This in general is God's way of saving sinners, whether men like it or no : " For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, 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," Rom. viii. 3, 4. See also Heb. X. 5-10. " He made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21.
Here unbelief hath prevailed with many in this latter age to reject the glory of God herein; but we have vindicated the truth against them sufficiently elsewhere.
4. There are sundry things previously required to give us a clear view of the gloiy of God in this way of saving sinners: such are, a due consideration of the nature of the fall of our first parents, and of our apostasy from God thereby. I may not stay here to show
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the nature or aggravations of tliem; neither can we conceive them aright, much less express them. I only say, that unless we have due apprehensions of the dread and terror of them, of the invasion made on the glory of God, and the confusion brought on the creation by them, we can never discern the reason and glory of rejecting the way of personal righteousness, and the establishing this way of a mediator for the saving of sinners. A due sense of our present infinite distance from God, and the impossibility that there is in ourselves of making any approaches unto him, is of the same consi- deration ; so likewise is that of our utter disability to do any thing that may answer the law, or the holiness and righteousness of God therein, — of our universal unconformity in our natures, hearts, and their actings, unto the nature, holiness, and -will of God. Unless, I say, we have a sense of these things in our minds and upon our con- sciences, we cannot believe aright, we cannot comprehend the glory of this new way of salvation. And whereas mankind hath had a general notion, though no distinct apprehension, of these things, or of some of them, many amongst them have apprehended that there is a necessity of some kind of satisfaction or atonement to be made, that sinners may be freed from the displeasure of God; but when God's way of it was proposed unto them, it was, and is, generally re- jected, because " the carnal mind is enmity against God." But when these things are fixed on the soul by shai'p and durable convictions, they will enlighten it with due apprehensions of the glory and beauty of God's way of saving sinners.
5. This is the gospel, this is the work of it, — namely, a divine declaration of the way of God for the saving of sinners, through the person, mediation, blood, righteousness, and intercession of Christ. This is that which it revealeth, declareth, proposeth, and tendereth imto sinners, — there is a way for their salvation. As this is contained in the first promise, so the truth of every word in the Scripture depends on the supposition of it. Without this, there could be no more intercourse between God and us than is between him and devils. Again, it declares that this way is not by the law or its works, — by the first covenant, or its conditions, — by our own doing or suffering; but it is a new way, found out in and proceeding from infinite wisdom, love, grace, and goodness, — namely, by the incarna- tion of the eternal Son of God, his susception of the office of a media- tor, doing and suffering in the discharge of it whatever was needful for the justification and salvation of sinners, unto his own eternal glory. See Rom. iii. 24-27, viii. 3, 4; 2 Cor. v. 19-21, etc.
Moreover, the gospel adds, that the only way of obtaining an interest in this blessed contrivance of saving sinners by the substi- tution of Christ, as the surety of the covenant, and thereon the im-
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putation of our sius to him, and of bis righteousness unto ns, is by faith in him.
Here comes in that trial of faith which we inquire after. This way of saving sinners being proposed, offered, and tendered unto us in the gospel, true and saving faith receives it, approves of it, rests in it, renounceth all other hopes and expectations, reposing its whole confidence therein.
For it is not proposed unto lis merely as a notion of truth, to be assented to or denied, in which sense all believe the gospel that are called Christians, — they do not esteem it a fable ; but it is j)roposed unto us as that which we ought practically to close withal, for our- selves to trust alone unto it for life and salvation. And I shall speak briefly unto two things: — I. How doth saving faith approve of this way; on what accounts, and unto ivhat ends? II. Hoiv it doth evi- dence and manifest itself hereby unto the comfort of believers.
I.
How doth Scaving faith approve of this way ; on what accounts, and unto what ends ?