A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 127 (Question 33 cont.)
SERMON CXXVII
IV. THE Laſt Thing obſervable, is … in which the Righteouſneſs of … becomes ours by Imputation: wherein we … pointed to the Inſtrumental Cauſe of … Juſtification, viz. it is Received by Faith … That …aith is concerned in our Juſtification … having ſome cauſal influence on it, is … from divers frequent Scripture expre… about is, eſpecially, when we are ſaid to … … fied by it. Rom. 5.1. Therefore being juſ… ſaith, we have peace with God throughout … Jeſus Chriſt. And when it is ſaid to be … to us for Righteouſneſs, as Rom. 4.5. … &c. But the inquiry will be, To what … Cauſes it is to be aſſigned? And ſo, after … manner it may be ſaid to juſtify, or … imputed for Righteouſneſs? As to the … Cauſe, there is none that aſſigns it … for that is no other but the Glory of … which he aims at in all his Works, and … rious Cauſe, it can have no relation to … for Grace excludes merit. And we a… … Rom. 4.16. Therefore it is of ſaith, … might be by grace; to the end the promiſ… … be ſure to all the ſeed, not to that only … of the law, but to that alſo which is of … of Abraham, who is the father of us all. … tha… the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt is that which … hath purchaſed for us our Juſtification; … hath before been ſufficiently made evident. And conſequently, it cannot be the material …, for then it muſt juſtify as a Work, … the Apostle evidently oppoſeth Faith a… Works, as contrary one to another in Juſtification, Rom. 3.28. Therefore we con…, that a man is juſtified by faith, without … …s of the law. Chap. 4.4, 5. Now to him the worketh, is the reward not reckoned of …, but of debt. But to him that worketh … believeth in him that juſtifieth the ungodly, … is counted for righteouſneſs. Beſides, …ich be the matter of out Juſtification, it … then anſwer to the Juſtice of God for, … …and in the room of all that Righteouſneſs which the Law required of us; which …. And it is only the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt which did that. Not yet can it be … …al Cauſe, in as much as that conſiſts … very act of Imputation & preſuppoſeth Righteouſneſs ſufficient for our Juſtification, … is imputed. And, though Faith doth re… this Righteouſneſs unto Juſtification, yet it doth not formally juſtify us, becauſe that is … …thoritative act, and muſt proceed from … that hath power to do it; whenas Faith … do no more but accept of it. It remains …, that it be referred to the efficient Cauſe. … it cannot be the principal efficient is …, for that is God, Rom. 8.33. It is God the Juſtifieth? And indeed he is the only Judge, who can with Authority declare a … Righteous, acquir him from Condem…, and adjudge him to Eternal Life. But …ments are alſo annumerated to the …, as being made uſe of in the production … effect: And hitherto the Orthodox …ally aſſign the cauſality of Faith in our …cation. I ſhall not ſpend time in diſ…ing, whether Faith be properly called …ment of Juſtification, or not rather a … to it, or a condition of it; or if it … Inſtrument, whether it be only a paſſive, … alſo an active Inſtrument. It is only the … expreſt in our Catechiſm, which I … upon. In the opening whereof we … …hat is the proper intereſt of Faith … juſtification. There are then three … contained in this expreſſion, which … be briefly opened, viz. 1. That there … …tion of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs requiſite, … to our being Juſtified by it. 2. It is by … that we thus receive it: Which is the … why Faith is ſaid to be imputed … Righteouſneſs. 3. It is by Faith … we do thus receive it.
