The Humbled Sinner, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. The object of Juſtifying faith.
NOw I come to the object of Juſtifying faith, and that is twofold. Firſt, Immediate, which is Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Secondly, Concomitant, Objectum. or Conſequent, which is Remiſſion, and Righteouſneſſe, and Salvation for faith: firſt, takes Chriſt himſelf, and then theſe, in and for Chriſt.
SECT. I.
THe immediate object of faith, as juſtifying, is Jeſus Chriſt himſelf; as it is in Marriage, marriage is an action twixt perſon and perſon, not twixt perſon and eſtate, that is a reſulting thing; ſo is it in the nature of faith and Chriſt. Faith doth not match the ſoul to the portion, to the benefits, but to the perſon of Chriſt.
You heare that God hath put ſalvation into Chriſts hand, he hath put remiſſion of ſins into his blood; there is eternal life to be had by him. Now if a perſon ſaith, I will have this ſalvation by Chriſt, which he hath purchaſed, but I will not have his perſon, I will have the remiſſion of ſins by his blood, but I care not for his perſon, I will have his righteouſneſſe by which I may ſtand before God, but I care not for his perſon; this now is no faith, it is no juſtifying faith. For faith, juſtifyeth us, when we take the perſon of Chriſt. It is true, that we may, and ſhould have an eye to the purchaſe and benefit by Chriſt, but Chriſt himſelf is that which faith lookes upon.
But wherein is the perſon of Chriſt the Object of juſtifying faith.
For the reſolution of this I will open two things.
Firſt, that whole Chriſt, is the proper object of faith.
Secondly, how faith doth exerciſe it ſelf about whole Chriſt.
SECT. II.
WHole Chriſt is the adequate and proper object; Chriſt you know (in reſpect of his perſon) is God and man, and he may be conſidered as a Prieſt, or as a Prophet, or as a King We uſually ſay as a Saviour, and as a Lord. Now he offers himſelf in all theſe to ſinners: ſaith Chriſt there is no Name under heaven by which you can be ſaved but me, no Jeſus but my ſelf, and I have been the Prieſt, who have offered my heart blood to procure the pardon of your ſins, and ſalvation: I have ſatisfied my Father to the utmoſt, and have fulfilled all righteouſneſſe, Now I am willing to beſtow my ſelf on you, as one who can and will aſſuredly ſave you. But if you would have me to be your Prieſt to ſave you, you muſt alſo be willing to have me to be your Prophet to inſtruct you, and direct you; and to be your King and Lord to command you; you muſt reſigne up your ſelfe to my Scepter and Government; for I am a Lord as well as a Saviour, and I will be taken in both, or elſe you ſhall have part in neither.
There be three things which lay hard on us.
One is the gilt of ſin, which expoſeth the ſoul to hell, and wrath, for which Chriſt is a Saviour and a Prieſt. He became a curſe for us, and bare our ſinnes, (that is) ſtood in our ſtead, and under-went that indignation, which elſe ſhould have lighted on us.
Another is the corruption or pollution of ſin, which breeds inconformity to Gods Will, and depraves the whole nature, for which Chriſt is a Saviour and a Prophet, (that is) he is appointed to informe the minde, and reforme the heart.
A third is the rebellion of ſin, riſing in ſinfull notions, and ſordid delights and wayes, for which Chriſt is a Saviour and a King, (that is) he is to ſubdue thoſe iniquities, to give them the bill of divorce, to captivate all imaginations, and to bring the whole man into the ſubjection of himſelf; but then he will be Jeſus and Lord too; thou mayeſt not think that Chriſt muſt ſave thee, and ſin ſhall rule thee; thou muſt not think that he will pay thy debts, if thou wilt give thy heart and ſervice to ſinne and the world. How ridiculous is it to conceive that God ſhould raiſe up Chriſt, as the Pope raiſeth up his indulgences, only to keep or fetch ſouls out of Purgatory; as if Chriſt were given only to pay our ſcores, and not to rule our hearts, for no other end but to keep us out of priſon, that we might do nothing but ſin againſt God, becauſe Chriſt can take away the gilt of ſin.
