(3.) The last act of faith, in the order of nature, is the soul's acqui- escency in, and trust unto, this way of salvation for itself and its own eternal condition, with a renunciation of all other ways and means for that end. And because Jesus Christ, in his person, media- tion, and righteousness, is the life and centre of this wa}^, as he in "whom alone God will glorify his wisdom, love, grace, and mercy, — as he who hath purchased, procured, and wrought all this salvation for
FAITH OF GOD S ELECT 421
US, — whose righteousness is imputed unto us for our justification, and who in the discharge of his office doth actually bestow it upon us, — he is the proper and immediate object of faith, in this act of trust and affiance. This is that which is called in the Scripture believing in Christ, — namely, the trusting unto him alone for life and salvation, as the whole of divine wisdom and grace is administered by him unto these ends. For this we come unto him, we receive him, we believe in him, we trust hira, we abide in him; with all those other ways whereby our faith in him is expressed.
And this is the second ground or reason whereon faith doth close with, embrace, and approve of God's way of saving sinners ; whereby it v/ill evidence itself, unto the comfort of them in whom it is, in the midst of all their trials and temptations.
Thirdly, Faith approves of this vvay, as that which makes the glory of God, in the giving and the sanction of the law, to be as emi- nently conspicuous as if it had been perfectly fulfilled by every one of us in our own persons. The laAV was a just representation of the righteousness and holiness of God; and the end for which it was given was, that it might be the means and instrument of the eternal exaltation of his glory in these holy properties of his nature. Let no man imagine that God hath laid aside this law, as a thing of no more use; or that he will bear a diminution of that glory, or any part of it, which he designed in the giving of it. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but no jot or tittle of the law shall do so. No be- liever can desire, or be pleased with, his own salvation, unless the glory of God designed by the law be secured. He cannot desire that God should forego any part of his glory that he might be saved. Yea, this is that on the account whereof he principally rejoiceth in his own salvation, — namely, that it is that wherein God will be abso- lutely, vmiversally, and eternally glorified.
Now, in this way of saving sinners by Jesus Christ, by mercy, par- don, and the righteousness of another (of all which the law knows nothing), faith doth see and understand how all that glory which God designed in the giving of the law is eternally secured and preserved entire, without eclipse or diminution. The way whereby this is done is declared in the gospel. See Kom. iii, 24-26, viii, 2-4, x. 3, 4. Hereby faith is enabled to answer all the challenges and charges of the law, with all its pleas for the vindication of divine justice, truth, and holiness; it hath that to offer which gives it the utmost satisfac- tion in all its pleas for God : so is this answer managed, Rom. viii, 82-34.
And this is the first way whereby the faith of God's elect doth evi- dence itself in the minds and consciences of them that do believe, in the midst of all their contests with sin, their trials and temptations.
422 EVIDENCES OF THE
to their relief and comfort, — namely, the closing with, and approba- tion of, God's way of saving sinners by Jesus Christ, on the grounds and reasons which have been declared.
II-
The second evidence of the faith of God's elect.
The second way whereby true faith doth evidence itself in the souls and consciences of believers, unto their supportment and comfort under all their conflicts with sin, in all their trials and temptations, is by a constant approbation of the revelation of the will of God in the Scripture concerning our holiness, and the obedience unto him- self which he requireth of us. This faith will never forego, whatever trials it may undergo, whatever darkness the mind may fall into; this it will abide by in all extremities. And that it may appear to be a peculiar effect or work of saving faith, some things are to be premised and considered: —
1- There is in all men by nature a light enabling them to judge of the difference that is between Avhat is morally good and what is evil, especially in things of more than ordinary importance. This light is not attained or acquired by us ; we are not taught it, we do not learn it: it is born with us, and inseparable from us; it prevents [exists previously to] consideration and reflection, working naturally, and in a sort necessarily, in the first actings of our souls.
And the discerning power of this light, as to the moral nature of men's actions, is accompanied inseparably with a judgment that they make concerning themselves as unto what they do of the one kind or other, and that with respect unto the superior judgment of God about the same things. This the apostle expressly ascribes unto the Gentiles, who had not the law, Rom. ii. 14, 15 : " The Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Avhich show the work of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing wit- ness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." This is a most exact description of a natural conscience, in both the powers of it ; it discerns that good and evil which is com- manded and forbidden in the law, and it passeth an acquitting or condemning judgment and sentence, according to what men have done.