Sermon 59

Isaiah 53:11. Verse 11. — By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.

The knowledge of Christ was wont to be much thought of by the people of God, and to be in high estimation among them; and we may say, we know well it was deservedly so, considering that it is by his knowledge, that justification was derived to them, and is derived to us. This is that which the Lord is clearing by the Prophet here; to wit, how the benefit of Christ's sufferings, and purchase may be derived, and communicated to a sinner; which these words (though but few) as purposely made use of, to clear; even that his sufferings should not be in vain, but that he should sow a seed, and though that seed should not be all men, yet they should be many; and the way how these many should come by the benefit of his sufferings is also held forth; and that is, by his knowledge, who is the righteous servant. We showed you, that this does upon the matter look to faith, and is meant of it; and confirmed it by other parallel Scriptures, which say, that through faith in him, all that believe are justified. We came also to speak of this faith which justifies, and did propose five things to be spoken of concerning it, (and indeed if anything be of concern, this is; if a right to Christ and his purchase be of concern, then sure it must be of concern to know how we come by that right) 1. The necessity of it. 2. The object of it. 3. The act of it. 4. The effects that flow from it. 5. The manner of its concurring in the attaining of justification. We spoke of the first, to wit, of the necessity of faith; and showed that though there be a full satisfaction laid down to merit and procure justification, yet it is applied to none but to believers, and not till they believe.

2. We spoke also to this, that faith, as it justifies, looks not to all the Word of God, as its object, but mainly, and principally to Christ, and to the Word only, in so far as it holds out Christ in the promises and offers of God's grace, as it is here called the knowledge of him, or faith in him.

We now proceed to hint a word for clearing of a question, and it's a new and very late one, to wit, whether justifying faith lays hold on Christ as a Savior and Priest only, or whether it lays hold on Him not only, as a Priest to save, but also as a King to command? Though this does not look at first blush to be of any great moment, and that such an inconsiderable-like difference is not to be stood upon; yet we will find that this last wants not its own influence on altering the common and ordinary, and (as we conceive) the solid received doctrine, concerning the way of justification; if we should admit it. And therefore we answer the question from the text. That Christ considered as suffering, and bearing our sins, and so as offering Himself in a sacrifice, is the object that justifying faith, as such takes hold of. Therefore the connection of these two is clear in this verse, He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; and by his knowledge shall many be justified; and again it is subjoined, as the reason why many shall by faith in Him be justified; because he shall bear their iniquities. By the knowledge of Him that offered Himself in a sacrifice, many are justified; and many are justified, because He bears their iniquities; which will infer this, that faith considers Him as satisfying for the iniquities of His people, in its acting on Him for justification, and pardon of sin. It is true, Christ's offices are not divided, and it is not true faith if it take not hold of Him, and make not use of Him in all His offices; but as there are several evils in us, which His offices do meet with, and are suited to, so should faith take hold of them, and make use of them for curing, and removing of these evils. He is King, Priest, and Prophet, and faith takes hold of Him, as a King to command, and subdue us to Himself, as a Prophet to illuminate us, and cure our blindness, and as a Priest to satisfy divine justice, and to procure the pardon of sin. As we are not to separate, so we are not to confound these; we do not use to say that Christ as a Prophet does justify us, nor that as a Priest He does illuminate us; no more should we, nor can we well say, that as a King He satisfied justice for us. The same blessed God is wise, righteous, holy, faithful, just, merciful, etc. Yet He is diversely considered in respect of our conceiving and use-making according to our need; so is it here. For clearing of this, take these grounds. 