Nay, whole Chriſt is eyed by faith, taken and received by faith. Do I feel my ſanfull gilt? I now by faith take Jeſus Chriſt, whom the father hath appointed, and offered to be my Prieſt, to be my ſurety, to beare my ſins, to ſtand 'twixt God and me? Do I feel my ſinfull nature and motions, I now take Jeſus Chriſt, whom the Father hath appointed to be my Prophet and King: He hath undertaken to be the teacher of hearts, and conquerer of ſin; as ſo do I take him to be my Lord.
SECT. III.
THerefore conſider in the ſecond place, How faith doth exerciſe it ſelf about whole Chriſt: if you pleaſe I will diſcover it in the particulars.
For Chriſt, as a Saviour and Prieſt: Thus faith looks on him, not only that he is ſo, but to be ſo to me; he was God and man, and dyed, and ſatisfied, and took away ſin; God proclaimes thus much, and offers him to me, here is the Saviour of the world, this is my well beloved Son, here is the blood of atonement and peace. What doth faith now? O faith takes hold on him; I acknowledge him, I receive him O Lord, to be my Saviour and Prieſt; not I, O Lord, not I could ever have ſuſteined thy wrath, or ſatisfied thy juſtice, I could never have made my own peace, I could never have blotted out the hand writing, I could never have paid my debts, but thou haſt ſet forth Christ to be the propitiation for ſin. O Lord, I embrace him, my life is in his death, my healings in his ſufferings, my ſatisfaction in his obedience; in none but him; I reſt on none but him, on him do I believe, he hath ſatisfied to the utmoſt, and I truſt on him that he hath done it for me.
Brethren, the caſe ſtands thus, a man is borne in ſin, and he goes on in much ſin, (a long time) at length God awakens his conſcience, makes him to poſſeſſe the iniquities of his heels, of his birth, of his youth, of his age, of his life, and perhaps beſets the ſoul round about with ſome ſenſible dread of his infinite diſpleaſure. Now the man knowes not what to do: good Lord ſaith he, what a miſerable creature am I? here's ſin committed over and over, the Law broken, God provoked, conſcience raging, hell gaping; I am violated ſaith the Law, wronged ſaith Juſtice, thou haſt ſinned ſaith Conſcience, I will be ſatisfied ſaith the Lord, ſaith the poor ſoul, what ſhall become of me? what have I to quiet God? I can finde nothing, what ſhall I do to pacifie him? I cannot imagine it: If I ſay that I have not ſinned my conſcience tells me I lye, if I ſay I will not ſin hereafter, Why! yet how will this ſatisfie for former gilt? I tell you brethren that a heart brought to this ſenſible experience is marvelouſly oppreſſed, the very heart cracks, and the ſins of that ſoul ſnap a ſunder, under the ſenſe of manifold gilt, and Gods diſpleaſure.
But then God comes in the Goſpel, and calls out to the poor and diſtreſſed ſinner, come hither ſaith God, I will ſhew thee a way of ſalvation? O how the ſoul liſtens to ſuch a meſſage! but how Lord can this be, what am I, or what can I do! Nothing ſaith God for thou art an enemy, and thou art without ſtrength: But I have laid Salvation upon one that is Mighty. Who is that Lord! It is my own Son, whom I have out of my love ſent into the world to be made man, and to dye, and ſatisfie for ſinners, to beare their iniquities, to anſwer for all their tranſgreſſions, and he is become a ſurety, and a Prieſt, and hath ſacrificed his own ſoul, to be an offering for ſin, and I offer him unto thee, to be thy ſurety, to be thy Prieſt, to take away thy ſinnes: Now take him ſaith God to the ſoul and with him the diſcharge of thy ſins. Hereupon the ſoul being perſwaded of the truth of this good teſtimony, and with many teares admiring at the riches of divine love and mercy, it doth now by faith cloſe in with Chriſt, put it ſelf on him, embraceth him with all the heart, as a ſufficient and perfect Saviour. As if the ſoul now faſtning it ſelf by faith on Chriſt in this reſpect ſhould thus be ſpeake the Lord.
