6. Surely the difficulty of assenting to this proposition, that faith is the _only condition_ of justification, must arise from not understanding it. We mean thereby thus much, that it is the only thing without which none is justified; the only thing that is immediately, indispensably, absolutely requisite in order to pardon. As on the one hand, tho’ a man should have every thing else, without faith, yet he cannot be justified; so on the other, tho’ he be supposed to want every thing else, yet if he hath faith, he cannot but be justified. For suppose a sinner of any kind or degree, in a full sense of his total ungodliness, of his utter inability to think, speak or do good, and his absolute meetness for hell-fire: suppose, I say, this sinner, helpless and hopeless, casts himself wholly on the mercy of God in Christ (which indeed he cannot do but by the grace of God) who can doubt, but he is forgiven in that moment? Who will affirm, that any more is _indispensably required_, before that sinner can be justified?
Now if there ever was one such instance from the beginning of the world. (And have there not been, and are there not ten thousand times ten thousand?) it plainly follows, that faith is, in the above sense, the sole condition of justification.
7. It does not become poor, guilty, sinful worms, who receive whatsoever blessings they enjoy, (from the least drop of water that cools our tongue, to the immense riches of glory in eternity) of grace, of mere favour, and not of debt, to ask of God the reasons of his conduct. It is not meet for us to call him in question, _who giveth account to none of his ways_; to demand, Why didst thou make faith the condition, the only condition of justification? Wherefore didst thou decree, _He that believeth_, and he only, _shall be saved_? This is the very point on which St. _Paul_ so strongly insists in the ninth chapter of this epistle, _viz_. That the terms of pardon and acceptance must depend, not on us, but _on him that calleth us_: that there is no _unrighteousness with God_, in fixing his own terms, not according to ours, but his own good pleasure: who may justly say, _I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy_, namely, on him who believeth in Jesus. So _then it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth_, to chuse the condition on which he shall find acceptance; _but of God that sheweth mercy_, that accepteth none at all, but of his own free love, his unmerited goodness. _Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy_, viz. on those who believe on the Son of his love: _and whom he will_, that is, those who believe not, _he hardeneth_, leaves at last to the hardness of their hearts.
8. One reason, however, we may humbly conceive, of God’s fixing this condition of justification, _If thou believest in the Lord Jesus Christ thou shalt be saved_, was to _hide pride from man_. Pride had already destroyed the very angels of God, had cast down _a third part of the stars of heaven_. It was likewise in great measure owing to this, when the tempter said, _Ye shall be as Gods_, that _Adam_ fell from his own stedfastness, and brought sin and death into the world. It was therefore an instance of wisdom worthy of God, to appoint such a condition of reconciliation, for him and all his posterity, as might effectually humble, might abase them to the dust. And such is faith. It is peculiarly fitted for this end. For he that cometh unto God by this faith, must fix his eye singly on his own wickedness, on his guilt and helplessness, without having the least regard to any supposed good in himself, to any virtue or righteousness whatsoever. He must come as a _mere sinner_ inwardly and outwardly, self-destroyed and self-condemned, bringing nothing to God but ungodliness only, pleading nothing of his own but sin and misery. Thus it is, and thus alone, when his _mouth is stopped_, and he stands utterly _guilty before God_, that he can _look unto Jesus_, as the whole and sole _propitiation for his sins_. Thus only can he be _found in him_, and receive the _righteousness which is of God by faith_.