(2.) The Scripture plainly declares that faith as justifying resiiects the sacerdotal office and actings of Christ alone. In the great re- presentation of the justification of the church of old, in the expiatory sacrifice, when all their sins and iniquities were pardoned, and their persons accepted with God, the acting of their faith was limited unto the imposition of all their sins on the head of the sacrifice by the high priest. Lev. xvi. " By his knowledge" (that is, by faith in him) " shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their ini- quities," Isa. liii. 11. That alone which faith respects in Christ, as unto the justification of sinners, is his " bearing their iniquities."
120 ON JUSTIFICATION.
Guilty, convinced sinners look unto liim by faitli, as those who were stung with " fiery serpents" did to the "brazen serpent," — that is, as he was Ufted up on the cross, John iii. 14, 15. So did he himself express the nature and actings of faith in our justification. Rom, iii, 24, 25, " Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus : whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." As he is a propitiation, as he shed his blood for us, as we have redemption thereby, he is the peculiar object of our faith, with respect unto our justification. See to the same purjDOse, Rom. v. 9, 10; Eph. i. 7; Col. i. 14; Eph. ii. 13-16; Rom, viii. 3, 4. " He was made sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21. That which we seek after in justification, is a participation of the righteousness of God; — to be made the righteousness of God, and that not in ourselves, but in another ; that is, in Christ Jesus. And that alone which is proposed unto our faith as the means and cause of it, is his being made sin for us, or a sacrifice for sin ; wherein all the guilt of our sins Avas laid on him, and he bare all our iniquities. This, therefore, is its peculiar object herein. And wherever, in the Scripture, we are directed to seek for the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Christ, to receive the atonement, to be justified through the faith of him as crucified, the object of faith in justification is limited and determined.
But it may be pleaded, in exception unto the testimonies, that no one of them doth affirm that we are justified by faith in the blood of Christ alone, so as to exclude the consideration of the other offices of Christ and their actings from being the object of faith in the same manner and unto the same ends with his sacerdotal office, and what belongs thereunto, or is derived from it.
Ans. This exception derives from that common objection against the doctrine of justification by faith alone, — namely, that that ex- clusive term alone is not found in the Scripture, or in any of the testimonies that are produced for justification by faith. But it is replied, with sufficient evidence of truth, that although the word be not found syllabically used unto this purpose, yet there are exceptive expressions equivalent unto it; as we shall see afterward. It is so in this particular instance also; for, — First, Whereas our justification is expressly ascribed unto our faith in the blood of Christ as the pro- pitiation for our sins, unto our believing in him as crucified for us, and it is nowhere ascribed unto our receiving of him as King, Lord, or Prophet, it is plain that the former expressions ai'e virtually exclu- sive of the latter consideration. Secondly, I do not say that the con- sideration of the kingly and prophetical offices of Christ is excluded from our justification, as works are excluded in opposition unto faith and grace: for they are so excluded, as that we are to exercise an
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act of our minds in their positive rejection, as saying, ' Get you hence, you have no lot nor portion in this matter;" but as to these offices of Christ, as to the object of faith as justifying, we say only that they are not included therein. For, so to believe to be justified by his blood, as to exercise a positive act of the mind, excluding a com- pliance with his other offices, is an impious imagination.
(3.) Neither the consideration of these offices themselves, nor of any of the peculiar acts of them, is suited to give the souls and con- sciences of convinced sinners that relief which they seek after in justification. We are not, in this whole cause, to lose out of our eye the state of the person who is to be justified, and what it is he doth seek after, and ought to seek after, therein. Now, this is pardon of sin, and righteousness before God alone. That, therefore, which is no way suited to give or tender this relief unto him, is not, nor can be, the object of his faith whereby he is justified, in that exercise of it whereon his justification doth depend. This relief, it will be said, is to be had in Christ alone. It is true; but under what consideration ? for the sole design of the sinner is, how he may be accepted with God, be at peace tuith him, have all his ivrath turned aiuay, by a propitiation or atonement. Now, this can no otherwise be done but by the acting of some one totuards God and with God on his behalf; for it is about the turning away of God's anger, and acceptance with him, that the inquiry is made. It is by the blood of Christ that we are " made nigh," who were " far off," Eph. ii. 13. By the blood of Christ are we reconciled, who were enemies, verse 1 6. By the hlood of Christ we have redemption, Rom. iii. 24, 25 ; Eph. i. 7, etc. This, therefore, is the object ot faith.