… …AT there is a reception of Chriſt's …ſneſs requiſite, in order to our being … by it. It is true, our receiving of it, … give it its vertue of juſtifying us, … …t hath intrinfecally in it, as it fully … the Law demands, without which it … juſtify. Nor doth it draw forth …, and apply it to us, for that is … by the juſtifying act of Imputation, which God doth freely. Nor is there a natural neceſſity of our Faith, in order to our being juſtifyed, ſince, if God accepts of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt for us, and imputes it to us, we are thereby juſtifyed: And this hath no neceſſary dependance, in the nature of the thing, on our acceptance of it, but can be done without it. But it is neceſſary, according to the order and method of God's diſpenſing of his Grace to us by the New Covenant. And we may take this Account of it,
1. THAT Justification is one of the Benefits which we derive from Chriſt in Effectual Calling. It is therefore declared to be an inſeperable conſequent of it, Rom. 8.30. And whom he called, them he alſo juſtified. It therefore belongs to all that are Called, and to none elſe. And thoſe are not they who have only had a Call outwardly offered to them. For ſo we find, Mat. 20.16. For many are called, but few are choſen. But ſuch as have anſwered the Call; according to that, Pſal. 27.8. When thou ſaidſt, Seek ye my face, my heart ſaid unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I ſeek.
2. THAT Chriſt's Righteouſneſs can no further Juſtify us, than as it is ours. We are the perſons to be juſtified; Juſtification therefore muſt terminate on us. We are they that are to be judged Righteous by it, and for that there muſt be a Righteouſneſs that may be truly called ours. What avails it us, that another is Righteous, if we are no ways related to it, and can lay no claim to it. And for this reaſon is that title put on Chriſt, Jer. 23.6.
3. THAT Chriſt's Benefits, and his Perſon go together. He muſt be ours, if his Righteouſneſs be ſo. Hence, it is he Himſelf, that is made of God to us, our Righteouſneſs, 1 Cor. 1.30. i. e. God beſtows him upon us, that he may be ſo to us. Chriſt and his benefits are not divided. As he gave himſelf for us in the work of Redemption, ſo he gives himſelf to us in the work of Application. And hereupon the priviledges of Juſtification belong to none but thoſe that are in him, Rom 8.1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit.
4. HENCE, in Effectual Calling, we accept of, and imbrace Jeſus Chriſt, as he is Offered to us in the Goſpel. And there are none that are effectually called, but thoſe who do ſo accept and embrace him. And here, (1.) THERE is an Acceptance of the Perſon of Chriſt in this Offer. There is a tender of Chriſt to all that come within the ſound of the Goſpel, and are under the Treaty of it, but all do not receive him upon it, and theſe are not Effectually Called, but they that do ſo are. Hence that, Joh. 1.11, 12. He came unto his own, and his own received him not, &c. God in the New Covenant, treats, with men as Cauſes by Counſel. He forceth Chriſt upon none againſt their will. He offers his Son to men on terms, and requires their compliance with them, in order to the ratifying of the Covenant between him and them. If they thus comply, the Covenant is plighted, but if they comply not, the treaty is ſuſpended. It is true, He muſt hath Perſwide and En…e them to it, it ever they come up to it, …ut yet they muſt ſo do in order to this; and if they refuſe it, it is an article againſt them. Hence that, Joh. 5.40. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (2.) THIS Acceptance of Chriſt is, as He is offered in the G…ſpel. The Goſpel not only offers him, but it tells us, what he is offered for; and if we do not in accept him, we do not receive him at all. Now, Chriſt is offered to us in all th…ſe Offices of his, which are concerned in the bringing about of our Salvation. And one of theſe Offices is his Prieſthood, in which he hath ſatisfied the Law of God for us, and brought in an everlaſting Righteouſneſs, which may ſtand to a…ſwer on our account, all the demands of it, and ſo juſtify us before God; according to 2 Cor. 5.21. God therefore offers Chriſt to be our Righteouſneſs; i. e. to accept of his Righteouſneſs for us unto our Juſtification, in caſe we do embrace it for that end. On this account we are told, Rom. 10 4. For Chriſt is the end of the law for righteouſn…ſs to every one that believeth. Now this acceptance is ſo neceſſary according to the terms of the Cove…ant of Grace, that without it, Chriſt will no… pr…fit us, nor will God impute his Righteouſneſs to us, for our Juſtification. This therefore was the undoing of the Jews, Rom. 10.3. For they being ig…orant of God's righteouſneſs, and going about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſs have not ſubmitted themſelves unto the righteouſneſs of God. That man that will rely on his own, and will not c…itely depend on the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt for his Juſtification, ſhall not have it imputed to him. How then ſhould he be juſtified by it?
