Sermon 61

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

The doctrine of justification through faith in Christ Jesus was accustomed to be much thought of among the people of God; it is called, in Galatians 3:8, the preaching of the gospel to Abraham, when God foretold him of a way of justification and salvation through Christ's coming of him, that in him all the nations of the earth should be blessed. This was the telling of good news to him; and we are sure it is as good news now as ever it was, and would be so to us, if we could look on it spiritually as they did. For there is as great hazard in sin, and the curse is as terrible and insufferable, and the love of God as fresh now as they were then.

We have for some days been speaking of this doctrine of justification, and it will be much to speak and hear of it profitably; we desire not to insist on what may be unuseful; but we conceive there is some necessity in insisting in this. It is our own negligence and ignorance that makes many things of this kind to be very unuseful, even so that we scarcely conceive them; and we are made heartless in speaking of them, because to many they are, as if spoken in a strange language, which is, and should be, a cause for lamentation.

The last thing we proposed was to hold forth the means by which justification is attained, to wit, faith; which we observed, to show how faith concurs in the attaining of justification. Few or none ever denied faith to be necessary for the attaining of justification, neither can any that read the Word of God with the least consideration, but have that impression of it. But the great thing wherein the difference lies, and wherein men miscarry, is in attributing to faith the right or wrong manner of its concurrence in the attaining of this effect. Though these things may at first blush look like merely notional speculations, and such as do not concern Christians' practice; yet there is no error in doctrine about this matter, but there is something in people's practice that looks like it, and is influenced by it. And it is men's inclination to error in practice that makes them as it were to coin errors in judgment.

We shall observe two generals further, and proceed. The first is, that faith has a peculiar way of concurrence for the attaining of justification, which can agree to no other grace, nor work, or rather nor to faith itself, considered as a work. Therefore justification of many is here derived to them by his knowledge, or by faith in him; that is, by faith in Christ, as excluding all other things. It is by faith that justification is derived and applied to us, and by faith we come to have right to it, and an interest in it.

The second is, that however faith concurs for the attaining of justification; yet it is not faith of itself, or by any virtue or efficacy in itself; but as taking hold of Christ as the object of it, that it justifies. Therefore it is said to be by the knowledge of him, or by faith in him; it is by receiving him, uniting us to him, and resting on him that we are justified.

We shall shortly explain both these branches, and then come to some practical use of them together.

