CHAPTER, II.

The nature of Justifying Faith.

THAT

HAT which we shall now inquire into, is the Nature of Justifying Faith; and the reader is desired to take along with him a supposition of these things which we have already ascribed to it, as it is sincere faith in general; and also what it previously requires. For we deny that according to the ordinary method of God's proceeding, that any one doth or can believe with faith unto justification, in whom the work of conviction before described, hath not been wrought. All descriptions and definitions of faith that have not respect thereunto, are but vain speculations.

The nature of justifying faith consists in the heart's approbation of the way of justification and salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ proposed in the gospel, as proceeding from the grace, Wisdom, and Love of God, with its acquiescence therein as to its own concernment and condition.

There needs no more for the explanation of this declaration of the nature of faith, than what we have before proved concerning its object; and what may seem wanting thereto will be fully supplied in the en-aing confirmation.

What belongs to the confirmation of this description of faith shall be reduced to these four heads. 1. The declaration of its contrary, or the nature of privative unbelief, 2. The design and end of God in and by the gospel. 3. The nature of faith's compliance with that design. 4. The order, method, and way of believing as declared in the Scripture.

I. The Gospel is the revelation of that way of justification and salvation by Jesus Christ which God in infinite wisdom love and grace bath prepared. Therein the "Righteousness of God," that which he requires, accepts and approves unto salvation" is revealed from taith to faith;" Rom. 1. 17. This is the record of God therein, "that he hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his son.* In the dispensation or preaching of the gospel, this way of salvation is proposed to sinners as the great effect of Divine wisdom and grace. Unbelief is the rejection, neglect or disapprobation of it. It is called a disallowing or disapproving of Christ. 1. Pet. ii. 7. The stone which the builders disallowed or disapproved of, as not meet for that place and work for which it was designed. This is unbelief. To disapprove of Christ and the way of salvation by him, as not answering Divine wisdom, nor suited to the end designed.

Most of those who at first rejected the gospel by their unbelief did it under this notion, that the way of salvation and blessedness proposed therein was not suitable to Divine goodness and power, such as they might safely confide in. I Cor. i. 23. 24. "We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." The Apostle preached that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." Herein be proposed him as the ordinance of God, as the great effect of his wisdom and power for the salvation of sinners. But those who continued in unbelief rejected it, esteeming it both weak

* 1 John v. 10.

ness and folly. and therefore he describeth the faith of them that are called, by their approbation of the wisdom and power of God therein, The want of a comprehension of the glory of God in this way of salvation, and therein rejecting it, is unbelief.

So is it with all that continue unbelievers under the preaching of the gospel. They may assent to the truth of it, as an act of the mind, and perform many religious duties; yet they manifest that they do not "believe with the heart unto righteousness," by many things that are inconsistent with justifying faith. Their unbelief does not consist in the want of an assent to the truths and doctrines of the gospel; nor in the want of obedience to the precepts of the gospel in duties of holiness and righteousness. But they are destitute of the heart's approbation of the way of life and salvation by Jesus Christ, proposed in the gospel as the effect of the infinite wisdom love and grace of God; and as suited to all the wants of guilty convinced sinners: and in the want thereof consists the formal nature of unbelief. For without this, no man is or can be influenced by the gospel, to relinquish sin, or encouraged to obedience, whatever they may do on other grounds and motives. And wherever this cordial sincere approbation of the way of salvation by Jesus Christ prevails, it will infallibly produce repentance and obedience.

Again some there were at first, and such still continue to be, who rejected this way not absolutely in the notion of it, but comparatively, as reduced to practice. They judged the way of their own righteousness to be better, as that which might be more safely trusted; as more agreable to the mind of God and to his glory. So did the Jews generally, see Rom. x. 3. 4. And many of them assented to the doctrine of the gospel in general as true, although they liked it not in their hearts as the best way of justification and salvation; but sought them by the works of the law.

Wherefore unbelief in its formal nature consists in the want of a spiritual discerning, and approbation of the way of

salvation by Jesus Christ, as an effect of the infinite wisdom and love of God. For where these are, the soul of a convinced sinner cannot but embrace it, and adhere to it. And the consideration hereof sufficiently manifests wherein the nature of true evangelical faith consists.

2. The Design of God in and by the gospel with the office of faith with respect to it, further confirms the description given of it. That which in the first place God designs herein, is not the justification and salvation of sinners. His utmost complete end in all his counsels, is his own glory: he doth all things for himself; nor can he who is infinite do otherwise. But in an especial manner he expresseth this concerning this way of salvation by Jesus Christ.

Particularly, he designed herein the glory of his Righteousness: Rom, iii. 25. Of his Love: John. iii. 16. 1. John. iii. 16. Of his Grace. Epb. i. 5, 6. Of his Wisdom: 1. Cor. 1. 24. Fph. iii. 10. Of his Power: Rom. 1. 16. Of bis Faithfulness: Rom. iv. 16. For God designed herein, not only the reparation of all that glory which was obscured by the entrance of sin; but a more eminent manifestation of it, and some especial instances before concealed Eph. iii. 9. And all this is called "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," whereof faith is the beholding. 2. Cor. iv. 6.

3. This being the principal design of God in the way of justification and salvation by Christ proposed in the gospel, we are required to ascribe that glory to God which he designs so to exalt. The acknowledgment of all these glorious properties of the Divine nature as manifested in the provision and revelation of this way of life, righteousness and salvation with an approbation of the way itself as an effect of them, as that which is safely to be trusted to, is faith or believing. "Being strong in faith he gave glory to God." Rom. iv. 22, And this is the nature of the weakest degree of sincere faith. But no other grace or duty is suited to this Hence we purpose. both learn the nature of faith and why faith alone is required to our justification: because this is that grace or ex

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ercise of the heart alone, by which we do or can give to Cod that glory which he designs to manifest and exalt in and by Jesus Christ. Tais, only faith is suited, and this it is to believe.

4. To understand the nature of justifying faith aright we must consider the order of it. First the things which are necessarily previous to it, and then what it is to believe with respect to them. As,

1. The state ot a convinced snner; who is the only proper subject of justification. This hath been stated, and the necessity of conviction of sin, antecedent to our justification, demonstrated. If we lose sight of this we lose our best guide towards the discovery of the nature of faith. Let no man think to understand the gospel, who knows nothing of the law. For as "by the law is the knowledge of sin'; so gospel faith is the soul's acting according to the mind of God for deliverance from that state and condition which it is cast under by the law. And there is nothing in this whole doctrine that I will more firmly adhere to, than the necessity of the convictions mentioned previous to believing, without which not one line of it can be understood aright, See. Rom. iii. 21–24.

2. We suppose herein a sincere assent to all divine revelations. But this assent as it includes no act of the will or heart, is not that faith whereby we are justified; although it is included in it.

3. The proposal of the gospel according to the mind of God is also supposed. For therein alone is the way of salvation by Jesus Christ declared; the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith*; the glory of God represented as in a glass and life and immortality brought to light

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4. The persons who are required to believe, are such who really in their own consciences are brought to make the inquiries mentioned in the Scripture; What shall we do? What shall we do to be saved? How shall we fly from the wrath to come? Wherewithal shall we appear before God?

* Rom. i. 17. II. Cor. iii. 18. II. Tim, i. 10.