Part 7

2. * Faith in general is, a divine, supernatural ἔλεγχος, _evidence_ or conviction _of things not seen_, not discoverable by our bodily senses, as being either past, future or spiritual. Justifying faith implies, not only a divine evidence or conviction, that _God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself_ but a sure trust and confidence, that Christ died for _my_ sins, that he loved _me_ and gave himself for _me_. And at what time soever a sinner thus believes, be it in early childhood, in the strength of his years, or when he is old and hoary-hair’d, God justifieth that ungodly one: God for the sake of his Son; pardoneth and absolveth, him who had in him till then no good thing. Repentance indeed God had given him before: but that repentance was neither more nor less, than a deep sense of the want of all good, and the presence of all evil. And whatever good he hath or doth from that hour, when he first believes in God through Christ, faith does not _find_ but _bring_. This is the fruit of faith. First the tree is good, and then the fruit is good also.

3. I cannot describe the nature of this faith better, than in the words of our own church. “The only instrument of salvation” (whereof justification is one branch) “is faith: that is, a sure trust and confidence, that God both hath and will forgive our sins, that he hath accepted us again into his favour, for the merits of Christ’s death and passion.――But here we must take heed that we do not halt with God, through an inconstant, wavering faith. _Peter_ coming to Christ upon the water, because he fainted in faith, was in danger of drowning. So we, if we begin to waver or doubt, it is to be feared, that we should sink as _Peter_ did, not into the water, but into the bottomless pit of hell-fire.” Second sermon on the passion.

“Therefore have a sure and constant faith, not only that the death of Christ is available for all the world, but that he hath made a full and sufficient sacrifice for _thee_, a perfect cleansing of _thy_ sins, so that thou mayst say with the apostle, he loved _thee_ and gave himself for _thee_. For this is to make Christ _thine own_, and to apply his merits unto _thyself_.” Sermon on the sacrament, first part.

4. By affirming that this faith is the term or _condition of justification_, I mean, first, that there is no justification without it. _He that believeth not is condemned already_; and so long as he believeth not, that condemnation cannot be removed, but _the wrath of God abideth on him_. As _there is no other name given under heaven than that of Jesus of Nazareth_, no other merit _whereby_ a condemned sinner can ever _be saved_ from the guilt of sin; so there is no other way of obtaining a share in his merit, than _by faith in his name_. So that as long as we are without this faith, we are _strangers to the covenant of promise_, we are _aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and without God in the world_. Whatsoever virtues (so call’d) a man may have (I speak of those unto whom the gospel is preached; for _what have I to judge them that are without_?) whatsoever good works (so accounted) he may do, it profiteth not; he is still a _child of wrath_, still under the curse, till he believes in Jesus.

5. * Faith therefore is the _necessary_ condition of justification. Yea, and the _only necessary_ condition thereof. This is the second point carefully to be observed; that the very moment God giveth faith (_for it is the gift of God_) to the _ungodly, that worketh not_, that _faith is counted to him for righteousness_. He hath no righteousness at all, antecedent to this, not so much as negative righteousness or innocence. But _faith is imputed to him for righteousness_, the very moment that he believeth. Not that God (as was observed before) thinketh him to be what he is not. But as _he made Christ to be sin for us, that_ is, treated him as a sinner, punishing him for our sins, so he counteth us righteous, from the time we believe in him: that is, he doth not punish us for our sins, yea, treats us as tho’ we were guiltless and righteous.

6. Surely the difficulty of assenting to this proposition, that faith is the _only condition_ of justification, must arise from not understanding it. We mean thereby thus much, that it is the only thing without which none is justified; the only thing that is immediately, indispensably, absolutely requisite in order to pardon. As on the one hand, tho’ a man should have every thing else, without faith, yet he cannot be justified; so on the other, tho’ he be supposed to want every thing else, yet if he hath faith, he cannot but be justified. For suppose a sinner of any kind or degree, in a full sense of his total ungodliness, of his utter inability to think, speak or do good, and his absolute meetness for hell-fire: suppose, I say, this sinner, helpless and hopeless, casts himself wholly on the mercy of God in Christ (which indeed he cannot do but by the grace of God) who can doubt, but he is forgiven in that moment? Who will affirm, that any more is _indispensably required_, before that sinner can be justified?

Now if there ever was one such instance from the beginning of the world. (And have there not been, and are there not ten thousand times ten thousand?) it plainly follows, that faith is, in the above sense, the sole condition of justification.