1. Then, we say that there is something in justification attributed to faith, that cannot agree to any other thing; which is implied in many scriptural phrases, and in this text; in as far as it is said, that by his knowledge, or by faith in Him, justification is attained: And therefore when we are said to be justified by faith, we affirm that faith has a peculiar way of concurring for the attaining of justification, which can agree to no other grace, as to repentance, love, meekness, patience, etc. Not to prayer, almsdeeds, or any other good works or work; for confirming of this, consider, 1. That we are said to be justified by faith in opposition to works, and that there is something attributed to faith, which is denied to works: Generally this is clear in these epistles written to the Romans and Galatians; Particularly, (Romans 4:2-3). If Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory, but not before God, for what says the Scriptures? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness, now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt, but to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness; where most clearly and convincingly, believing and working are directly opposite the one to the other; and, (Galatians 2:16). We who are Jews by nature, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, (or as the word is, no not but by faith, that is, a man is not justified by works, but by faith) even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; where the Apostle cannot more purposely and pressingly make a difference between any two things than he does between these two, justification by works, and justification by faith. And in all this discourse, it cannot be said, that the Apostle only excludes works in respect of merit, or works, as they look to the works of the Ceremonial Law; for he opposes faith, and all sorts of works, or works in whatever respect, as inconsistent; it is not one or two sorts of works; but all sorts of works of the law; and there can be no works but such as are commended by the law, which are excluded. Now if the Apostle exclude all these, what are the works that we can be justified by? 2. Consider the peculiar phrases, that the Scripture uses to this purpose, and where we are said to be justified by faith; there is a sort of causality attributed to faith, that can be attributed to no other grace, nor works; hence the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of faith, and we are said to be justified by faith in his blood. So (Philippians 3:8-9), I count all things to be but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, and (Romans 3:25), whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood; many more such phrases there are; and truly it would look very unlike the Scripture, to expound these scriptural phrases of a righteousness of works, or by works. 3. Consider how the Apostle opposes the two covenants, the Covenant of Works made with Adam, and the Covenant of Grace made with believers in Jesus Christ, (Romans 10:5-7). Moses describes the righteousness of the law, that the man which does these things shall live by them; the righteousness of the law speaks of doing, by which we come to be justified; but the righteousness of faith, or the Covenant of Grace, speaks on this wise, The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved; where the Apostle opposes these two covenants, not in respect of merit only, as if the one were inconsistent with grace, and not the other, but he opposes them in this, that the righteousness of the one covenant is in doing, and the righteousness of the other covenant is by believing. And therefore, according to this opposition, whatever is a man's doing is not the ground of his peace, and justification before God; because the righteousness of his doing is the condition of the Covenant of Works; and the righteousness of the Covenant of Grace is quite of another nature; to wit, believing in him who justifies the ungodly. 4. Consider that the thing that is the ground of our justification before God, is Christ's righteousness inherent in Himself, and imputed to us, for the covering of our nakedness; because He is as our guarantor has paid our debt; hence it follows, that faith has another way of concurring in justification than any other thing can have; because it is faith which receives and puts on that righteousness, which no other thing does; that I may be found in him, says the Apostle, (Philippians 3:9), not having my own righteousness, but the righteousness which is by the faith of Christ; so that to be in him is to have His righteousness, and this righteousness is put on by faith. Only take two words of advisement before we come to clear the other branch of the doctrine. The first is this, when we speak of the peculiarness of the way of faith's concurring in justification, so as no other grace or work does, we design not to weaken, or cry down the necessity of repentance, and of other graces, nor of good works, the very thoughts of which we abhor, but to give every one of them their own, and the right place; and therefore it is a gross calumny to say, that we affirm, that the study and practice of holiness and good works is not necessary; we only cry them down on this account, that when we come before God, our works, or holiness are not to be presented to Him as the ground of our justification and absolution, but the righteousness of Christ that faith takes hold of; and in this we say, that faith peculiarly concurs as no other grace does, because it is fitted with an aptitude to receive and apply Christ's righteousness, which no other grace is — as we say, it is by the eye that a man sees, though if he had not a head, and brains he would not see; so though faith and holiness, or good works be not separate, yet faith is as it were the eye of the soul, that discerns and takes hold of Christ's righteousness. The second is this, that when we speak of good works, we speak of them as the Apostle does, (Titus 3:5), where he says, not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us; and by good works denied in the point of justification, we understand all that is our own doing, not excluding only some things that were so accounted in the time of darkness, as almsdeeds and the like, but (as we have said) all that is our own doing.

The second branch is, that this peculiarness of faith's concurring in justification, is not from any efficacy in faith or from faith considered as our deed or work, but as it acts on Christ, as the object of it; and therefore when it is said, (Romans 4:3) that Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, the meaning is not, as if God had accepted his believing, as an act or work for his righteousness, and that it was accounted as a perfect grace; but the meaning is, that Christ Jesus the promised Seed received by faith, or his betaking of himself to the righteousness of Christ held out to him in the promise, was accounted his righteousness; as if he had had an inherent righteousness of his own; and so faith is imputed not in respect of its act, but in respect of its object. By his union with Christ through faith, Christ's satisfaction becomes his: to clear it a little, take these considerations. 1. Consider faith as a grace in us, and so it cannot be imputed for righteousness, for in that respect it's a work, and is excluded by the Apostle's opposition, made of grace and works; it must therefore be faith considered as acting in its object. 2. Consider that in Scripture, to be justified by Christ, by his blood, and by faith, are all one; because when it is said we are justified by Christ, or by his blood, it takes in Christ and his blood laid hold on by faith, therefore sometimes Christ, sometimes faith, is called our righteousness because, as Christ considered, as suffering, and satisfying is the meritorious cause of our justification, so faith is the instrumental cause taking hold of his satisfaction, which is our righteousness; both are necessary in their own way, and Christ's righteousness implies faith, and faith implies Christ and his righteousness, the one implies the other necessarily. 3. Consider the phrases used in Scripture to this purpose as where we are said to be justified by faith, it ever respects Christ; and where we are said by faith to put on Christ, it is not faith considered as righteousness of itself, but it's faith considered as acting on Christ and his righteousness; therefore it's the righteousness which is by faith, the righteousness which is in Christ, and by faith, taken hold of by us, and becoming ours.