O Lord, thou art pleaſed juſtly to charge my ſins upon my conſcience, I confeſſe and am aſhamed that I have thus ſinned againſt thee; yea, and I acknowledg that I am never able to anſwer thee for thoſe ſins? But thou haſt appointed thine own Son to be my Saviour and Prieſt, whoſe office it was to beare the ſins of the people, theſe ſins therefore which conſcience now chargeth upon me, I do by faith charge upon thine own Sonne, for he was made ſin for us; thou didſt ordaine him to be a ſurety, and therefore I beſeech thee Lord look for ſatisfaction of my debts in his precious blood, and take away thy curſe from my ſoul, for he was made a curſe for us, he did ſuſteine thy wrath in our ſteed to deliver from wrath: Now therefore O Lord! I put my ſoul only upon thy only Son, whom I take to be my ſacrifice, him I offer up unto thee as my propitiation, I have ſinned, but thy Son hath dyed for my ſins: I have provoked thee; but thy Son hath pacified thee, I have wronged thee, but thy Son hath ſatisfied thee; he did not die for his own ſins, but for my ſins, he was not made a curſe for himſelf, but for me, I lay hold on his blood to be my peace, and ſatisfaction and ſalvation. As if a man were like to be carried to priſon for debt, and hunting up and down for a friend to ſtand for him, at length he findes one only man and him he brings to the creditor, and ſaith here's a man will pay you and ranſome me; ſo faith for a troubled and obliged ſinner to God, it findes out Chriſt, and ſaith, Lo Lord here is thy Son, who is my ſurety, he will diſcharge, he is my ranſome.
SECT. IV.
FOr Chriſt as a Saviour and King and Prophet and Lord what is the exerciſe of faith there? I tell you what I think of it.
It is a work of a believing heart, whereby it doth accept of Chriſt, to be the ſole teacher and ruler of heart and life, and reſigne up himſelf wholly to him, to be faſhioned as it were and guided by him. A man never comes to the truth of beleeving, but he ſhall finde this, that faith will change his Master: For faith changeth the heart, and the heart being once changed will quickly change its Lord: So that to believe on Christ as a King, as a Lord, as a Prophet, it is to admit him to give him up the whole man into his hands to his holy and ſpiritual Government; as if the heart ſhould ſay thus much, thou art a Holy Chriſt and thou art he who art to reigne, now I take thee to be my Holy Lord, and I reſigne up my ſelfe, I paſſeover my ſelfe unto thee, I will have no Lord but thee, and I do with all my heart accept of thee to make me Holy, as thou art Holy, and to ſubdue this vile heart of mine, and to rule in me, by thy bleſſed and mighty Spirit▪
SECT. V.
THus briefly of the immediate object of faith, on which faith immediately looks (viz) the perſon of Jeſus Chriſt: to take and receive Chriſt, as Lord and Saviour. This is true faith; yet by the way note a few things.
Firſt, that this taking is with all the heart, it is not a pretended taking, a diſſembled work; there is a taking of Chriſt with the tongue, and a taking of him with the heart: O no, when true faith takes Chriſt, it brings in the very ſtrength of the ſoul: O Lord Jeſus, I do embrace thee, accept of thee with all my ſoul, with all my might, and with all my affections.
Secondly, this taking of Chriſt is of all Chriſt, of Lord as well as Jeſus: when the heart is made ſenſible of ſin and Satan, and world, and Chriſt, and now falls off from them, I will have no more to do with you, I will ſerve you no longer, Chriſt only ſhall be my Saviour, and he only ſhall be my Lord, I will put my ſoul under his Scepter and Government.