7. It does not become poor, guilty, sinful worms, who receive whatsoever blessings they enjoy, (from the least drop of water that cools our tongue, to the immense riches of glory in eternity) of grace, of mere favour, and not of debt, to ask of God the reasons of his conduct. It is not meet for us to call him in question, _who giveth account to none of his ways_; to demand, Why didst thou make faith the condition, the only condition of justification? Wherefore didst thou decree, _He that believeth_, and he only, _shall be saved_? This is the very point on which St. _Paul_ so strongly insists in the ninth chapter of this epistle, _viz_. That the terms of pardon and acceptance must depend, not on us, but _on him that calleth us_: that there is no _unrighteousness with God_, in fixing his own terms, not according to ours, but his own good pleasure: who may justly say, _I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy_, namely, on him who believeth in Jesus. So _then it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth_, to chuse the condition on which he shall find acceptance; _but of God that sheweth mercy_, that accepteth none at all, but of his own free love, his unmerited goodness. _Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy_, viz. on those who believe on the Son of his love: _and whom he will_, that is, those who believe not, _he hardeneth_, leaves at last to the hardness of their hearts.

8. One reason, however, we may humbly conceive, of God’s fixing this condition of justification, _If thou believest in the Lord Jesus Christ thou shalt be saved_, was to _hide pride from man_. Pride had already destroyed the very angels of God, had cast down _a third part of the stars of heaven_. It was likewise in great measure owing to this, when the tempter said, _Ye shall be as Gods_, that _Adam_ fell from his own stedfastness, and brought sin and death into the world. It was therefore an instance of wisdom worthy of God, to appoint such a condition of reconciliation, for him and all his posterity, as might effectually humble, might abase them to the dust. And such is faith. It is peculiarly fitted for this end. For he that cometh unto God by this faith, must fix his eye singly on his own wickedness, on his guilt and helplessness, without having the least regard to any supposed good in himself, to any virtue or righteousness whatsoever. He must come as a _mere sinner_ inwardly and outwardly, self-destroyed and self-condemned, bringing nothing to God but ungodliness only, pleading nothing of his own but sin and misery. Thus it is, and thus alone, when his _mouth is stopped_, and he stands utterly _guilty before God_, that he can _look unto Jesus_, as the whole and sole _propitiation for his sins_. Thus only can he be _found in him_, and receive the _righteousness which is of God by faith_.

9. * Thou ungodly one, who hearest or readest these words, thou vile, helpless, miserable sinner, I charge thee before God the judge of all, go strait unto him, with all thy ungodliness. Take heed thou destroy not thy own soul, by pleading thy righteousness, more or less. Go as altogether ungodly, guilty, lost, destroyed, deserving and dropping into hell: and thou shalt then find favour in his sight, and know that he justifieth the ungodly. As such thou shalt be brought unto the _blood of sprinkling_, as an undone, helpless, damned sinner. Thus _look unto Jesus_! There is _the Lamb of God_, who _taketh away_ thy _sins_! Plead thou no works, no righteousness of thine own! No humility, contrition, sincerity. In no wise. That were, in very deed, to deny the Lord that bought thee. No, Plead thou singly, the blood of the covenant, the ransom paid for thy proud, stubborn, sinful soul. Who art thou, that now seest and feelest both thine inward and outward ungodliness! Thou art the man! I want thee for my Lord. I challenge _thee_ for a child of God by faith. The Lord hath need of thee. Thou who feelest thou art just fit for hell, art just fit to advance his glory: the glory of his free grace, justifying the ungodly and him that worketh not. O come quickly. Believe in the Lord Jesus; and _thou_, even _thou_ art reconciled to God.

SERMON VI.

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH.

ROM. x. 5, 6, 7, 8.

_|Moses| describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise. Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven? That is, to bring Christ down from above:

Or who shall descend into the deep? That is, to bring Christ again from the dead.

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith, which we preach._

1. THE apostle does not here oppose the covenant given by _Moses_, to the covenant given by Christ. If we ever imagined this, it was for want of observing, that the latter, as well as the former part of these words, were spoken by _Moses_ himself, to the people of _Israel_, and that, concerning the covenant which then was. (_Deut._ xxx. 11, 12, 14.) But it is the covenant of _grace_, which God through Christ hath established with men in all ages, (as well before, and under the _Jewish_ dispensation, as since God was manifest in the flesh) which St. _Paul_ here opposes to the covenant of _works_, made with _Adam_ while in paradise; but commonly supposed to be the only covenant which God had made with man, particularly by those _Jews_ of whom the apostle writes.

2. Of these it was that he so affectionately speaks, in the beginning of this chapter. _My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they may be saved. For I bear them record, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness_ (of the justification that flows from his mere grace and mercy, freely forgiving our sins through the Son of his love, through the redemption which is in Jesus) _and seeking to establish their own righteousness_, (their own holiness, antecedent to faith in _him that justifieth the ungodly_, as the ground of their pardon and acceptance) _have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God_, and consequently seek death in the error of their life.