II. IT is by Faith that we thus receive it: Which is the only reaſon why Faith is ſaid to be imputed to us for Righteouſneſs. There is hardly any thing more celebrated in the Goſpel, than the great concern of Faith in our Juſtification, or about which there are more miſtakes in the aſſigning of it to this affair. I ſhall here only endeavour to give a plain Scripture account of this matter. Touching the Nature of the Faith by which we are Juſtified, there is a place aſſigned afterward, for a diſtinct treating about it. I ſhall therefore, here only, by way of anticipation, offer this neceſſary general account of it, viz. The word Faith, is an acquivocal word, and is uſed for diverſe things in Scripture; and beſides the metonymical uſe of it, for the things that are believed, and more particularly for the Doctrine of the Goſpel, or thoſe Truths that are of divine revelation; it is uſed properly in deverſe ſenſes, or there are ſeveral kinds of Faith mentioned in the word of God. Theſe are uſually referred to four heads: An Hiſtorical Faith, by which we aſſent …o the Truths revealed in Scripture; A Temporary Faith, which leads us to do many things, upon the credit ſo given; A Faith of Miracles, by which ſome have upon ſpecial Revelation been inſpired for the working of Miracles; And a Juſtifying, or Saving Faith, by which we believe unto the ſaving of the Soul. Now, though there is an Hiſtorical Faith requiſite in order to that which i… Juſtifying, for it is grounded on knowledge; yet it is in it ſelf another thing, and may be found in Devils, Jam. 2.19. Whereas this Faith is proper and peculiar to God's Elect. Hence ſo called, Tit. 1.1. And it hath in it, beſides the aſſent of the Underſtanding to the truth, the reliance of the Will, on the Object offered to be believed on. And there…, although it have all the truths in the Scripture for its object, in reſpect of aſſent,… is confined to Chriſt, as he is revealed in the Goſpel, and exhibited in the Promiſes, i… reſpect of its affiance. And this leads as, … confider, how it Juſtifieth us. Which cannot be better expreſt than it is in this Anſ…, viz. as it receives the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt for Juſtification. And hence, when Faith i… ſaid to be imputed to the Believer for Righteouſneſs, it cannot intend, that either the Habit, or Act, or Work of Faith is rechanged to be the Righteouſneſs for which God juſtifies us; for that is every where aſcri… to the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt: as hath before been evidenced. Beſides, we have proved, that that Righteouſneſs by which … juſtified muſt be perfectly commenſurate with that which was required in the Covenant of Works, which Faith is nor, nor doth it at all anſwer that Law, any further tha… it embraceth, and appropriates to it ſelf that Righte…uſneſs of another, even Chriſt, which was entire, and had no defects in it. …i…h ſhould thus juſtify us, it would then … own Righteouſneſs that juſtifyeth us; …, though it be the Gift of God, yet it is a Gr… inherent in us, and ſo is our own: whe… the Apoſtle renounceth all that is his own, …d refers himſelf to that of Chriſt, Phil. 3.5. Again, if Faith ſhould thus juſtify us, it would do it as a Work, whereas Faith & Works are oppoſed in this matter, as inconſiſtent, Eph. 2.8, 9. For by grace are ye ſaved, through ſ…th, and that not of your ſelves: it is the … of G…d: Not of works, leſt any man ſhould …. And we are aſſured that it is by Faith, that it might be by Grace, Rom. 4.6. i. e. that the free Grace of God might be manifeſted i… our Juſtification: and all this to exclude a… boasting. Whereas, where this is Work, there is boaſting, Rom. 3.27. Faith is in itſelf … of the Graces of Sanctification, wrought i… … by the Spirit of God, together with all the Graces which are infuſed into us in Re… ration or paſſive Vocation, by vertue wh… we are enabled to believe in Chriſt. Which power or principle, the ſame Spirit … forth into act; and by it we receive the L…d Jeſus Chriſt with his Righteouſneſs; … ſo we come to be juſtified. We may take this brief account of it,
1. WE are all in our natural ſtate, under Condemnation. The whole Word is guilty be… God, Rom. 3.19. Adam's fall hath in…ced his whole Poſterity, and brought … under a curſe of Death. The threatning of the Law is out againſt them, and ſtands …ged to do execution upon them, Rom. 5.12.