1. The Scripture speaks of, and points Christ out in His sufferings, as the object of justifying faith (Romans 3:25), where God has set forth for a propitiation through faith in his blood: where the blood of Christ, and He as suffering is proposed as faith's object. So, (1 Corinthians 1) we preach Christ crucified. (1 John 2) We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, where He is held forth in His sufferings, as the propitiation that faith lays hold on. (John 3:14) As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes on him, etc. Where Christ lifted up, and as dying on the cross, is made the object of justifying faith; even as the brazen serpent lifted up was the object that they looked to, when they were stung, and cured. 2. It's also clear from the law's labeling and charging us for the debt of our sin, that makes us liable to condemnation, and faith being the means of our justification, and absolution from the debt, it must needs look to the guarantor's paying of our debt, and so answering the charge; which was done in His death, for He paid our debt, satisfied the penalty of the law, and came under the curse in suffering death; as is clear (Galatians 3:10) being compared with verse 13. So, (Romans 8:34) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God, that justifies, who shall condemn? It is Christ that died; which is brought in as faith's answer to the charge. The charge cannot be denied, for we are guilty of so many sins, and therefore liable to condemnation; but says faith, Christ has died: it proposes Him dying as a satisfaction for answering the charge, and for obtaining of absolution. 3. Christ as suffering and satisfying justice, is our righteousness, and therefore must be the object of faith, as it's justifying, on which it pleads an absolution before the throne of God. So that when we come to plead and found our defense before God's throne; it is not on this, that Christ is a King, and has subdued us; but it is on this [reconstructed: ground]; that He is our Priest, and has satisfied justice for us, and paid our debt, and procured a discharge to us. So the Apostle speaking of Christ's sufferings (Colossians 2) says, that he blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. It's Christ as suffering that is the ground of our peace, and therefore faith as justifying must so consider Him. Though we desire to move nothing needlessly, yet laying it once for a ground; that justifying faith lays hold on Christ as a King, this will follow as a consequence, and as we suppose, as a reason, that our obedience to Christ, as a King has the same influence, and the same causality in our justification, that faith's resting on Christ's satisfying for us as a Priest has; because as Christ's priestly office gives us a warrant to rest upon Him for justification, so would His kingly office, (if it were the object of justifying faith as such) when taken hold of for our obedience. We have touched on this. 1. That you may see the warrantableness of this doctrine which is received in the churches of Christ, and that you may consider Christ as the high priest of your profession, and plead justification from His sacrifice, acting faith upon Him accordingly. 2. That we may put a bar against the introducing of justification by works under one pretext or another, however specious; seeing the Scripture so directly opposes faith and works in our justification. For if we once admit that Christ, as King, is the object of justifying faith as such, it would overturn the distinct way of faith's acting upon Christ's righteousness, for answering the charge put in the sinner's hand by the law. And when the soul gets a challenge for sin, would put it to look what obedience it has given to Christ, as a King to answer that challenge, or charge by; and would in the same manner also put the soul to gather the ground of its peace from the one, as well as from the other, that is both from Christ's righteousness, and from its own obedience, not only as an evidence, but a social cause, or not only to its own sense, but as to the effect. But we leave this as a [reconstructed: thing] to be regretted; that when there is ground enough of stumbling, because of our ignorance, and blindness; there should, and that very unnecessarily be such new occasion of stumbling to souls cast in the way of faith.