The uses are several. 1. For information and conviction, and we would, first, be informed in, and understand well the meaning of this doctrine, when we say that faith is necessary to justification, and concurs in attaining of it as no other thing does, that you may give it its right place, and may make no confusion of these things that are distinct. 1. We deny not works, notwithstanding all that we have said, to be necessary, more than we do faith; but the great difference is regarding the giving of faith and works, or faith as it is a work, an equal share in respect of causality in our justification. And therefore we would beware, with papists, to attribute a sort of condignity to faith, as if it merited eternal life, which flows from their ignorance of God's covenant; for they think, that since He commands us to believe, and promises life to believing, that there is a merit in believing; as they fancy, there is in prayer, alms-deeds, and other duties, or good works; but in this respect, as it is a work in us, the Apostle excludes faith, and makes our justification free; whereas, if faith in justification were considered as a work meriting our justification, it should not be free. And although there are no papists in profession here among us, yet it may be there are some, and that not a few, that think God is obliged to them because they believe, and that expect heaven, and life eternal on that ground, even as when they pray, they think they should be heard for their praying, and when they give alms, that they should be rewarded for the same, as a meritorious work. 2. Neither do we understand, when we say that faith is necessary to justification, and concurs in the attaining of it, that by believing we are disposed to be holy, and so more enabled to justify ourselves; which is also a popish error, wherein I fear many professors of the Gospel among us lie, who think they are obliged to their faith, because it disposes them to hear, read, pray, and the like, and so enables them to work out a righteousness to themselves, whereby they expect to be justified. This is another fault, and error to be guarded against; for though we give faith a radical virtue to keep life in other graces, yet so considered it is still a piece of inherent holiness, and pertains to sanctification, and not to justification. 3. When we say that faith concurs in the attaining of justification, we do not say that it concurs in the same manner, that repentance, prayer, and good works do concur. But it may be said here, seeing we grant that good works and duties are necessary, what then is the difference? I answer, in these two. 1. Faith is the proper and peculiar condition of the covenant of grace, and not our works, or holiness; of which faith considered as a work is a part. Works is the condition of the covenant of works, for it says in this manner, the man that does these things shall live by them, but the covenant of grace in opposition to it says, if you believe with your heart in the Lord Jesus, and confess with your mouth, that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; as it is (Romans 10). What works is in the one covenant, faith is in the other covenant, and that as it is opposed to works, and to faith itself, as it is a work in us. 2. There is a peculiarity in faith's concurring for the attaining of justification, in respect of its instrumentality in taking hold of Christ for our justification, or in receiving and resting upon Him (as we said before) for that end. For when Christ is offered in the Gospel, faith flees to Him, receives Him, takes hold of Him, and rests on Him; neither repentance, nor prayer, nor any good work, has an aptitude, and fitness to receive Christ and present His satisfaction to God as the ground of the sinner's defense, as faith has. And therefore it is so often said by divines according to the Scripture, that faith is the instrumental cause of our justification; which we shall make clear in two or three similitudes, which the Scripture makes use of. 1. Christ compares Himself to the brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness (John 3:14). Man by sin is stung deadly, as the Israelites were by the fiery serpents; Christ Jesus as suffering, and hung, or lifted up upon the cross, is proposed to our faith to look upon, as the brazen serpent was proposed to them that were stung, and put up on a pole for that end. And as there was no healing to the stung Israelites except they looked to it, and the cure followed to none but to those who did behold it; so Christ Jesus proposed as the object, and