Ans. I answer, Every man who falls does not fall on all-four, fall away quite. There bo degrees of falling ; as in a sick man, though ill, he is not by and by dead. Some life and strength remains, which works out towards health again. There is so much grace and life in justification left, as to recover him again. But as in other cases, so in relapses also, a man must live by faith. We see, 2 Cor. v. 20, even such as were in the state of grace, are entreated to be reconciled. Though we fall, we must not there- fore fall off, but stir up grace, and recover ourselves again. So Isa. Iv. 7, there it is said, ' Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous his thoughts : and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.' And then he adds the reason, ' For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my. ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.' So Jer. iii. 1, ' They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again ? Shall not the land be greatly polluted ? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers ; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.' Thus we must live by faith, for all our slips and falls, yet not to let go our hold, but still run to the horns of this altar, still fly to this city of refuge, and so we shall be safe.
Quest. But what is the reason that many who are justified yet find not daily comfort ?
Ans. Perhaps they daub up+ themselves, and do not search the bottom of their corruption : as Ps. xxxii. 3, David, when he kept close his sin, his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day long, and God's hand was heavy upon him day and night. Then he shews how he found com- fort : ' I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto thee ; and thou for- gavest the iniquity of my sin.' So it may be in this case. We come not off with God freely, we do not ransack our sins, we seai'ch not all the cor- ners. Sin is a marvellous subtle thing. Again, thereby many times God will humble us for a former sin, and keep off comfort, until we be more humbled, and stand in awe of sin.
3. Thirdly, Hence sj^rinr/s a vigorous life. A life of cheerfulness, when a man hath his pardon sued out, then comes life and joy, strength of holy actions well rooted and grounded. Who should joy, if a triumphant righteous person should not ? Who have cause to rejoice more than kings ? By justification we are made kings and priests, are lifted above all sins and lusts, world and devil ; have a right and title to heaven. Shall a car- nal man joy in his titles and privileges, and shall not we much more, being « Cf. Note w, Vol. III. p. 531.— G. t Cf. Ezek. xiii. 11, 12, and xxii. 28.— G.
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Bons of God by adoption, and heirs of all things ? So Horn. v. 1 : ' Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, and joy in tribulation.' Being once justified, the sting of all troubles is taken away. God is ours. We joy in God. This is all in all. The blood of Abel, that cries for ven- geance ; but the Spirit of God in this estate tells me, that the blood of Christ speaks better things, mercy, mercy ; in his blood is always comfort, though we be weak and unskilful to apply it. The washing in this blood should make a Christian walk on cheerfully in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. But I hasten to the next, which is,
4. Fourthly, The life of faith in sanctification. This springs from these grounds :
(1.) First, Faith lays hold on Christ, as God offers him. How is this ? See 1 Cor. i. 30 : ' But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' God gives Christ, not for justification only, but sanctification also : and thus faith must apprehend him.
(2.) Faith receives him as whole Christ in all his offices ; not as a priest to save only, but as a king to rule ; as a wife receives her husband, to be governed and ruled by him.
(3.) Again, Christ came not only to take away the guilt of sin, but the dominion of sin. He came, as John speaks, to destroy the whole work of the devil ; as it is said, Eph. v. 25, 26, ' He gave himself for his church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.' Christ doth purge his church, not only from the guilt of sin, but also from the meddling and polluting of itself in the world with filthy things. So Rom, viii. 3, the apostle shews, that * God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh : that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.' He came as well by water as by blood. Therefore faith puts him on, not only by justification, but also in sanctification. To clear this.