We come now to speak of the act of faith as justifying, called here knowledge, and the knowledge of him, to show that it points at justifying faith; for if it were not so, it were the same with common knowledge, whereby we believe any history of the Bible; but this being justifying knowledge, it must be knowledge of another kind. We shall here clear, 1. Wherein the act of justifying faith consists. 2. Remove some mistakes about it, and make some use of it.

For the first, we suppose there are these four requisite, in, or to justifying faith; though not always in the same degree. 1. That there be distinct knowledge in some measure of the object; an antecedent that faith presupposes, and for which cause faith gets the name of knowledge here and elsewhere in Scripture; the antecedent being put for the consequent; for faith has always knowledge with it, though knowledge has not always faith. 2. That there be an assent to the thing known; as when we know that we are sinners, and that it is the blood of Christ that must cleanse us from sin, we must assent to the truth of these, as Christ says (John 8), If you believe not Moses his writings, how shall you believe my words? If you assent not to the truth of that he has written, how can you believe my speaking? Both these are in the understanding, and if there be no more, this makes but historical faith. 3. When the soul knows it is a sinner, and under the curse, and that Christ is a Savior, and that there is salvation to be gotten by such a means, and that he an able Savior, and has assented to the truth of these; there is a consenting of the heart to that truth conditionally proposed, and made offer of, that is to receive Christ as he is offered in the Gospel; which in Scripture is called a receiving of him (John 1:12), To as many as received him, etc. And this is an act of the will; respecting Christ as offered, and a bargain proposed that will make the soul happy where faith accepts. 4. There is a resting on Christ received as a good bargain; which is also an act of the heart, or will, called in Scripture a committing ourselves to him, a leaning on him, or rolling ourselves on him; which we conceive to be the same that Paul has (Philippians 3:9), That I may be found in him; when the soul places its safety here, and trusts in Christ's righteousness alone, as contradistinguished to its own. These two last acts are properly the essence of faith as justifying; and they are well held out in the Catechism, where faith is described to be a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon Christ as he is offered in the Gospel. We shall illustrate it in a comparison made use of before to this purpose; Suppose there were a number of rebels, that had incurred the prince's displeasure, and were guilty of treason by the law, suppose also the prince's son, or some courtier has satisfied for them, and procured their pardon and peace, upon which there comes out a proclamation, that if they will submit, and yield themselves, and lay down their arms, they shall be pardoned, and admitted to friendship, as if they had never rebelled. These rebels must know: 1. That there is an act of favor past, and a proclamation made on such terms. 2. They must have a general faith, and assent to the thing, and that there is no question but such a thing is done. 3. There is a consultation by the understanding with the will, if they will admit of, and receive it, and trust themselves to it. And then, 4. There is the heart's consenting to accept of the offer of grace, on the terms of the proclamation, and a resting on it, which is a trusting of their defense to it, that if ever they should be called to an account, they will make use of such an act of grace, and of the proclamation for their defense, and safety, and trust in it, and in his faithfulness who made the proclamation, believing that he will fulfill his word, and promise. It is just so here, in a sinner's acting faith for justification. We may instance and illustrate it also in the example of the Prodigal, wherein we may find something of all this; when he had been in the height of his distraction and madness, in his natural condition; it is said, he came to himself, he knew and believed that there was meat enough in his father's house, and resolved to go home; upon his knowledge follows his resolution, and his will consents; I will rise and go; which supposes his faith of an offer of meat, on condition of his going; and then there is that whereon he grounds his defense: I will say, father I have sinned; I will disclaim all, and betake me to your grace, implied in the word father; he resolves to table his defense on this ground, and upon this comes home.

More particularly; 1. Knowledge of the object rested upon is necessary (Romans 10), How can they believe on him of whom they have not heard? It is not possible we can believe what we know not. And as every other step has some doctrinal mistake, and some practical, so has this; the doctrinal mistake is that error of Papists, unworthy to be refuted; they say there is no knowledge requisite to faith; indeed, some of their prime men have said, that faith is rather ignorance than knowledge; but surely then faith would not be called knowledge, if it might rather be defined ignorance; but this they maintain to keep the people in ignorance of the Gospel, and it is the ground of many more errors, and much delusion. It is even as a blind man could go well in a slippery place where are many pits, for knowledge is no less necessary to faith, than eyes are to such a man. The practical errors in this, are such as we find in many of you, who think you can believe well, but ask, and put you to it you cannot tell what; many of you are obstinate maintainers of implicit faith, while you say you have faith, and yet cannot tell what it is, nor whereon it is grounded. But we say that knowledge is so necessary to faith, that if it be not a part of it, yet it is necessarily antecedent to it, and presupposed. Therefore, if ever you would be accounted believers, study knowledge, and the knowledge of Christ Crucified, at least so far as to ground your faith upon. It is sad that so many will maintain the reality of their faith, and yet are grossly ignorant of the [reconstructed: fundamentals] of religion; knowledge is the very use of, and first step to believing, and yet it is hardly possible to shake the vain confidence of many, whom it is as impossible to bring to knowledge.

