Again : some there were at first, and such still continue to be, who rejected not this way absolutely, and in the notion of it, but compa- ratively, as reduced to practice; and so perished in their unbelief. They judged the way of their own righteousness to be better, as that which might be more safely trusted unto, — as more according unto the mind of God and unto his glory. So did the Jews generally, the frame of whose minds the apostle represents, Rom. x. o, 4. And many of them assented unto the doctrine of the gospel in general as true, howbeit they liked it not in their hearts as the best way of jus- tification and salvation, but souglit for them by the works of the law.
Wherefore, unbelief, in its formal nature, consists in the want of a spiritual discerning and approbation of the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, as an effect of the infinite wisdom, goodness, and love of God ;
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for where these are, the soul of a convmced- sinner cannot but em- brace it, and adhere unto it. Hence, also, all acquiescency in this way, and trust and confidence in committing the soul unto it, or unto God in it, and by it (without which whatever is pretended of believing is but a shadow of faith), is impossible unto such persons; for they want the foundation whereon alone they can be built. And the con- sideration hereof doth sufficiently manifest wherein the nature of true evangelical faith doth consist.
2. The design of God in and by the gospel, with the work and office of faith with respect thereunto, farther confirms the description given of it. That which God designeth herein, in the first place, is not the justification and salvation of sinners. His utmost complete end, in all his counsels, is his own glory. He doth all things for himself; nor can he who is infinite do otherwise. But in an especial manner he expresseth this concerning this way of salvation by Jesus Christ.
Particularly, he designed herein the glory of his righteousness; "To declare his righteousness," Rom. iii. 25;^of his love; "God so loved the world," John iii. 16; "Herein v^e perceive the love of God, that he laid down his life for us," 1 John iii. 16; — of his grace; " Accepted, to the praise of the glory of his grace," Eph. i. 5, 6 ; — of his tuisdom; "Christ crucified, the wisdom of God," 1 Cor. i. 24; " Might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God," Eph, iii. 10; — of his power; "it is the power of God unto salvation," Rom. i. 16; — of his faithfidness, Rom. iv. 16. For God designed herein, not only the reparation of all that glory whose declaration was impeached and obscured by the entrance of sin, but also a far- ther exaltation and more eminent manifestation of it, as unto the degrees of its exaltation, and some especial instances before concealed, Eph. iii. 9. And all this is called " The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ;" whereof faith is the beholding, 2 Cor, iv. 6.
3. This being the principal design of God in the way of justifica- tion and salvation by Christ proposed in the gospel, that which on our part is required unto a participation of the benefits of it, is the ascription of that glory unto God which he designs so to exalt. The acknowledgment of all these glorious properties of the divine nature, as manifested in the provision and proposition of this way of life, righteousness, and salvation, with an approbation of the way itself as an effect of them, and that which is safely to be trusted unto, is that which is required of us; and this is faith or believing: " Being strong in faith, he gave glory to God," Rom. iv. 20. And this is in the nature of the weakest degree of sincere faith. And no other grace, work, or duty, is suited hereunto, or firstly and directly of that ten- dency, but only consequentially and in the way of gratitude. And although I cannot wholly assent unto him who affirms that faith in
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98 ON JUSTIFICATION.
the epistles of Paul is nothing but " existimatio magnifice sen ti ens de Dei potentia, justitia, bonitate, et si quid promiserit in eo prses- tando constantia," because it is too general, and not limited unto the way of salvation by Christ, his " elect in whom he will be glori- fied;" yet hath it much of the nature of faith in it. Wherefore I say, that hence we may both learn the nature of faith, and whence it is that faith alone is required unto our justification. The reason of it is, because this is that grace or duty alone whereby we do or can give unto God that glory which he designeth to manifest and exalt in and by Jesus Christ. This only faith is suited unto, and this it is to believe. Faith, in the sense we inquke after, is the heart's approbation of, and consent unto, the way of life and salva- tion of sinners by Jesus Christ, as that wherein the glory of the righteousness, wisdom, grace, love, and mercy of God is exalted ; the praise whereof it ascribes unto him, and resteth in it as unto the ends of it, — namely, justification, life, and salvation. It is to give " glory to God," Rom. iv. 20 ; to " behold his glory as in a glass," or the gospel wherein it is represented unto us, 2 Cor. iii. 18; to have in our hearts " the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6. The contrary whereunto makes God a liar, and thereby despoileth him of the glory of all those holy properties which he this way designed to manifest, 1 John v. 10.