Thirdly, this taking of Chriſt is onelyonly of Chriſt. For it is a conjugall taking, which conſiſts of unity: one (they ſay in the Metaphyſicks) is divided in it ſelf, and divided from all beſides it ſelf; ſo is it in faiths taking of Chriſt, One Faith, One Lord, ſaid the Apoſtle Eph. 4. It takes Chriſt ſo as none with Chriſt, or beſides Chriſt: The Patriarchs had moſt of them a wife, and a concubine, it is not ſo here, Faith doth match with an abſolute excluſion of all other matches. It is not the ſoul, and Chriſt, and ſin: nor the ſoul and Chriſt, and the world: nor the ſoul, and Chriſt, and the Devil: it is not the ſoul and Chriſt in chief, and ſinne in ſervice as a deputy, or a corrivall, a ſecondary thing, &c.
Fourthly, this taking is freed from miſtaking. Faith knowes what it doth, it ſees its way it underſtands, 1. Who that is whom it takes. 2. Upon what termes he will be taken. 3 Its grounds of taking.
Firſt who it is, (viz.) the Son of God, God and man, a moſt holy perſon, a mighty Redeemer, and Saviour.
Secondly, upon what termes, (viz.) He will not come in by the by, he will not be taken as a vaſſaile, as a captive, as a drudge: he will not be taken for baſe and changeable reaſons, meerly to ſtop a gap in the conſcience, or only in faire weather, but he will be taken as Lord and King, to command all the heart, to diſpoſe all the wayes, to rule our very thoughts, he will be taken for his own ſake, out of a judicious love and eſtimation of his perſon, he will be taken with all the eſtates and conditions that befall on the croſſe crucified, as well as in the way to Hieruſalem magnified; as one perſecuted and diſtreſſed on earth, as well as one raiſed and glorified in heaven; and thus true faith takes Chriſt.
Thirdly, upon what grounds, viz. upon Gods offer of Chriſt and promiſe, that whoſoever believes on him, &c. and on his commandment, that we ſhould believe on the Name of his Son; whereupon faith brings in the ſoul to Chriſt, it believeth that God ſaith true, that he doth not call upon men, he doth not command men, he doth not promiſe men, and all this to delude men; ſo that if you ſhould ask faith what warrant had you to bring in ſuch a ſoul to Chriſt? Why ſaith faith, God revealed, and offered his Sonne, and commanded me to believe, and promiſed not to caſt off any that come, &c.
Fifthly, this taking is reſolved againſt untaking. All takings are not of the ſame force and power; if I take a ſervant, I take him ſo, that upon good reaſons and occaſions I can put him off againe; but if I take a wife, there can be no untaking on my part, unleſs God takes her, I muſt never forſake her. Faith takes Chriſt this way, to be a Saviour for ever, to be a Head, an Husband, a Lord for ever: I obſerve that there are two kindes of taking Chriſt to be a Lord, one is compulſory and violent, as when an enemy is made to rule, a man in a ſickneſſe, in a terror of conſcience, in a day of wrath, in an expectation of death, he will take Chriſt to be his Lord, he will ſay, Oh! ſinne is vile, I abhor it, I will become a new man, I will have none but the Lord Chriſt, and he only ſhall be my Lord, and hereupon the man ſets about the work of ſhewing that Chriſt is his Lord, he will command his ſervants to pray, to heare, to read, to keep the Sabbath, &c. Yet this man as ſoon as Gods hand is off, as ſoon as ever he is freed from his bands, he will like a lewd apprentiſe, break looſe from his Lord and Maſter, he will ſerve Chriſt no longer, he will to his ſins again to the world again, to his baſe ſociety again &c. Why? becauſe this accepting was only violent, and no actions are ſtedfaſt, or conſtant, whoſe cauſes are compelling and violent.
Another is ingenious of faith, and this taking of Chriſt, is grounded onelyonly in Chriſt, in its excellencies, beauties, perfections, which are not like the light of a candle, this houre very cleare, and the next, none at all, but like light in the Sunne, ſtill abiding and remaining; and therefore, when a man doth by faith, take Chriſt, he takes him for ever: for faith can never change for the better, and it ſees ſtedfaſt reaſon in Chriſt, to cleave to Chriſt.