2. There is an assent requisite to the object known, which is that we call historical faith, and this is to be confirmed in the general truths contained in the gospel; as that Adam was made according to God's image, that he fell, and broke the covenant of works, and made himself, and all his liable to God's curse; that we are by that covenant under God's curse, that Christ Jesus the Son of God according to the covenant of redemption entered himself surety for the elect, that He really died, and paid their debt, that His purchase is made offer of in the gospel, and that according to the covenant of grace, there is a real absolution from sin, and an eternal happiness to be had at the great day, through embracing of Him. There must be an assent to the truth of these things, for it is impossible, that they who think not themselves sinners, and that mind not a day of judgment, and a reckoning, will ever close with Christ, and trust in His righteousness. I fear there are but few hearers of the gospel that come the length of devils in believing; and yet all will needs be counted Christians. We would here upon the one hand disclaim the Popish error, that [reconstructed: places] all the essence of faith in the understanding; which is somewhat strange, seeing they scarce think knowledge of the thing to be believed necessary. The reason is, because they know, or at least own nothing more of the concurrence of faith in justification than is obedience to a commandment; they think it's a duty, and obedience to a commandment to assent to any truth; therefore they take this general historical faith to be the only faith, as they take holiness to be the only ground of their peace, when they are called to an account, and thus faith, as a part of their holiness comes in, but they admit of no particular respect to faith's taking hold of Christ's righteousness, as the immediate ground of their peace. Upon the other hand, we would exclude the vain faith of many professors, who, some way believe all that's in the Bible, so as they question nothing herein; they know no other faith but this; yet if this were justifying faith the devil should have it, for they believe and tremble, they believe there is a God, that Christ is the Son of God, that they that believe shall not perish, that God is faithful, etc. But this historical faith is not enough. 1. Because (as I just now said) it may be in reprobates, and devils. 2. Because the Scripture expressly differentiates this sort of faith, from saving faith, many were called believers, to whom Christ would not commit himself, as it is, (John 2:24). For, though they believed it to be truth which He spoke, yet they rested not on Him. So in the parable of the sower, (Matthew 13), there are three grounds that receive the seed, which implies in two of them, at least a kind of believing, but the fourth ground is only good. 3. Because this faith acts upon every revealed truth alike, and assents to all passages recorded in the Bible alike; as one, and to that, Paul left his cloak at Troas, and the like; as it acts on that, this is a faithful saying, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, and such like. But according to the ground formerly given, faith as it justifies acts on Christ only; and therefore this bare assent to the truth of the word, cannot be justifying faith; because it acts no other ways on Christ, than it does upon other things. You would therefore know a difference in your practice between these two — the crediting the truth of a thing, and your actual receiving, and resting upon that truth. As for example, a man proposes marriage to a woman, and she believes that he is in earnest, and not in scorn, yet there is a great difference between that, and her actual consenting to marry him. So it is here, the man may believe that Christ does really make offer of Himself to him, and yet be far from cordial receiving of Him. Or take it in the example made use of before, suppose that some of the rebels we spoke of, believe the proclamation to be a truth; yet thinking it hard to be under the bonds of government they do not embrace it. If it be objected here, that the Scripture often calls justifying faith a believing, that Christ is the Son of God, which is no more than this assent of the judgment, or historical faith; for answer, it would be considered of whom the Scripture there speaks. 1. It is of Jews for the most part, who had the faith of the Messiah generally among them; and no question, the believers of them, such as the proselyte eunuch, Martha, and Mary had the faith of the Messiah, satisfying divine justice, and of their justification through His satisfaction; but the great question of the Jews was whether Jesus the Son of Mary was the Messiah or not, and it being revealed, and believed that He was, the other followed, they rested on Him of will, (to say so) as the Messiah. 2. Believing of Christ to be the Son of God, does not exclude, but include their consenting to the receiving of Christ, but it holds forth also their assent to, and persuasion of that truth that was then debated, that He was indeed the promised Messiah, and the Son of God; for the devils confessed Him to be the Son of God, and none will say, but there was more in their believing Him to be the Son of God, than in the devils believing it, who never believe to salvation as they did. 3. Consider that as sometimes knowledge is put for faith, so this assent may be put for faith, where yet more is implied in it, especially considering that, (Romans 10), faith is called, faith of the heart, with the heart man believes; now believing with the heart being an act of the will, these testimonies setting out faith to be a believing Christ to be the Son of God; must imply a trusting in Him following upon it, we are therefore never to look on these places as comprehending a bare assent only, but as including also, and carrying along with it, the cordial receiving Him, and of resting upon Him.

For the third, to wit, the receiving act of faith, which differs from the former, as we showed in the examples hinted at before; it looks to the Covenant of Redemption between Jehovah and the Mediator; it accepts of the terms of the Covenant, as they are proposed in the Gospel and consents to the bargain; and as God proposes the righteousness of Christ, it submits to the same; which Paul (1 Timothy 1) calls a saying worthy of all acceptation, to be welcomed, and believed as such; and the believers mentioned (Hebrews 11) are said, not to have received the promises, but to have seen them afar off, and to have embraced, (or saluted) them. This receiving is no physical, or natural act, as if we were to receive such a thing by the mouth, or bodily hand; it's an act of faith in the heart, proportioned, and suited to this spiritual bargain, or marriage proposed in the Covenant of Grace; and it's like a man's consenting to a civil bargain, or like a woman's consenting to marry a man. As when it is said to sinners: you are naturally dead in sins and trespasses, and under God's curse; but, be it known to you, that we preach remission of sins to you through the blood of Christ; faith considers this offer, accepts of and welcomes it.