meritorious cause of justification, justifies none but such as look to Him by faith. And although they were to look to the brazen serpent, yet their look gave no efficacy to the cure, but it flowed from God's ordaining that as a means of their cure; even so it is not from any efficacy in faith considered in itself, that sinners are justified, but it is from Jesus Christ the object, that faith, eyeing Him lifted up, as the Savior of the elect, and His satisfaction as appointed of God for that end, does justify. And therefore it may well be called an instrumental cause, because it is not Christ abstractly considered, that justifies, more than it was the serpent considered abstractly, without their looking to it, that did cure, but Christ considered, and laid hold on by faith; and in this respect faith is said to justify, even as the looking to the brazen serpent put them in capacity of the cure, though the cure flowed from God's appointment, and not from their looking. So is it in faith's concurring for the attaining of justification. A second similitude is that of miraculous faith; we find it often said by the Lord, in His working such cures, your faith has made you whole; there was no efficacy in faith itself for producing the cure, but it was the means by which the cure was transmitted to the person under such a disease. So it is in believing, in order to our justification; it is by believing on Christ, that our spiritual cure in justification is transmitted to us, and we are said to be justified by faith, as they were said to be cured by faith, because, by faith it is conveyed to us. A third similitude for making clear, that faith may well be called the instrumental cause of justification, may be this, even as the advocate's pleading may be called the instrumental cause of the client's being absolved. As suppose a man whose guarantor had paid his debt, were cited to answer for the debt, his advocate pleads his absolution, and freedom from the debt, because his guarantor has paid it; although the debt was paid, yet the man had not been absolved, if it had not been so pleaded on his behalf. So the concurrence of faith in the sinner's justification, is to bring forward Christ's satisfaction for his defense before God, and to plead his absolution on that ground; the believing sinner's faith says it is true, I [reconstructed: owed] so much debt of sin, but Jesus Christ my guarantor to whom I have fled has satisfied for it, therefore I ought to be absolved; and the law allows of this sort of pleading, and upon this ground; in which respect faith concurs in attaining, and may well be called the instrumental cause, of our justification. I shall say no more on this use, but these two words; we may partly lament our great ignorance, that we know so little of the use of faith in our justification; and partly we may lament the great confusion that is in these times, wherein men are set to overturn such a clear truth, as if faith had no instrumentality in our justification, but as if it, and other duties and works were equal sharers and alike in it. Which, 1. overturns the nature of God's covenant of grace, in making works the condition of it; as if there were no difference between the two covenants of works and of grace. 2. It has this miserable ill attending it, that it shoulders out Christ's righteousness, and shuffles in an inherent righteousness of our own, as our defense when we come immediately before the throne of God; whereas the Gospel puts us to a righteousness without us, and imputed to us. This way leads us to seek righteousness in ourselves; whether works, or faith, as a work be made the ground of our justification, it is all one. For if faith considered as a work in us disposing us to holiness, and as a part of sincere holiness, be the thing presented to God, as the ground of our justification, it is still something within us, and such a thing, as is still imperfect; which would miserably mar poor souls' comfort; whereas the righteousness of Christ laid hold on by faith, being made the ground of our justification, it affords solid consolation. For though faith in us be weak and imperfect, yet His righteousness is perfect; and as it was not the Israelites looking, as we said, that was the ground of their health and cure; but God's appointing of such a means for their cure looked to; otherwise they that were weak-sighted, and had bleared eyes might think themselves not in such capacity of healing, as those who were strong and more clear-sighted, whereas they were all alike cured, if once they looked; even so is it here.

