SER M.that is, as I explained this phrafe in the opening of CCXXVI. the text, that upon these terms and conditions, ye might be made partakers of all thofe bleffings and benefits which CHRIST, the SAVIOUR of the world, hath purchased, which are here fet forth under the name of "life;" it being ufual in the phrafe of fcripture to fet forth to us thofe things which are most excellent and defirable, by life, which men value above all other things. Now the principal benefits which CHRIST hath purchased, and which we are faid to be made partakers of by believing, are, 1. Regeneration, under which I include the continuance and progrefs of this work, which is fanctification. 2. Juftification, by which I cannot find that the fcripture means any more than pardon or remiffion of fins. 3. Eternal life; and this I think is principally, though not folely intended here in the text, as I have fhewn, by comparing the text with other parallel texts, in the fame evangelift. John iii. 15. "That "whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, "but have eternal life." And ver. 36. " he that "believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life." I fay, I think eternal life is here principally intended, though this fuppofe the other, regeneration and juftification, before we can attain it, which may also very well be included here in the term "life." My reasons are these. 1. Because I find in fcripture, that regeneration and juftification are expreffed by the name of life, Rom. vi. 4. our regeneration is called "newness of life," because before, "we were dead in fins and trefpaffes; and Rom. v. 8. juftification is called "juftification of life," becaufe while our fins are unpardoned, and we are under the sentence of condem nation, CCXXVI. nation, we are dead in law; but being juftified and S ERM. pardoned, we are, as it were, reftored to life again. 2. Because in the phrase of fcripture we are faid to be regenerate, and fanctified, and justified by faith, as well as faved. 1 John v. 1. " He that believeth "that JESUS is the CHRIST, is born of GOD." Gal. ii. 20. "The life which I now live in the "flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of GoD;" speaking of the new life of fanctification. And Col. ii. we are faid to be "rifen with CHRIST," that is, born to a new life," by the faith of the operation of "GOD, that raised up JESUS from the dead;" and to be "juftified by faith," in innumerable places. So that it is very probable upon these accounts, that the evangelift here, when he fays, that "believing you might have life in his name," doth intend to take in regeneration and justification, as well as eternal life, which is the confummation of all the bleffings of the gofpel. I come now to the obfervation, viz. 66 That this faith of the gospel, which I have described, is truly and properly a fanctifying, and justifying, and faving faith. I. I fhall fhew that it is properly a fanctifying faith. II. A juftifying and faving faith. I. It is truly fanctifying. I know that this term of a fanctifying faith, is not much in use among divines, and therefore it may seem a little more strange: but they might have used it, if they had pleased, for it is every whit as proper to call faith fanctifying, as justifying or faving. It is true indeed, this express term of a fanctifying faith is no where in scripture; no more are the very terms of juftifying and faving faith but we are faid to be juftified and faved by SER M. faith in fcripture, which is as much as if the terms CCXXVI had been uled. And we are faid alfo to be fanctified 9. by faith, as well as juftified and faved. Acts xv. our hearts are faid to be " purified by faith." And fo likewife our "victory over the world," that is, our conquering and fubduing of our covetous, and ambitious, and fenfual lufts and defires, are in a peculiar manner afcribed to this faith which I have defcribed. 1 John v. 4. 5. "This is the victory that "overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is "he that overcometh the world, but he that be"lieveth that JESUS is the Son GOD?" II. That this faith is truly and properly juftifying and faving faith. I put thefe, juftification and falvation, together, partly because they are of the fame confideration, as to the influence which faith hath upon them; and the latter follows upon the former: for if we be "juftified by faith," that is, have our fins pardoned, by the fame act of faith we are faved from hell, and confequently made capable of eternal life; I fay, by the very fame act of faith that we obtain the pardon of our fins, we are faved from hell, that is, the punishment due to fin; for pardon removes the guilt, and guilt is nothing elfe but an obligation to punishment: and partly, becaufe I find the fcripture ufeth them promifcuously. When St. James difputes about juftification by faith, he ufes the term of being "faved by faith." Jam. ii. 14 "Can faith fave him?" Sometimes of being "ju"ftified," ver. 24. "fo that a man is not juftified by "faith only." In fpeaking to this propofition, that the faith of the gofpel, which I have defcribed, is properly juftifying and faving faith, I fhall do these fix things. 1. Shew that juftification in fcripture fignifies no more more than the pardon and remiffion of fins. 3. That the influence that the faith of the gospel, which I have described, hath upon the pardon of fin, is this, that it is the whole and entire condition required on our parts, upon the performance of which GOD hath promised to pardon our fins, and to fave us, 4. That the fcripture, where it treats of juftification by faith, fpeaks of this faith which I have described, and no other. . ССХХУІ. 5. That no metaphorical defcriptions of justifying faith are allowable, any farther than as they ferve to illuftrate and make clear the plain and fimple notion of the thing. For if metaphors once come to be infifted on, and ftrained, and confequences come to be drawn from them, and doctrines founded, and theories built upon them, they are of very ill confequence, and ferve to no other purpose but to blind and obfcure the plain and fimple notions of things, and to feduce and mislead the understandings of men, and to multiply controverfies without end. And I the rather take notice of this abufe of metaphors upon this fubject, because I do not know of any other head of divinity which hath fuffered fo much by them, as the doctrine of justifying faith; whereby the plain truth hath been very much obfcured, and occafion minifter'd to many endless difputes. 6. That if this plain and fimple notion of justifying faith were admitted, it would fuperfede all those controverfies about juftification, which have so much troubled the church. These particulars I fhall, by GOD's affiftance, fpeak to, not out of a mind to oppofe and contradict others; (what a pitiful defign is that! and how much below one that is to fpeak to 1 men SERM. men, in the name and fear of GOD!) but out of a CCXXVI. ;hearty defire to bring the truth to light, and to contribute fomething to the clearing of that which is of fo great importance and concernment to chriftian religion. 1. That juftification of a finner in fcripture fignifies no more than the pardon of fin. That there are feveral acceptations of the word juftification in the new teftament, I deny not. Sometimes it fignifies approbation in general of a thing, or perfon. So the word is ufed, Luke vii. 29. " And all the people "that heard him, and the publicans, justified GOD, being baptized with the baptifm of John. Juftified "God," how is that? that is, they approved and followed his counsel, as appears evidently by the opposition in the next words; "but the Pharifees and "lawyers rejected the counfel of GOD against them"felves, being not baptized of him." Those that "rejected the counsel of God" are opposed to those that " justified GOD." And fo at the 35th ver. "but wisdom is justified of her children," that is, is approved. And fo very probably it may be understood in the parable of the Pharifee and the publican, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justi"fied rather than the other;" that is, of the two, God did rather approve of his humble carriage, than the Pharifee's proud and infolent behaviour. Sometimes it fignifies any proof or declaration of a thing. So Rom. iii. 4. "Let God be true, but every man "a liar; as it is written, That thou mighteft be "juftified in thy fayings, and mightest overcome "when thou art judged," that is, that all thy words or promises might be proved and declared to be true, and that thou mayeft prevail whenever thou art impleaded by men of unfaithfulness and unrighteouf nefs. |