The fourth, and last act, is a resting on him; which is still the same faith, but another act of it; not as if there might be a receiving, and not a resting, or a resting, and not a receiving; or as if we were to difference them in respect of time; but faith is said to receive, as it respects the Gospel offer of Christ, and his satisfaction; and it's said to rest or rely, as it respects Christ and his satisfaction, the thing offered and received, with regard to the charge to which it is liable. It's here that it rests, and to this it betakes itself, as to its defense, when challenged. It's difficult to difference these two, or peremptorily to say whether Christ's righteousness be received, or rested upon; yet it's made our defense, because it's closed with, and we make them two acts of the same faith, though it's hard to make the one of them to be the effect of the other, or the one of them to be antecedent to the other, in respect of time at least. As a proclamation of pardon being made to rebels, they say this proclamation gives a freedom from the law's pursuit, because they have embraced it, and these rebels make that the ground, if ever they be challenged, whereon they found their defense; they have this to trust to, and upon this they rest. Though none of these acts can well be said to be before, or after the other in respect of time. For clearing of this a little more, consider that this resting may be looked on, either passively, or actively; passively, in respect of the believer's acquiescing in Christ, and assuring himself that all shall be well; this is not that act of faith that is called for to justification; but supposes the person to be justified, for he must be justified before he can rest, or acquiesce in it; actively, in respect of our resting on him that we may be justified, as the Apostle has it (Galatians 2:16). And this (Isaiah 5:6) is called a taking hold of God's covenant; it is an actual committing of ourselves to him, that we may win to peace, or a leaning on him; as suppose one were to rest upon a staff, it does not only imply the effect, his having of ease, but also, and firstly, his leaning to or resting on it, in order to ease. Therefore it's said (Matthew 11:28), Come to me all you that are weary and heavy laden, and you shall find rest. The act that justifies, is this last and active act, the act of coming, or leaning or resting; and the passive act of acquiescing, or assurance is that which follows upon it, as a fruit and effect of it. And therefore we humbly conceive, that it is not safe, to define justifying faith by assurance, or to say that wherever faith is, there is assurance; it is rather a resting on Christ, that we may have rest; and a ground of defense, and reason to be proposed, if we should be quarrelled for, or charged with the debt of sin.

The uses are, 1. To remove the difficulties; as namely, it may be asked here, is there no confidence or assurance in this active act of faith which is the essence of it? We answer shortly, there are three sorts of confidence pleaded for, that are far from the nature of faith; and yet faith lacks its own confidence, and assurance, if it be taken in a right sense. The first is for a man to believe, that Christ died for him in particular, at the first hand, and to think that he has no more to do, but to believe that Christ died, and suffered for him, and that thereupon he is justified; for this lays a ground for universal redemption against the current of the Scriptures, and can never be a ground of interest in Christ's righteousness; it supposes that to be done already, and admits not the soul, to concur by believing for coming to the application. And yet this is very common among people, "I believe that Christ died for me, and shed His precious blood for me," and so long as they can maintain this presumption, and not suffer themselves to admit of any debating, and questioning whether they have ground and reason for it, or not, they think they have faith enough; but this is no act of faith, nor of the nature of true justifying faith, which is to take hold of Christ offered, that we may come to be absolved through Him. Therefore, whenever the Scripture puts us to believe, it commands us to take hold of Christ offered, and not at first hand to believe, that He died for us in particular. I suppose many are carried away with this presumption, that will to their cost, at last find it to be otherwise. 2. Others think that all faith consists in this; to believe that God loved them from all eternity, and that they are already justified, which is the Antinomian way; they believe not that they may be justified, which was Paul's way (Galatians 2:16), but they believe that they are justified. And this also presupposes a universal redemption, and to press it upon you, were to bid you all believe that God has loved you, and pardoned you from all eternity; which were to bid you believe a lie; for we know well from the Scriptures of truth, that God has not loved all from eternity. And yet this is the faith that many of you presumptuously practice; we are all naturally in some way Antinomians, Papists, and Arminians in our practice; and the way of error is more consistent, and current with our nature, than the way of truth. But, O! presumptuous hypocrites, will you daringly and without any ground believe God's love to you? God shall shake you out of that confidence, and blow upon it, and make it vanish; you cry out on them that live in error; yet you practice these same errors (to speak so) as fast as you can. We cannot by much preaching, get you brought to the knowledge of the truth, but you can drink in error before you hear of it, and it will ruin your souls, if grace prevents not; and many of you shall find that thus you have destroyed yourselves. A third sort of rotten confidence, is that which some have, who cannot say they are for the time justified, yet they have a persuasion to get heaven, and to be justified before they die, or that at death they will be sure of it; and they know well they shall not despair. This is also wicked presumption, and continued in, as hazardous as [reconstructed: utter desperation], and kills more souls than despair does; for such rest quietly in their hope of being freed from wrath, and having their peace made with God, and yet never go to Christ to have it done. This is like that man's presumption, that says, "Tush, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart; God is gracious and merciful, and I hope He will not be so severe as He is called." The Lord calls this a deceiving of Him, for He says in His Word, that there is no peace to the wicked, and the foolish presumer says, I shall have peace; shall His Word or theirs stand? They say (Jeremiah 5:12; Jeremiah 7:9), "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these," they make a fair show of attendance on ordinances, and yet steal, murder, and commit adultery, and say we are delivered to do all these things; is not this a gross deceiving of the Lord? God shall beat back many of your vain confidences in your faces, and your hearts shall tremble, and your faces grow pale, when God shall cause your charge, and summons to come to judgment, sound in your ears. These and such like confidences will never bear you through; it is not these we speak of.