A second use of this, and the other doctrine formerly spoken of, is for direction, and practical information; would any know how to get justification by Christ, here is the way; it's by faith in Him; when Christ Jesus and His satisfaction is made offer of in the Gospel, for justifying all self-condemning sinners, that lay hold on Him; sinners by faith fleeing to Him, and resting on Him, get a title to His righteousness, that cannot but save them. So that if it were, 1. asked, what is that which a man appearing before the throne, dare hazard to present to God, as the ground of his defense? It's answered, Christ's righteousness, His satisfaction. 2. If it were asked, how comes one to have title and right to that righteousness, so as he may own and present it for his defense? It is answered, that it is attained by believing in Him; if it be asked, how comes faith to get a title to that righteousness, is it by any virtue, or efficacy in faith, as a work in us? It's answered, no, but it comes to get title to it, by going out of itself, by receiving, and taking hold, and making use of the worthiness that is in Christ's righteousness, which is as a garment, able to cover the sinner's nakedness, and to hide all his spots, and as a complete ransom to pay all his debt: and this we see here — upon the one side, a necessity of faith in order to justification, and upon the other side, a warning, not to count grace, and the righteousness of Christ, the less free; that faith has an instrumentality in the application of it; faith having two things that it pleads upon. 1. Emptiness, and need in itself, from which it arrogates nothing to its own pleading, but 2. founds its defense on the good ground it has to propose; and therefore, as upon the one hand, we would know that there is a way to come by justification, by taking hold of Christ's righteousness by faith; so upon the other hand, we would be afraid to let anything stick to us from our faith, as if we had a meritorious, or efficient hand in, or were to be thanked for, our winning to justification; for as a beggar, in receiving an alms, can allege no merit to be in his receiving, or calling for it, so no more does faith's receiving mar the freedom of our justification, by any merit in it.