Now I come to the conſequent object of faith, and that is, remiſſion of ſinnes and righteouſneſſe, and whatſoever good comes from Chriſt,
For thus it is, faith doth order its motions, or actions according to the word; Now the word reveales, and offers Chriſt firſt, and then the benefits next. It is not, whoſoever beleeves eternal life ſhall have Chriſt the Sonne of God, but whoſoever beleeves on the Sonne of God, ſhall have eternal life; Nor is it, whoſoever beleeves the remiſſion of ſinnes, ſhall have Chriſt, but whoſoever beleeves in Chriſt, ſhall have the Remiſſion of ſinnes.
Yet when faith hath made the ſoule to take Chriſt, it goes then from the perſon to the portion, from Chriſt to the good in Chriſt, and by him; for if Chriſt be ours, all is ours, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 2.
SECT. VI.
I Will therefore ſpeak a word of faith, as converſant about, Firſt, Remiſſion of ſinnes. Secondly, Righteouſneſſe.
For the firſt of theſe, viz. the pardon or remiſſion of ſinnes, Conſider,
That remiſſion of ſinnes, is an Action of God, acquitting the gilt and the puniſhment, ſo that he will never reckon with the ſoul any more in a judicial way for thoſe ſinnes which are pardoned. As when the King throughly pardons a Malefactor, he diſchargeth him, and takes off the gilt, (we ſpeak of it in reſpect of redundancy) that it ſhall not now prejudice the perſon any longer; ſo doth God, when he pardons ſinne: Though he doth not in this annihilate the ſinne, (that is) make that to be no ſinne, which was ſinne, yet he doth prejudice ſin (that is) he takes off the guilt, that it ſhall never redound to the damnation of the ſinner, no nor to his dammage.
Jeſus Chriſt hath procured remiſſion or pardon of ſinne for us, hence, Epheſ. 1. 7. In whom you have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveneſſe of your ſinnes. His blood was ſhed for many, for the remiſſion of ſinnes, Mat. 26 (that is) he did die, and by his death hath merited, and procured our pardon and diſcharge: God offering Chriſt, offers with him the purchaſe of Christ, viz. the pardon of ſinnes; If you will take my Sonne, I will pardon your ſins. Now faith inclines the ſoul, which is ſenſible of its ſinful guilt, to put it ſelf on Jeſus Chriſt for the diſcharge of them: As the wife looks for none, and goes to none but to her husband to diſcharge her debts; ſo faith goes to none for to procure remiſſion of ſinnes, but only to Chriſt, and on him doth it reſt. O Lord Chriſt, ſaith Faith, thou didſt take theſe my ſinful debts upon thee, and thou didſt undertake to ſatisfie for them, and to get them to be blotted out, yea, and I know that thou didſt make a full ſatisfaction. Now I renounce all hope of pardon from any thing in me, and do reſt my ſoule on thy precious blood, truſting that it was ſhed for the remiſſion of my ſins; I have taken thee to be my Chriſt, and therefore I commit the anſwering of my ſinful debt, to thy full ſatisfaction and ſufferings. Put the caſe to a beleeving heart, you have many ſinful debts to anſwer for, ſinnes before converſion, and ſinnes after converſion; ſins of ignorance, and ſinnes of knowledge; theſe ſinnes have that in them, which bindes you over to wrath and curſe, now to whom doth it belong to pardon theſe ſinnes; your ſoul anſwers, to God, Who can forgive ſinnes but God only? And I, even I am he that blotteth out thy ſins, &c. yea, but for whoſe ſake will God pardon them? the ſoul anſwers, onelyonly for Christ Jeſus ſake, for he did ſhed his blood for their remiſſion, and therefore faith goes with the ſoul to Chriſt, and ſaith, O bleſſed Saviour, thy blood was ſhed for the remiſſion of ſinnes, and thou haſt invited all that are heavy laden to come unto thee, and thou wilt eaſe them: Thou ſayeſt, if any man ſinne, 1 John 2. 1.he hath an advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the righteous, and he is the propitiation for ſinnes. Now I am thus and thus ſinful, and theſe guilts lie upon my conſcience, I am never able to get them to be pardoned for any thing in me, but I do put my ſoul upon thee, and do truſt to thee to get off theſe ſinnes, I put them on thy account, yea all of them, and do beleeve that in thy blood they ſhall be pardoned, &c.
