[3d] It is an obediential confidence, such as doth not take one part of the word and set it against the otlier ; the precept against the pro- mise, or the promise against the precept, that hope to take liberty now and then, to bieak a commandment without forfeiting a claim to the promises , or, like mountebanks, that drink poison in confidence of an antidote : Rora. vi. 1, 2, ' What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid ! how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?' They are not encouraged to duty, but to sin by hopes of grace : Jnde 4, ' Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness ; ' these debauch the principles of the gospel. It teacheth other things, where it is rightly apprehended: Titus ii. 11, 12, ' For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodhness and worldly lusts we
THE LIFE OF FATTH. 1G3
slioiild live sober!}', righteousl}-, and godly in the present world ; ' others are not sensible of the necessity of yielding obedience to God.
Secondlij, The necessity of this mixture in order to profit. This I shall make good, for otherwise the ends of the gospel cannot be obtain- ed. I prove it thus —
1- It is agreeable to the wisdom of God, that as there should be a means to offer, so there should be a means to receive his grace. The word doth only offer grace, but it is faith doth receive it ; therefore, as without the word there can be no faith, so without faitli the word can have no power. To a good crop, or a fruitful harvest, there is required, not only good seed, but snhactum solum, a prepared soil and ground, Mat. xiii. The seed was the same, but the ground was different : .some fell on the highway, some on the stony ground, some on the thorny ground, some on the good ground, which only thrived and prospered : ver. 23, ' He that receiveth the seed into the good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold.' Well then, there must be receiving as well as offering, and a kindly receiv- ing. A plaster doth not heal at a distance till it be applied to the sore. It is our souls were wounded, and our souls must have the cure , the light that illuminateth must shine into the place that is enliglitened ; the life that quickeneth must be in the substance which is quickened by it. If the bare discovery and offer of grace, without the api)lying of grace, or receiving of grace, were enough, the gospel would save all alike, the despisers of it as well as those that submit to it. Therefore there must be receiving ; Christ must not only be offered, but received : John i, 12, 'To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.' And the covenant is not only tendered to us, but accepted by us : Acts ii. 41, ' Then they that gladly received his word were bajilized.' Blood shed will not avail us, unless it be blood sprinkled : Heb. xii. 24, ' And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh belter things than the blood of Abel.' Ciirist's making the atonement is not effectual to salvation, unless it be received, owned, and applied ; Eom. v. 11, ' We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement.' General grace must some way be made particular, or else it cannot profit us. Christ doth not save us at a distance, but as received into our hearts, or else why are not all justified, all adopted, all saved ? There is the same merciful God, the same sufficient Saviour, the same gracious covenant: the reason is, some apply this grace, others do not : Eph. i. 13, ' Alter ye lieard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.' It is not enough to know the gospel to be a doctrine of salvation in the general, but we must look to this, that it be a doctrine of salvation tc; ourselves in particular. What doth it profit us, if it be a doctrine of salvation to others, and not to ourselves ? therefore we must receive and apply the promises to our own souls, that they may stir up joy, and thank- fulness, and praise, and may quicken and enliven our obedience, and in time our interest in them may be determined to our joy and comfort.
2. That the proper grace to receive is faith. Here I shall show—
[1.] The necessity of it.
[2.] The efficacy of it, that without it the ends of the gospol cannot
164 THE LIFE OF FAITH.
be obtained ; that by it they are powerfully and effectually obtained.
First, The necessity of it, — because without it the ends of the gos- ])el cannot be obtained ; and this with respect to God, Christ, the gos- pel, or christian religion, and the believer himself.
1. With respect to God. Holiness and love to God is required sub ratione finis, and faith suh ratione medii, as a means to make us holy and to love God. That this is the great end of the gospel institution is plain from scripture : 1 Tim, i. 5, ' Now the end of the command- ment is charity, out of a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned.' The end and scope of the gospel is love to God, and faith in Christ our Kedeemer is the great means which conduceth to it. So Christ giveth us an account of the words which he heard from his Father ; and the sum of it is, that our great duty is that we love God, and our great happiness to be beloved by him, John xiv. 21-23. The gospel revelation was set up for this end and purpose, to represent to us the goodness and amiableness of God, that he might be more lovely to us and be loved by us. The great design of reconciling and saving lost man by Christ, and his wonderful condescension in his incarnation, life, sufferings, and death, is all to reveal this love of God in Christ, and to work up our hearts to love God again. To this end also tend his mer- ciful covenant and promises, all the benefits given to his church, and the privileges of the saints, the Spirit, pardon, peace, glory ; all these tend to warm our hearts with love to God ; and faith is appointed to look upon all these, to consider them, and improve them : Gal. v. 6, ' Faith worketh by love.' The principal use of faith is to kindle the love of God in our souls, that knowing and believing the love which God hath to us in Christ, we niay love him again, and thankfully obey him. Now if this be not enough to you, take an argument or two, thus —