in order to eaſe; Therefore it's ſaid, Math. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy loaden, and ye ſhall find reſt: The Act that Juſtifies, is this laſt and active Act, the Act of coming, or leaning▪ or reſting; and the pasſive Act of acquieſcing, or aſſurance is that which follows upon it, as a fruit and effect of it: And therefore we humbly conceive, that it is not ſafe, to define Juſtifying Faith by Aſſurance, or to ſay that whereever Faith is, there is Aſſurance; It is rather a reſting on Chriſt, that we may have reſt; and a ground of Defence, and reaſon to be propoſed, if we ſhould be quarrelled for, or charged with the Debt of Sin.
The Uſes are, 1. To remove the difficulties; as namely, it may be aſked here, is there no confidence not aſſurance in this Active Act of Faith which is the Eſſence of it? we anſwer ſhortly, There are Three ſorts of confidence pleaded for, that are far from the nature of Faith; and yet Faith wants not it's own Confidence, and Aſſurance, if it be taken in a right ſenſe, The 1. is for a man to believe, that Chriſt died for him in particular, at the firſt hand, and to think that he hath no more to do, but to believe that Chriſt Died, and Suffered for him, and that thereupon he is Juſtified; For this layeth a ground for univerſal Redemption againſt the current of the Scriptures, and can never be a ground of intereſt in Chriſt's Righteouſneſſe; It ſuppoſes that to be done already, and admits not the Soul, to concur by believing for coming to the application; and yet this is very riſe amongſt People, I believe that Chriſt died for me, and ſhed His precious Blood for me, and ſo long as they can maintain this preſumption, and not ſuffer themſelves to admit of any debating, and queſtioning whether they have ground and reaſon for it, or not, they think they have Faith enough; but this is no Act of Faith, nor of the nature of true Juſtifying Faith, which is to take hold of Chriſt offered, that we may come to be abſolved through Him; Therefore, when ever the Scripture puts us to believe, It commands us to take hold of Chriſt offered, and not at firſt hand to believe, that he died for us in particular; I ſuppoſe many are carried away with this preſumption, that will to their coſt, at laſt find it to be otherwayes. 2. Others think that all Faith conſiſts in this; to believe that God loved them from all Eternity, and that they are already Juſtified, which is the Antinomian way; They believe not that they may be juſtified, which was Pauls way, Gal. 2.16. but they believe that they are Juſtified; And this alſo preſuppons an univerſal Redemption, and to preſſe it upon you, were to bid you all believe that God hath loved you, and pardoned you from all Eternity; which were to bid you believe a lie; for we wot well from the Scriptures of Truth, that God hath not loved all from Eternity; and yet this is the Faith that many of you preſumptuouſly practiſes; we are all naturally ſome way Antinomians, Papiſts, and Arminians in our practice; and the way of Error is more conſiſtent, and current with our nature, then the way of Truth: But, O! preſumptuous hypocrites, will ye darringly and without any ground believe Gods Love to you? God ſhall ſhake you out of that confidence, and blow upon it, and make it evaniſh; ye cry out on them that live in Error; yet ye practiſe theſe ſame Errors (to ſpeak ſo) as faſt as ye can; we cannot by much Preaching, get you brought to the Knowledge of the Truth, but ye can drink in Error ere ye hear of it, and it will ruin your Souls, if Grace prevent not; and many of you ſhall find that thus you have deſtroyed your ſelves. A 3d. Sort of rotten confidence, is that which ſome have, who cannot ſay they are for the time Juſtified, yet they have a perſwaſion to get Heaven, and to be Juſtified ere they die, or that at death they will be ſure of it; and they wote well they ſhall not deſpair; This is alſo naughty preſumption, and continued in, as hazardous as outer diſperation, and killeth moe Souls then diſpair doth; for ſuch reſt quietly in their hope of being fred from wrath, and having their peace made with God, and yet never go to Chriſt to have it done; this is like that mans preſumption, that ſayes, tuſh, I ſhall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart; God is gracious and merciful, and I hope he will not be ſo ſevere as He is called; The Lord calleth this a believing of Him, for He ſayes in His Word, that there is no peace to the wicked, and the fooliſh preſumer ſayes, I ſhall have peace; ſhall His Word or theirs ſtand? they ſay, Jer. 5.12. and 7, 9. The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are theſe, they make a fair ſhew of attendence on ordinances, and yet ſteall, murder, and commit adultery, and ſay we are delivered to do all theſe things; is not this a groſs believing of the Lord? God ſhall beat back many of your vain confidences in your faces, and your hearts ſhall tremble, and your faces wax pale, when God ſhall cauſe your Charge, and Summonds to come unto Judgement, ſound in your Ears; Theſe and ſuch like confidences will never bear you through; it is not theſe we ſpeak of.
