[3.] What kind of believer is qualified and accepted as righteous, I answer — (1.) The penitent believer ; (2.) The working believer.
(1.) The penitent believer ; for faith and repentance are inseparable companions, and always go together in our first introduction or entrance into the new covenant : Mark i. 15, ' Repent and believe the gospel ; ' and Acts ii. 38, ' Repent and be baptized, for the remission of sins.' When we depend upon Christ for pardon, we are willing to return to God and live in his obedience, hating and detesting our former ways wherein we wandered from him. Well, then, though the righteousness be only the righteousness of faith, and the believer
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be only accepted as righteous, yet it is the penitent believer whose heart and life is changed, and who is willing by Christ to come to God.
(2.) It is the working believer ; so it is explained. What is in Gal. V. 5, called ' The righteousness of faith/ is, ver. 6, called ' Faith working by love.' Not all that is called by that name, but the work- ing faith. And so it is expressed elsewhere : Heb. xi. 7, ' By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he became an heir of the righteousness which is by faith.' The saving of Noah from the flood is a type and shadow of salvation by Christ. The flood drowned and destroyed the impenitent world, but Noah and his family were saved in the ark. We are warned of the eternal penalties threatened by God. If we do not repent and believe, we shall not be saved from wrath ; but if we believe and prepare an ark, that is, diligently use the means appointed for our safety, then we become heirs of the righteousness which is by faith. Noah showed himself a believer indeed, to prepare an ark with such vast charge in the face of the scorning world, which was an eminent piece of self-denial and obedience ; but such will the true faith put us upon. Look, as to be justified by the law, or works required by the law, is all one, so to be justified by faith or the new covenant is all one also. Whatever there- fore the new covenant requireth as our duty that we may be capable of the privileges thereof, that must be done by the sincere believer. It is not the idle, but the working faith.
2. That confession with the mouth is required unto salvation, for God is not glorified, nor others edified, nor ourselves comforted, but by such a believing with the heart as hath confession going along with it.
[1,] God is most glorified when faith breaketh out into confession either in word or deed, sufi'ering or obedience: 2 Thes. i. 11, 12, ' Wherefore we pray always that God would count you worthy of his calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power ; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glori- fied in you.' By the work of faith there, is not meant the internal, elicit or heart acts, such as assent, consent, and affiance ; thus we may honour God in ourselves, but not before others ; but the external act of con- fession, which is made either by patiqnt sufferings or holiness of life ; so we honour God before others. Our deeds must answer our faith ; for the truest confession is made by deeds rather than words, for words are cheaper than deeds. The world therefore believeth deeds more. In short, a christian that desireth to magnify Christ in his soul, desireth also to magnify him in his body : Phil. i. 20, ' So Christ be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death ; ' so 1 Cor. vi. 20, * Glorify God in your bodies and souls, which are God's.'
[2.] Others are edified; for that which is secret is no means to profit them : they cannot see our faith ; but they may see our good works : Mat. v. 16, ' Let your light so sliine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven ; ' and 1 Peter ii. 12, ' That they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation ; ' and a holy life is
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required for their sakes, that we may be a means to bring them home to God.
[3.] We are most comforted ; for it is the practical, operative faith which giveth a right to salvation, and breedeth assurance of it in our souls. That is but the image and shadow of grace that lurketh and lieth hid and idle in the soul : James ii. 14, ' What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, and hath not works ? Can faith save him ? ' You do not look for salvation by Christ if you do not take the way that leadeth to it ; but a fruitful faith evidenceth itself, and confirmeth our interest and increaseth our joy.