Yet second, we say that the right exercise of faith wants not its own confidence, comfort, and assurance, when taken in a right sense, much of which is attributed by some to the definition of faith, for some mistake faith, and others are mistaken, or misunderstood in their speaking of faith. Some divines that write of faith, speak of its being an assurance, defining it at its height; yet generally they take in, and presuppose the active act of faith resting on Christ, others define it by these two acts, a receiving of, and resting upon Christ. Therefore we would never conceive of them, at least of many of them, as making this assurance to our sense to be essential, and absolutely necessary to the being of justifying faith; much less would we think, that they are mistaken, and pass by the true acts of receiving and resting upon Christ. Only some of them (which we humbly think is their mistake) having to do with Papists, who place faith in the understanding, add an assurance of faith to the former acts. In which we say there is a ground of confidence, or a conditional assurance upon supposition, that souls receive Christ, and rest upon Him, they may be confident, that, that is a ground that will not fail them. They may be confident that He will not deceive them; a confidence in this, that they may step to, or lean upon Christ, and not fear that He fail them; or that they may without all fear of hazard cast themselves on Christ. Therefore He is called a tried, elect, precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; and indeed that is no small ground of confidence, that when a soul comes to Christ by believing, it may be sure He will not fail it. 2. Being sure that we have committed ourselves to Christ (which supposes faith's being put to exercise and practice) there may be a confidence in this respect, we may be sure He will not fail us in particular (2 Timothy 1:12). I know in whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that I have committed to him, and that I shall not be ashamed. He puts both these together, I know that He is able, and that He will not fail me, I shall not be ashamed. So (Romans 8) I am persuaded that neither death nor life, etc. shall be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. If souls have received the offer, they may be sure it will not fail them. 3. Add, that this actual, or active resting on Christ may be separated from the sense of it, or from the passive act of faith, or quietness that follows on resting on Christ. For there is a resting on Christ, which is very faith itself, and not the effect; come and you shall find rest; coming is before finding of rest, to our sense at least, we are not to knit this passive rest, with the other active act of resting, as if it were impossible to rest on Christ without present sensible ease. Besides, it is this active resting that gives us right to Christ, and not the passive (Galatians 2:16). We believe that we may be justified; this necessarily goes before our believing that we are justified.

To close with a word of more particular use, let me exhort you to lay less weight on your bare thinking that you believe; on your present ill-grounded hope and peace. Aim, and endeavor to act, and exercise faith on Christ actively, receiving and resting on Him for winning to peace. This practice of faith is the over-word (to say so) of the doctrine of justification. That seeing there is such ground of justification laid down, the righteousness of Christ, and that it is proposed to you; and seeing this is the very act of justifying faith, to receive and rest on Christ, as He is proposed and offered; when this offer is made to you, let your faith receive, take hold of and consent to the bargain. And ground and found your defense here, for answering all challenges that the law and justice may present against you. That there was a Savior offered to you; and that you received Him, and rested upon Him, will be a ground that shall bear you out when you come before God. And except this be made sure, our speaking and your hearing of faith will be to no purpose.