True justifying faith is said to receive, to embrace, to obey the
Son of God as tendered in the gospel; by which expressions is showed
both the nature of justifying faith in its actings in point of
justification, and also the cause of its being full of good works in
the world. A gift is not made mine by my seeing it, or because I
know the nature of the thing so given; but it is mine if I receive
and embrace it, yea, and as to the point in hand, if I yield myself
up to stand and fall by it. Now he that shall not only see but
receive, not only know but embrace the Son of God to be justified by
him, cannot but bring forth good works; because Christ, who is now
received and embraced by faith, leavens and seasons the spirit of
this sinner, through his faith, to the making of him so to be. Acts
15:9. For faith has joined Christ and the soul together, and being
so joined, the soul is one spirit with him: not essentially, but in
agreement and oneness of design. Besides, when Christ is truly
received and embraced to the justifying of the sinner, in that man's
heart he dwells by his word and Spirit through the same faith also.
Now Christ by his Spirit and word must needs season the soul he thus
dwells in; so then the soul being seasoned, it seasoneth the body
and soul, the life and conversation.
If the receiving of a temporal gift naturally tends to the making of
us to move our cap and knee, and binds us to be the servant of the
giver, shall we think that faith will leave him who by it has
received Christ, to be as unconcerned as a stock or stone, or that
its utmost excellency is to provoke the soul to a lip-labor, and to
give Christ a few fair words for his pains and grace, and so wrap up
the business? No, no; the love of Christ constraineth us thus to
judge, that it is but reasonable, since he gave his all for us, that
we should give our some for him. 2 Cor. 5:14.
We are said to be saved by faith, because by faith we lay hold of,
venture upon, and put on Jesus Christ for life: for life, I say,
because God having made him the Saviour, has given him life to
communicate to sinners; and the life that he communicates to them is
the merit of his flesh and blood, which whoso eateth and drinketh by
faith hath eternal life, because that flesh and blood have merit
sufficient to obtain the favor of God. Yea, it hath done so, that
day it was offered through the eternal Spirit a sacrifice of a
sweet-smelling savor to him. Wherefore God imputeth the
righteousness of Christ to him that believeth in him, by which
righteousness he is personally justified and saved from that just
judgment of the law that was due unto him. John 5:26; 6:53-57; Eph.
4:32; 5:2; Rom. 4:23-25.
Here let Christians warily distinguish betwixt the meritorious and
the instrumental cause of their justification. Christ, with what he
has done and suffered, is the meritorious cause of our
justification; therefore he is said to be "made unto us of God
wisdom and righteousness," and we are said to be "justified by his
blood and saved from wrath through him," 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 5:9,10;
for it was his life and blood that was the price of our redemption.
Thou art therefore to make Christ Jesus the object of thy faith for
justification; for by his righteousness thy sins must be covered
from the sight of the justice of the law. Acts 16:31; Matt. 1:21.