SECT. VII.
NOw for the ſecond thing which faith looks on in Chriſt, and that is Righteouſneſſe.
Beloved, this know, that God doth never Juſtifie a man, nor will ever ſave a man, who hath not a perfect Righteouſneſſe, for he is a Righteous God, and will not pronounce the ſinner guiltleſſe; his Law and Juſtice muſt be ſatisfied in all points, or elſe the ſinner ſhall never come to heaven.
Now the ſoul of a perſon is marvellouſly diſtreſſed, when it ſeriouſly thinks of this; How ſhall I ſtand before the great and holy God another day, being by nature ſo wholly ſinful, and at the beſt being but defectively and imperfectly good? But faith in this caſe brings the ſoul to Chriſt, and in him it findes a moſt perfect and abſolute righteouſneſſe: For whom ſaith the ſcrupulous ſoul? for thee, ſaith Faith; what for me? yea for thee, for the Scripture ſaith, That Chriſt was made the righteouſneſſe of 1 Cor. 1. 30.God for us, and that he was made ſinne for us, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him. So that if thou wouldſt 2 Cor. 5. 21.have ſuch a righteouſneſſe, as may anſwer the Law, and ſatisfie God, and which God will accept for Juſtification: Thou muſt by faith get out of thy ſelf, and lay hold on that righteouſneſs which is in Chriſt. As Paul, I account all things but dung that I may win Chriſt, and be found in him, not having mine own righteouſneſſe which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteouſneſſe which is of God by Faith, Phil. 3. 8, 9.
There is a twofold righteouſneſſe.
One inherent, which is in us, and this imperfect, it can never juſtifie us in the ſight of God.
Another is imputed, which is not in us, yet it is for us; And this is the righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt, both in his nature, and in his obedience; Active, and Paſſive, which God reckons unto him who doth beleeve in Chriſt, of which the Apoſtle abundantly in Rom. 4. 12. c. 5. & on this doth faith reſt only in the matter of juſtication. Though inherent righteouſneſſe be abſolutely required to ſalvation, yet no righteouſneſſe but that only which is Chriſts, and is imputed to beleevers, is the matter of our juſtification. When a ſinner comes to account it with God, he can never ſay, Lord, Lo here I am, ſee if there be any ſin in my perſon, or defect in my holineſſe, I will expoſtulate with thee upon bare termes; I have not offended thee, or if I have, here's grace enough to anſwer for me, my heart is wholly cleane, my duties at all times in every reſpect, for matter and manner, have been performed juſt as thou requireſt in thy holy Law, enter into judgement with me if thou pleaſeſt; I will be tryed by my own holineſſe, by my own goodneſſe. O no, there can be no ſuch thing, no ſinner can be pronounced juſt this way, ever the Saints muſt caſt their crowns to the ground, and give glory to the Lamb who only is worthy. For when we come to the point of juſtification before God, we muſt renounce our own righteouſneſſe as filthy rags, we muſt cry out, enter not into judgement with thy ſervant, for in thy ſight ſhall no fleſh living be juſtified.
But as they who were in danger, fled to the hornes of the Altar for their lives, ſo muſt we, if we would be juſtified, fly by faith to the Altar of Chriſts perfect righteouſneſſe, and ſo doth faith, when it would preſent the perſon of a ſinner perfect and unblameable before God; It doth bring him unto Chriſt, and ſaith before God, I beleeve in him to be the Lord my righteouſneſſe.