2. THE Law muſt be ſatisfied on our account, … never be Juſtified. Math. 5.18. The … is the rule of relative Juſtice, and God … engaged his Truth to it, and ſo cannot … it. It is the Law muſt juſtify us, if … be juſtified.
3. THERE must be a Righteouſneſs adequate … Law for our Juſtification. It will baſe …. It curſeth the man for any one, the … o…ect, at any time, that may be charged … Gal. 3.10.
4. WE have no perſonal Righteouſneſs that … …er the Laws demands. Rom. 3.10. There is … righteous, no not one. We can neither … the preceptive, nor comminatory part … …e Law, ſo as to be juſtified by it, on ac… of any active or paſſive Obedience that … …y to it.
5. GOD hath laid in a Righteouſneſs, every … ſufficient for us, in Christ. When the … could do nothing for our help, then did … and that was by the Righteouſneſs of C…ri…t, Rom. 8.2, 3. He is therefore ſaid, to … in Everlaſting Righteouſneſs, Dan. 9.24.
6. THIS Righteouſneſs is revealed and offered … men in and by the Goſpel. Hence we are all, 2 Tim. 1.10. But is now made manifeſt … the appearing of our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, … aboliſhed death, and hath brought life … …tality to light, through the Goſpel. …. 3.25, 26. God hath told us that there … Righteouſneſs, every way ſufficient, … was brought about, in whom it is laid … invites ſinners to apply themſelves … promiſeth them Salvation with it; … 22 with 24. Look unto me, and be ye … the ends of the earth: for I am God, … …is none elſe. Surely, ſhall one ſay, in the … have I righteouſneſs and ſtrength.
7. … with this offer, opens the way in … Righteouſneſs may become theirs. God … men in a Covenant, and it is on … …ppliance with thoſe terms, that they … …rtakers in his Grace. Hence the … is given in connexion with the …, Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all ye … and are heavy laden, and I will give …
Word. … which is required for the compleat… Covenant of Peace, is their accepting of … his Benefit…. God poſitively re… … acceptance, and aſſures us, that … way Chriſt can be ours. Hence … complaint, and reaſon of his re… … lieth here, Mat. 23.37, 38. … by Faith that this Offer is accepted. T… …it Grace that opens to Chriſt, and …; this is the hand that receives … offers Chriſt's Righteouſneſs to … ours, but if we believe not, i. e. if …e do not entertain it with an entire feliance on it, it cannot be ours, and if not ſo, we cannot be juſtified by it. Hence, Mark 16.16. He that believeth and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved: but he that believeth not, ſhall be damned.
10. HENCE, upon our thus believing, and ſo receiving this Righteouſneſs exhibited in the Promiſe, the imputation of it, is conferred upon us. Faith looks on Chriſt held forth in the promiſe, with his whole Righteouſneſs, and opens to him, and he comes in, and becomes our Righteouſneſs, and thus it is that Faith juſtifieth.