3. They were ignorant, that _Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth_, that by the oblation of himself once offered, he had put an end to the first law or covenant (which indeed was not given by God to _Moses_, but to _Adam_ in his state of innocence) the strict tenor whereof, without any abatement was, “Do this and live:” And at the same time purchased for us that better covenant, “Believe and live;” believe and thou shalt be saved; now saved both from the guilt and power of sin, and, of consequence, from the wages of it.

4. And how many are equally ignorant now, even among those who are called by the name of Christ? How many who have now a _zeal for God_, yet have it not _according to knowledge_: but are still _seeking to establish their own righteousness_, as the ground of their pardon and acceptance; and therefore vehemently refuse, to _submit themselves unto the righteousness of God_? Surely my heart’s desire, and prayer to God for you, brethren, is, that ye may be saved. And in order to remove this grand stumbling-block out of your way, I will endeavour to shew, first, What _the righteousness_ is, _which is of the law_, and what _the righteousness which is of faith_; Secondly, The folly of trusting in _the righteousness of the law_, and the wisdom of _submitting to that which is of faith_.

I. 1. And, first, _The righteousness which is of the law, saith, the man which doth these things, shall live by them_. Constantly and perfectly observe all these things to do them, and then thou shalt live for ever. This law or covenant (usually called, the covenant of _works_) given by God to man in paradise, required an obedience, perfect in all its parts, entire and wanting nothing, as the condition of his eternal continuance, in the holiness and happiness wherein he was created.

2. It required, that man should fulfil all righteousness, inward and outward, negative and positive: that he should not only abstain from every idle word, and avoid every evil work, but should keep every affection, every desire, every thought in obedience to the will of God. That he should continue holy, as he which had created him was holy, both in heart and in all manner of conversation: that he should be pure in heart, even as God is pure; perfect as his Father in heaven was perfect: that he should love the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength: that he should love every soul which God had made, even as God had loved him: that by this universal benevolence, he should _dwell in God_ (who is love) _and God in him_: that he should serve the Lord his God with all his strength, and in all things singly aim at his glory.

3. These were the things which the righteousness of the law required, that he who did them might live thereby. But it farther required, that this entire obedience to God, this inward and outward holiness, this conformity both of heart and life to his will, should be perfect in _degree_. No abatement, no allowance could possibly be made, for falling short in any degree, as to any jot or ♦tittle, either of the outward or the inward law. If every commandment relating to outward things was obeyed, yet that was not sufficient, unless every one was obeyed with all the strength, in the highest measure, and most perfect manner. Nor did it answer the demand of this covenant, to love God with every power and faculty, unless he were loved with the full capacity of each, with the whole possibility of the soul.

4. One thing more was indispensably required by the righteousness of the law, namely, that this universal obedience, this perfect holiness both of heart and life, should be perfectly uninterrupted also, should continue without any intermission, from the moment wherein God created man, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, until the days of his trial should be ended, and he should be confirmed in life everlasting.

5. The righteousness then which is of the law, speaketh on this wise. “Thou, O man of God, stand fast in love, in the image of God wherein thou art made. If thou wilt remain in life, keep the commandments, which are now written in thy heart. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Love as thyself every soul that he hath made. Desire nothing but God. Aim at God in every thought, in every word and work. Swerve not in one motion of body or soul, from him thy mark and the prize of thy high calling. And let all that is in thee praise his holy name, every power and faculty of thy soul, in every kind, in every degree, and at every moment of thine existence. _This do, and thou shalt live_: thy light shall shine, thy love shall flame more and more, till thou art received up into the house of God in the heavens, to reign with him for ever and ever.”

6. _But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise: say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring down Christ from above_ (as tho’ it were some impossible task, which God required thee previously to perform, in order to thine acceptance:) _or, who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring up Christ from the dead_; (as tho’ that were still remaining to be done, for the sake of which thou wert to be accepted.) _But what saith it? The word_ (according to the tenor of which, thou mayst now be accepted as an heir of life eternal) _is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith, which we preach_: the new covenant which God hath now established with sinful man, through Christ Jesus.

7. _By the righteousness which is of faith_, is meant, that condition of justification (and in consequence of present and final salvation, if we endure therein unto the end) which was given by God to _fallen man_, through the merits and mediation of his only begotten Son. This was in part revealed to _Adam_ soon after his fall, being contained in the original promise, made to him and his seed, concerning the seed of the woman, who should _bruise the_ serpent’s _head_.[17] It was a little more clearly revealed to _Abraham_, by the angel of God from heaven, saying, _By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed_.[18] It was yet more fully made known to _Moses_, to _David_, and to the prophets that followed: and through them, to many of the people of God, in their respective generations. But still the bulk even of these were ignorant of it; and very few understood it clearly. Still _life and immortality_ were not so _brought to light_ to the _Jews_ of old, as they are now unto us _by the gospel_.

