Fifthly, The gospel offers Christ orderly to sinners, first his per- son, then his privileges. God first gives his Son, and then with him, or as a consequent of that gift, he gives us all things, Rom. viii. 32. In the same order must our faith receive him. The be- liever doth not marry the portion first, and then the person, but to be found in him is the first and great care of a believer.
I deny not but it is lawful for any to have an eye to the benefits of Christ. Salvation from wrath is, and lawfully may be intended and aimed at : " Look unto me, and be saved all ye ends of the " earth," Isa. xlv. 22. Nor do I deny but there are many poor souls, who being in deep distress and fear, may, and often do, look mostly to their own safety at first ; and that there is much confu- sion, as well in the actings of their faith, as in their condition ; but sure I am, it is the proper order in believing, first to accept the per- son of the Lord Jesus : Heaven is no doubt very desirable, but Christ is more : " Whom have I in heaven but thee ?" Psal. lxxiii. 25. Union with Christ is, in order of nature, antecedent to the communication of his privileges, therefore so it ought to be in the order and method of believing.
Sixthly, Christ is advisedly, offered in the gospel to sinners, as the result of God's eternal counsel, a project of grace upon which his heart and thoughts have been much set, Zech. vi. 13. The counsel of peace was betwixt the Father and the Son. And so the believer receives him, most deliberately weighing the matter in his most deep and serious thoughts ; for this is a time of much solicitude and though tfulness. The souFs espousals are acts of judgment, Hos. ii. 19. on our part, as well as on God's ; We are therefore bid to sit down and count the cost, Luke xiv. 28. Faith, or the actual receiving of Christ, is the result of many previous debates in the soul : The matter hath been pondered over and over : The objeo.
SERM. VI. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 113
tions and discouragements, both from the self-denying terms of the gospel, and our own vileness and deep guilt, have been ruminated, and lain upon our hearts day and night, and after all things have been balanced in the most deep consideration, the soul is deter- mined to this conclusion, I must have Christ, be the terms never so hard, be my sins never so great and many, I will yet go to him, and venture my soul upon him ; if I perish, I perish. I have thought out all my thoughts, and this is the result, union with Christ here, or separation from God for ever must be my lot.
And thus doth the Lord open the hearts of his elect, and win the consent of their wills to receive Jesus Christ upon the deepest consideration and debate of the matter in their own most solemn thoughts: They understand and know, that they must deeply deny themselves, take up his cross and follow him, Matt. xvi. 24. renounce not only sinful but religious self ; these are hard and dif- ficult things, but yet the necessity and excellency of Christ make them appear eligible and rational : by all which you see faith is another thing than what the sound of that word (as it is generally understood) signifies to the understandings of most men. This is that fiducial receiving of Christ here to be opened.
Secondly, Our next work will be to evince this receiving of Christ as hath been opened, to be that special saving faith of God's elect : This is that faith of which such great and glorious things are spoken in the gospel, which, whosoever hath shall be saved, and he that hath it not shall be damned ; and this I shall evidently prove by the following arguments or reasons.
Arg. 1. First, That faith which gives the soul right and title to spiritual adoption, with all the privileges and benefits thereof, is true and saving faith.
But such a receiving of Christ as hath been described, gives the soul right and title to spiritual adoption, with all the privileges and benefits thereof.
Therefore such a receiving of Christ as hath been described is true and saving faith.
The major proposition is undeniable, for our right and title to spiritual adoption, and the privileges thereof arise from our union with Jesus Christ ; we being united to the Son of God, are, by virtue of that union, reckoned or accounted sons, Gal. iii. 26*. " You are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ :" The effect of saving faith is union with Christ's person, the consequent of that union is adoption, or right to the inheritance.
The minor is most plain in the text : " To as many as received. " him, to them gave he power or right to become the sons o\ " God :" A false faith hath no such privilege annexed to it ; no
114 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SEEM. VI.
unbeliever is thus dignified: No stranger entitled to this in- heritance.
Arg. 2. Secondly, That only is saving and justifying faith, which is in all true believers, in none but true believers, and in all true believers at aD times.
But such a receiving of Christ as hath been described, is in all true believers, in none but true believers, and in all true believers at all times.
Therefore such a receiving of Christ as hath been described, is the only saving and justifying faith.
The major is undeniable, that must needs contain the essence of saving faith, which is proper to every true believer at all times, and to no other.
The minor will be as clear, for there is no other act of faith, but this of fiducial receiving Christ as he is offered, that doth agree to all true believers, to none but true believers, and to all true be- lievers at all times.
There be three acts of faith, * assent, acceptance, and assurance: The Papists generally give the essence of saving faith to the first, viz. assent. The Lutherans, and some of our own, give it to the last, viz. assurance : But it can be neither way so. Assent doth not agree only to true believers, or justified persons. Assurance agrees to justified persons, and them only, but not to all justified persons, and that at all times.
Assent is too low to contain the essence of saving faith ; it is found in the unregenerate as well as the regenerate : yea, in devils as well as men, James ii. 19- it is supposed and included in justi- fying faith, but it is not the justifying or saving act. Assurance is as much too high, being found only in some eminent believers : and in them too but at some times. There is many a true be- liever to whom the joy and comfort of assurance is denied; they may say of their union with Christ, as Paul said of his vision ; whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell ; so they, whether in Christ or out of Christ, they cannot tell -f\