And, if I mistake not, this is that which the experience of them that truly believe, when they are out of the heats of disputation, will give testimony unto.
4. To understand the nature of justifying faith aright, or the act and exercise of saving faith in order unto our justification, which are properly inquired after, we must consider the order of it; first the things which are necessarily previous thereunto, and then what it is to believe with respect unto them. As, —
(1.) The state of a convinced sinner, who is the only "subjectum capax justificationis." This hath been spoken unto already, and the necessity of its pi'ecedency unto the orderly proposal and receiving of evangelical righteousness unto justification demonstrated. If we lose a respect hereunto, we lose our best guide towards the discovery of the nature of faith. Let no man think to understand the gospel, who knoweth nothing of the law. God's constitution, and the nature of the things themselves, have given the law the precedency with re- spect unto sinners; " for by the law is the knowledge of sin." And gospel faith is the soul's acting according to the mind of God, for deliverance from that state and condition which it is cast under by the law. And all those descriptions of faith which abound in the writings of learned men, which do not at least include in them a virtual respect unto this state and condition, or the work of the law
THE NATURE OF JUSTIFYING FAITH. 99
on the consciences of sinners, are all of them vain speculations. There is nothing in this whole doctrine that I will more firmly ad- here unto than the necessity of the convictions mentioned previous unto true believing; without which not one line of it can be under- stood aright, and men do but beat the air in their contentions about it. See Rom. iii. 21-24.
(2.) We suppose herein a sincere assent unto all divine revelations, whereof the promises of grace and mercy by Christ are an especial part. This Paul supposed m Agrippa when he would have won him over unto faith in Christ Jesus : " King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest," Acts xxvi. 27. And this assent which respects the j^romises of the gospel, not as they contain, propose, and exhibit the Lord Christ and the benefits of his media- tion unto us, but as divine revelations of infallible truth, is true and sincere in its kind, as we described it before under the notion of tem- porary faith ; but as it proceeds no farther, as it includes no act of the will or heart, it is not that faith whereby we are justified. How- ever, it is required thereunto, and is included therein.
(3.) The 2Woposal of the gospel, according unto the mind of God, is hereunto supposed ; that is, that it be preached according unto God's appointment: for not only the gospel itself, but the dispensation or preaclung of it in the ministry of the church, is ordinarily required unto believing. This the apostle asserts, and proves the necessity of it at large, Rom. x. 11-17. Herein the Lord Christ and his media- tion with God, the only way and means for the justification and sal- vation of lost convinced sinners, as the product and effect of divine wisdom, love, grace, and righteousness, is revealed, declared, proposed, and offered unto such sinners: " For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from £aith to faith," Rom. i. 17. The glory of God is represented " as in a glass," 2 Cor. iii. 18; and " life and immor- tality are brought to hght through the gospel," 2 Tim. i. 10; Heb. ii. 3. Wherefore, —
(4.) The persons who are required to believe, and whose imme- diate duty it is so to do, are such who really in their own consciences are brought unto, and do make the inquiries mentioned in the Scrip- ture,— " What shall we do? What shall we do to be saved? How shall we fly from the ^^Tath to come? WhereAvithal shall we appear before God? How shall we answer what is laid unto our charge?" — or such as, being sensible of the guilt of sin, do seek for a righteous- ness in the sight of God, Acts ii 37, 38, xvi. SO, 31 ; Micah vi. 6, 7; Isa. XXXV. 4; Heb. vi. 18.
On these suppositions, the command and direction given unto men being, "Beheve, and thou shalt be saved;" the inquiry is. What is that act or icorh of faith whereby we may obtain a real interest or pro-
100 ON JUSTIFICATION.
priety in the promises of the gospel, and the things declared in them, unto their justification before God?
And, — 1. It is evident, from what hath been discoursed, that it doth not consist in, that it is not to be fully expressed by, any one single habit or act of the mind or will distinctly whatever; for there are such descriptions given of it in the Scripture, such things are pro- posed as the object of it, and such is the experience of all that sin- cerely believe, as no one single act, either of the mind or will, can answer unto. Nor can an exact method of those acts of the soul which are concurrent therein be prescribed; only what is essential unto it is manifest.