Bf/ Ids knoidedge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
I shall now apply this first circumstance, the instrument, specified in that word hy his knowledge, to the act in the other word, justify. For the word of the instrument, knowledge, we showed you it im- porteth faith — an efi'ective knowledge— such as causeth the soul to embrace Christ, and receive him for our comfort. The other word is a little to be opened, and then we shall the better match these two together. To justify, in a scripture notion, is to absolve and acquit. It is a judicial and court word, and signifieth not so much to make righteous as to account so. The papists would have it that it signifies a righteousness infused, not a reckoning of the wicked as if they were not guilty. But the word is used otlierwise, Isa. v. 23, ' Woe to them that justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the right- eousness of the righteous from them;' Luke xviii. 14, 'This man went down to his house justified rather than the other.' To bo justified, then, is to be acquitted before God of that condemnation and censure which we had deserved, and to be accepted as righteous in his sight. Well, then, the point from both these linked together is this : —
That by faith we are justified ; or, Jesus Christ justifieth poor sinners by their faith. The prophet meaneth faith, though the saith knowledge. For scriptures to prove the \mi\t, take these, tha are lull to the purpose : — Piom. iii. 28, ' Therefore we conclude that a man is justified ])y faith.' The apostle had been labouring throughout all the three cha])ter8 to bring the discourse to that issue ; and at length
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there was the result of all, that we must be justified by faith. So Rom. V. 1, ' Beinf? justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' You see these scriptures are express enough without any improvement ; therefore I go off to the reasons why faith, of all other graces, is deputed to this service.
1. Because it is the most receptive grace, and so most fit for the needy condition of the creature. Other graces are more operative, but faith is most receptive. It is the right hand of the soul, to take in the fulness of Jesus Christ. Nature liveth upon alms, and the con- tinued bounty and supplies of heaven, since the fall ; and therefore those graces are most serviceable that are most receptive. Love giveth. but faith taketh. All God's stars shine with a borrowed light. We are beggars now, rather than workers. The blessing of life is not in ourselves,, but in Christ. Faith standeth in a passive receptiveness to take the conveyances of grace : 1 John v. 12, ' He that hath the Son hath life ; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.' It is all in having Christ. We must be beholden to another. God will trust us no more with the keeping of it, but hath placed our support in Jesus Christ. Our safety is like the ivy, or those weaker strings that are strengthened by cleaving about the oak. Now faith serveth for that, for relying on Christ to clothe us with his righteousness.
2. Faith is most loyal and true to God. It giveth him all the glory, it looketh for all from him ; therefore the apostle saith, Eom. iii. 26, 27, The grand condition of the new covenant is faith, to ex- clude boasting. God would have everything carried in a way of grace, that if we glory in anything, we may glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. i. 31. Our boasting must be in the glorifying of grace. God honoureth those graces that honour him most. It is said, Rom. iv. 20, of Abra- ham, that he was ' strong in faith, giving glory to God ;' so doth God to faith. And faith is most abasing ; it casteth down all the excel- lence of the creature. Man had rather be doing than borrowing : we cannot endure to hear of going out of ourselves ; therefore God ordained this grace.
3. To make the way more sure : Rom. iv. 16, ' Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed.' Now things are not so floating and uncertain as when we were left to working graces. Now we have a sure Christ for the foundation : Isa. xxviii. 16, ' Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation.' It is sure in Christ, and we have Christ too by a sure tenure and claim : 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, ' Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure.' We may be uneven and unconstant with God ; and though we be so with him, yet we have a sure, unvari able promise to hold by. And now here is faith, that taketh a sure hold upon this promise : Heb. vi. 19, ' Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast;' a sure faith, a sure promise, a sure Christ. Things are not left upon doubtful terms ; God hath deputed all to faith, which hath a sure ground, a sure claim, and a sure hold.