Yet 2ly. We ſay that the right exerciſe of Faith wants not it's own confidence, comfort, and aſſurance, when taken in a right ſenſe, much whereof is attributed by by ſome to the definition of Faith, for ſome miſtake Faith, and others are miſtaken; or miſunderſtood in their ſpeaking, of Faith; Some Divines that writ of Faith, ſpeak of it's being an aſſurance; defining it at it's hight; yet generally they take in, and preſuppoſe the active Act of Faith reſting on Chriſt, others define it by theſe two Acts, a receiving of, and reſting upon Chriſt; Therefore we would never conceive of them, at leaſt of many of them, as making this aſſurance to our ſenſe to be eſſential, and abſolutely neceſſary to the being of Juſtifying Faith; much leſſe would we think, that they miſtaken, and paſſe by the true Acts of receiving and reſting upon Chriſt; only ſome of them (which we humbly think is their miſtake) having to do with Papiſts, who place Faith in the underſtanding, adde an aſſurance of Faith to the Former Acts; In which we ſay there is a ground of confidence, or a conditional aſſurance upon ſuppoſition, that Souls receive Chriſt, and reſt upon Him, they may be confident, that, that is a ground that will not fail them, They may be confident that He will not deceive them; a confidence in this, that they may ſtep to, or lean upon Chriſt, and not fear that He fail them; or that they may without all fear of hazard caſt themſelves on Chriſt; Therefore He is called a tryed elect, precious corner-ſtone, a ſure foundation; and indeed that is no ſmall ground of confidence, That when a Soul comes to Chriſt by believing, it may be ſure He will not fail it. 2. Being ſure that we have committed our ſelves to Chriſt (which ſuppoſes Faith's being put to exerciſe and practice) there may be a confidence in this reſpect, we may be ſure He will not fail us in particular, 2 Tim. 1.12. I know in whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that I have committed to him, and that I ſhall not be aſhamed; He puts both theſe together, I know that He is able, and that He will not fail me, I ſhall not be aſhamed; So Rom. 8. I am perſwaded that neither death nor life, &c. ſhall be able to ſeparat us from the love of God that is in Chriſt Jeſus; If Souls have received the offer, they may be ſure it will not miſgive them. 3. Adde, that this actual, or active reſting on Chriſt may be ſeperat from the ſenſe of it, or from the paſſive Act of Faith, or quietneſſe that follows on reſting on Chriſt; for there is a reſting on Chriſt, which is very Faith it ſelf, and not the effect; come and ye ſhall find reſt; coming is before finding of reſt, to our ſenſe at leaſt, we are not to knit this paſſive reſt, with the other active Act of reſting, as if it were impoſſible to reſt on Chriſt without preſent ſenſible eaſe; Beſide it is this active reſting that gives us right to Chriſt, and not the paſſive, Gal. 2.16. We believe that we may be justified; This neceſſarily goes before our believing that we are Juſtified.
To cloſe with a Word of more particular Uſe, let me exhort you to lay leſſe weight on your bare thinking that ye believe; on your preſent ill grounded hope and peace; Aim, and endeavour to Act, and exerciſe Faith on Chriſt actively, receiving and reſting on Him for winning to Peace; This practice of Faith is the over word (to ſay ſo) of the Doctrine of Juſt fication; That ſeing there is ſuch ground of Juſtification laid down, the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and that it is propoſed to you; and ſeing this is the very Act of Juſtifying Faith, to receive and reſt on Chriſt, as He is propoſed and offered; when this offer is made to you, let your Faith receive, take hold of and conſent to the bargain; and ground and found your Defence here, for anſwering all challenges that the Law and Juſtice may preſent againſt you; That there was a Saviour offered to you; and that ye received Him, and reſted upon Him, will be a ground that ſhall bear you out when ye come before God; and except this be made ſure, our ſpeaking and your hearing of Faith will be to no purpoſe.