IT is by Faith alone that we do thus receive this Righteouſneſs, and ſo are justified. And when we ſay, that Faith alone juſtifieth, it is in oppoſition to every other Grace in us, and all the works of holineſs and righteouſneſs done by us. That this is the only Grace that hath any hand in the Juſtification of a Sinner before God. There is a twofold Juſtification more eſpecially to be taken notice of. There is a Juſtification before God, which flows from his imputation of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt to us, and there is a Juſtification before men, and in our own Conſciences, which flows from the conviction or perſuaſion of our being in a juſtified ſtate, by evidence, whether of charity, or demonſtration. As to the latter of theſe, our Works do ſerve to our Juſtification; which is the thing aimed at, in Jam. 2.20, 21. But in reſpect of the former, it is only Faith that is concerned in it. And tho' the word, alone, is not expreſly uſed in Scripture, on this account, yet there are words of the ſame import. When it ſaith, we are juſtified by Faith, without Works, Rom. 3.28. Therefore we conclude, that a man is juſtified by faith, without the deeds of the law. Gal. 2.16. Knowing 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, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law ſhall no fleſh be justified. Where, not only are Works denied to be the whole of our Juſtification, but alſo to have any concurrent cauſality with Faith in it. Only, let it be here obſerved, that when we ſay. Faith alone juſtifieth, as a receiver of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, we do not aſſert, the word, alone, of the Subject, but of the Predicate. We intend not, that the Faith which juſtifies in ſolitary, or without other Graces, or good Works in us. No, Faith is a Grace of the New Creature, and all the Graces of it are inſeparably together. Juſtification & Sanctification are never parted. But it deſigns, that this Grace hath only a cauſality in our Juſtification: All the reſt have their exerciſe in order to our Salvation, Heb. 12.14. But they do nothing towards our putting on the robe of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, by which we are juſtified. And the reaſon of this is, becauſe Faith is the only Grace in us, which is fitted to receive the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and his Righteouſneſs on the Goſpel offers. This is it only that opens to him, and lets him i…; and this is the firſt and moſt proper acting of juſtifying Faith, which no other Grace in us is capable of. They are all of them fitted for new Obedience; but, beſides that Faith fetcheth ſtrength from Chriſt for Obedience, and ſo helps every other Grace. It alſo takes him, truſts in him, relies on him, in the promiſe of the Covenant, and ſo is fit for this Service, which no other Grace is.
USE. I. LET us then ſee & adore the rich Grace of God herein appearing, that He hath diſcovered to us, a way of being Juſtified by Faith. Not can we conceive, how Grace ſhould more oriently appear than in this way: That when we had no Righteouſneſs perſonal, and muſt have elſe periſhed for want of one to anſwer for us, He ſhould be at ſuch coſt to lay in ſuch a ſufficient one; and in the Goſpel Treaty offer it to us to become ours, and the vertue of it to influence us unto our Juſtification, upon our receiving it by believing on him for it, and reſolving out whole hope of acceptance with God unto it; and not only ſo, but that he ſhould offer unto us his help to enable us thus to receive him, by putting his Spirit upon us, and creating this Faith in us. What enemies then muſt they needs be to the Grace of God, who ſeek to undermine or obſcure this Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith in the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, or confound it by mixing their own righteouſneſs with it? Would we then give to God, the whole glory of our hope to ſtand in Judgment, let us reſolve it all into Chriſt, and live on it by Faith.
USE. II. WOULD we know whether Chriſt's Righteouſneſs be ours unto Juſtification, let as try it by this, viz. Have r… ceived it by Faith. There is vertue enough in it to juſtify the whole World. And that is a great Encouragement: but is actually i… … to none but ſuch as receive it by Faith, and all that ſo do, are juſtified by it: For which reaſon it is called the righteouſneſs of Faith, Rom. 4.13. For what ſaith the Scripture? Ab…m believed God, and it …as … him for righteouſneſs. Becauſe, by believ…, we appropriate it to our ſelves. And … our foundation of true Conſolation. And if we have ſo believed, we have the… … abſolute need of a Righteouſneſs that … … fect, found our ſelves without any ſ…r… ability to attain to it; diſcovered the fulneſs of ſufficiency for this end in that of Chriſt: renouncing every other Righteouſneſs whatſoever for the ſake of it, and caſt our ſelves upon it, and accordingly, embraced Chriſt the Author of it, in the promiſe, and … ing to the tenour of it
[DECEMBER 20. 1698.]