Use 3. Seeing faith concurs instrumentally in the attaining of justification, there is here clear ground to exhort you, by faith to receive Christ; and to commend to you the exercise of believing, because, without it you cannot be justified, and by it you shall certainly be justified.

Use 4. Here, O! here is ground of consolation to poor sinners, sensible of sin, trembling at God's bar, as being obnoxious to the curse; that by receiving of Jesus Christ, they may be absolved from the debt of sin, and freed from the curse; therefore, if there be any such here, put forth your hands, and receive what is in your offer; open your soul's mouth wide, and let in Christ, and He will fill it; faith having, as to our spiritual life, the same place, that the mouth has to the body, as to the entertaining of the natural and bodily life, it opens and receives what is needful to keep in the life of the body; and were not this good news to poor souls burdened with sin, loathing themselves, and their own righteousness, seeing it all to be but as filthy rags, and crying out with the jailor, what shall we do to be saved? Paul would say to such, and we say it in the Lord's name; believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be justified and saved; for justification is derived by faith in Him to the sinner.

Use 5. This serves exceedingly to humble a sinner; whether it be a sinner aiming, and seeking to be justified, or a sinner that has attained justification; in so far as there is no ground of boasting here. If you be aiming to be justified, it may humble you; for what can you contribute to it? Being enabled, you can indeed receive what is offered, and that is all; neither can you receive except you be enabled, as is said. It serves also to humble such as are justified; Have you righteousness? It is not your own, but Christ's; it is He only that did the turn. If it should be said, you believed, and may boast of that? I ask, what did you do when you believed? Did you do any more but this? You pleaded guilty, and did consent to take Christ's righteousness, and the pardon of sin through Him freely; and what matter of boasting, I pray, is here? None at all. Thus, this doctrine contributes both to make those who are seeking pardon, and those who have gotten pardon, humble. Where is boasting then? (says the Apostle) it is excluded, by what law? By the law of works? No, but by the law of faith, as it is (Romans 3:17). The believing sinner does nothing, and has done nothing towards the procuring of his own justification, but gets all freely. We can never think, nor speak aright of justification, but it lays our vain humor, and stops the mouth from boasting, while it says, What have you, O man, but what you have received? And if you have received it, why do you boast, as if you had not received it? We shall close and shut up the whole of this doctrine by proposing some few considerations, as conclusions from it. 1. See here a necessity of being acquainted with the truths of the Gospel, and with this truth in particular, concerning justification, (of which, alas, many are very ignorant) seeing there are so many ways to go wrong, and so many do go wrong about it, we had need to be the more clear in the right way. If there were more knowledge of this, and of other truths, we might speak and hear with more profit, and if you did not please yourselves with mere and airy notions, but sought to be settled in what you hear of other truths, and of this in particular, it would contribute much to your peace, and rid you of many doubts and difficulties. A second consideration is, That there is much need to walk in holy fear, in studying this, and other truths, there are so many ways to err, and a wrong step here is very dangerous. It were exceeding profitable to be more in the study of justification, that is of the very marrow of the Gospel, and is deservedly accounted to be articulus stantis, aut cadentis ecclesiae; but you would come to it in fear, being jealous of your own ignorance, and shallowness of capacity rightly to take it up, especially, when new questions are rising, and started concerning it. And as Paul and David studied this way, and held it forth to others, as the way whereby they went to heaven, and whereby others must come to it; so we commend it to you to follow them. A third consideration is, If faith be so necessary to justification, as without it you cannot be justified, is there not reason that you should study to be distinct, and clear that you have faith, and that you are indeed believers? This is one of the great uses of all this doctrine. If there be no way but faith, and if, in studying this one way, many go wrong, then as you would make your calling and election sure, study to make this sure, by putting yourselves to the trial, if you be taking this way as the Apostle most pathetically exhorts (2 Corinthians 13:5), Examine yourselves if you be in the faith, prove your own selves, etc. It is truly matter of wonder to think how so many men and women are so soon satisfied in the matter of their believing, which yet is so tickle, and difficult a business. We would have none to be jumbled and confounded about it, who desire to be serious in the thing; yet we would have all wakened, and put to diligence. Many men have taken pains to be wrong in this matter of justification, and how few of you have taken pains to go right in it? And how is it that many of you win so easily at it? Seeing the Apostle (Romans 9) calls it, a stumbling stone to many, and a rock of offence; surely, [reconstructed: if] it be so, your coming at it by guess, and ignorantly is to be suspected. And therefore on this consideration you would be awakened, to put yourselves more seriously to the study of it; and to try yourselves, if you be come well to it, for it is the special, yea the only ground of your peace before God. There are many of you, who in a manner, think it impossible to miscarry in this; for you know that there is no way to be justified but by faith; and yet if many of you were put to it, you know not the manner nor way how faith justifies, which shows that it is not so easy a matter as you take it to be. A 4th consideration is this, That in speaking of justification, and faith's peculiarity, or peculiar way of concurring in it, you would beware of crying down works, as to their usefulness, or necessity. This was an error that soon entered in the church; as soon as Paul cleared and pressed the doctrine of justification by faith, some arose, who, (as James shows in the second chapter of his epistle,) affirmed, that works were not needful, but faith would save them. No, says James, that faith is dead and vain that lacks works. And therefore remember 1. That although we tell you that works are not properly the condition of the covenant of grace, yet we say that faith and works are never separate in a justified person; sound faith cannot but work, and put on to the study of holiness. 2. We say, although works concur not in the obtaining of pardon of sin, yet we say they are needful to salvation, and to folks' entry into heaven; for the Apostle says (Hebrews 12:17), That without holiness none shall see the Lord. Though it is faith that makes our friendship, yet it is by holiness that it is entertained; and it is holiness whereby our communion is kept up with God. Therefore (Colossians 1:12), we are said by it, to be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; for it transforms us to God's image. 3. Works are necessary, though not to procure our peace, yet for the entertaining of our peace, and except we have works, we cannot have a solid proof that our justification by faith is real. And in this respect, James says (chapter 2) that Abraham was justified by works; that is, by his works he was declared to be a justified person. As to the justification of his person, he was justified by faith, before Isaac was born; but by his offering up of Isaac, and other fruits of his faith, he was declared and manifested to be a justified man, and made suitable to the covenant that he was engaged in with God. Therefore, as the sum of all, be exhorted to study the exercise of faith and holiness, so as every one of them may have its own room and place; for that will be your advantage, and without this no other thing will advantage you. Now God himself that calls for both, sanctify, and enable us for both.