8. Now this covenant saith not to sinful man “Perform unsinning obedience and live.” If this were the term, he would have no more benefit by all which Christ hath done and suffered for him, than if he was required, in order to life, to _ascend into heaven and bring down Christ from above_: or to _descend into the deep_, into the invisible world, and _bring up Christ from the dead_. It doth not require any impossibility to be done; (altho’ to mere man, what it requires would be impossible; but not, to man assisted by the Spirit of God:) this were only, to mock human weakness. Indeed, strictly speaking, the covenant of _grace_ doth not require us, to _do_ any thing at all, as absolutely and indispensably necessary in order to our justification: but only, to _believe_ in him, who, for the sake of his Son, and the propitiation which he hath made, _justifieth the ungodly that worketh not_, and imputes his faith to him for righteousness. Even so _Abraham believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.[19] And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith――that he might be the father of all them that believe――that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.[20] Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it_ (i. e. faith) _was imputed to him. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed_ (to whom faith shall be imputed for righteousness, shall stand in the stead of perfect obedience, in order to our acceptance with God) _if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: who was delivered_ to death _for our offences, and was raised again for our justification_:[21] “For the assurance of the remission of our sins, and of a second life to come to them that believe.”

9. What saith then the covenant of forgiveness, of unmerited love, of pardoning mercy? _Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved._ In the day thou believest, thou shalt surely live. Thou shalt be restored to the favour of God; and in his pleasure is life. Thou shalt be saved from the curse and from the wrath of God. Thou shalt be quickened from the death of sin, into the life of righteousness. And if thou endure to the end, believing in Jesus, thou shalt never taste the second death, but having suffered with thy Lord, shalt also live and reign with him for ever and ever.

10. Now _this word is nigh thee_. This condition of life, is plain, easy, always at hand. _It is in thy mouth and in thy heart_, through the operation of the Spirit of God. The moment _thou believest in thine heart_ in him, whom _God hath raised from the dead_, and _confesseth with thy mouth the Lord Jesus_, as _thy_ Lord and _thy_ God, _thou shalt be saved_ from condemnation, from the guilt and punishment of thy _former_ sins, and shalt have power to serve God in true holiness, all the _remaining_ days of thy life.

11. * What is the difference then between the _righteousness which is of the law_, and the _righteousness which is of faith_? Between the first covenant, or the covenant of works, and the second, the covenant of grace? The essential, unchangeable difference is this: the one supposes him to whom it is given, to be already holy and happy, created in the image and enjoying the favour of God; and prescribes the condition whereon he may continue therein, in love and joy, life and immortality. The other supposes him to whom it is given, to be now unholy and unhappy; fallen short of the glorious image of God, having the wrath of God abiding on him, and hastening through sin, whereby his soul is dead, to bodily death, and death everlasting. And to man in this state, it prescribes the condition, whereon he may regain the pearl he has lost: may recover the favour, and the image of God, may retrieve the life of God in his soul, and be restored to the knowledge and the love of God, which is the beginning of life eternal.

12. Again, the covenant of works, in order to man’s _continuance_ in the favour of God, in his knowledge and love, in holiness and happiness, required of perfect man, a _perfect_ and uninterrupted _obedience_, to every point of the law of God. Whereas the covenant of grace, in order to man’s _recovery_, of the favour and life of God, requires only _faith_; living faith in him, who through God justifies him that _obeyed not_.

13. * Yet again: the covenant of works required of _Adam_ and all his children, to _pay the price themselves_, in consideration of which, they were to receive all the future blessings of God. But in the covenant of grace, seeing we have nothing to pay, God _frankly forgives_ us _all_: provided only, that we believe in him, who hath _paid the price for us_; who hath given himself a _propitiation for our sins, for the sins of the whole world_.

14. Thus the first covenant required what is now _afar off_ from all the children of men; namely, unsinning obedience, which is far from those who are _conceived and born in sin_. Whereas the second requires what is nigh at hand; as tho’ it should say, Thou art sin: God is love. Thou by sin art fallen short of the glory of God; yet there is mercy with him. Bring then all thy sins to the pardoning God, and they shall vanish away as a cloud. If thou wert not ungodly, there would be no room for him to justify thee as ungodly. But now draw near, in full assurance of faith. He speaketh, and it is done. Fear not, only believe; for even the just God _justifieth all that believe in Jesus_.